A nostalgic entertainment venue is making its highly anticipated Austin debut on April 17. Pins Mechanical Co. brings 43,000 square feet full of bowling, classic arcade games, and cocktails to 4323 S. Congress Ave. in the St. Elmo district.

Pins Mechanical specializes in duckpin bowling, which uses smaller balls that do not have finger holes; the bowler holds the ball (which is much smaller than in tenpin bowling) in their palm. However, both the pins and the balls are bigger than in candlepin bowling, another old-fashioned variation on the sport.

A grand opening event will introduce the public to the space from 4 pm to midnight.

This opening is a big deal for longtime Austinites, who were told about a decade ago that a renovated warehouse would become the St. Elmo Public Market by 2018. That date came and went, and the project even spent some time completely vacant. Pins Mechanical was announced as the next step in late 2023, and the space is finally about to see redemption.

Aesthetically, the venue is embracing its industrial past. It has been updated, but photos show an unfussy space with some leather couches and metal stools. In short, it seems to have subverted much of the maximalism literally coloring Austin's entertainment spaces in the 2020s.

Pins Mechanical houses:

• 20 duckpin bowling lanes
• 25-plus pinball machines
• 29-plus classic arcade games
• foosball
• ping pong
• Giant yard game versions of Lite Brite, Jenga, and Connect Four

Duckpin bowling is a bit different than what most Austinites are likely used to.Photo courtesy of Pins Mechanical Co.

Each month, Pins Mechanical will donate all quarters from the classic arcade games to Ronald McDonald House Charities, which help children experiencing illness or injury. Other "rotating philanthropic-focused programming and events," will also be on the calendar, according to a press release.

“Austin has always been a city I’ve loved, it aligns perfectly with the creative nature of the Pins brand,” said Troy Allen, CEO of Rise Brands, the Ohio-based company that operates Pins Mechanical. There are currently nine locations across the United States. "We are thrilled to be opening our next location in the heart of St. Elmo, a truly unique neighborhood where Pins will fit in seamlessly."

The neighborhood has shown other recent signs of new life, most notably in announcing that a new Quickie Pickie location would anchor a mixed use development across the street. There is no estimated completion date yet.

Pins Mechanical Co. will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 4 pm to midnight, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 2 am, and Sundays from noon to midnight.