Two members of the Grow Clinton Ambassadors play an arcade game in the new FunZone Arcade section of the Pizza Ranch in Clinton, Iowa, on Tuesday, Dec. 3. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
CLINTON, Iowa – The Pizza Ranch in this community now has a place for kids to play games and battle everything from scary clowns to Godzilla. Those battles are being provided in the new FunZone Arcade section of the Pizza Ranch at 1347 11th St., NW. That new section is about 2,800 square feet of […]
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CLINTON, Iowa – The Pizza Ranch in this community now has a place for kids to play games and battle everything from scary clowns to Godzilla.Those battles are being provided in the new FunZone Arcade section of the Pizza Ranch at 1347 11th St., NW.
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A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held Tuesday, Dec. 3, for the new FunZone Arcade at Pizza Ranch in Clinton, Iowa, on Tuesday, Dec. 3. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Visitors take a look at the arcade games on display in the new FunZone Arcade at the Pizza Ranch in Clinton, Iowa, on Tuesday, Dec. 3. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Clinton Pizza Ranch owner Brandon Pratt, middle, is shown inside the FunZone.
Visitors take a look at the arcade games on display in the new FunZone Arcade at the Pizza Ranch in Clinton, Iowa, on Tuesday, Dec. 3. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Here are some of the games in the FunZone/
Clinton Pizza Ranch owner Brandon Pratt, left, is shown inside the FunZone.
Two members of the Grow Clinton Ambassadors play an arcade game in the new FunZone Arcade section of the Pizza Ranch in Clinton, Iowa, on Tuesday, Dec. 3. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
That new section is about 2,800 square feet of space. It features 30 arcade games with names such as “Whack A Clown,” “Ice Walker,” “Crossy Road” and “Power Roll.” But the center of attention on Tuesday, Dec. 3, was a state-of-the-art arcade game called “Raw Thrills: Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR.” In it two players put on virtual reality goggles and try to shoot Godzilla and other monsters.“You’ve got to try that Godzilla game. … It’s fun,” said new Clinton Pizza Ranch owner Brandon Pratt before a Grow Clinton ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome the FunZone Arcade to the community.That ceremony attracted about 30 people from the business community. They got to check out the many colorful and noisy games. Several also got some play time on the games, especially the Godzilla game.“People have really loved this. It’s a good, family-friendly environment,” said Kristin Auna, a district manager for Pizza Ranch, who was at Tuesday’s welcoming ceremony. “There’s been a lot of good comments about the FunZone since it opened.”The FunZone Arcade opened to the public on Nov. 14. The cost of building the arcade section and filling it with expensive games was not disclosed. However, Mr. Pratt called it a "significant expense … into the seven figures.”“Some of the games you see here people play for fun. Others, they play and can win prizes," he added. For example, some arcade games will award players with tickets that can be traded in to the arcade for small prizes.
Pratt meets Clinton
In addition to showing off the new games and arcade, the event introduced Mr. Pratt to the business community. The Iowa City man said he recently bought Pizza Ranches in Clinton and Bettendorf from the Middendorp family.A couple of years ago, Pizza Ranch Inc. awarded its Franchisee of the Year Award to Brandon and Jennifer Pratt at the 2021 Pizza Ranch Awards Banquet. The Pratts began their franchise journey with Pizza Ranch in 2006 with the opening of the Iowa City restaurant. That was followed by the opening or re-opening of six other locations: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 2013; Springfield, Illinois, in 2015; Newton, Iowa, in 2016, Galesburg, Illinois, in 2016; North Liberty, Iowa, in 2019; and Marion, Iowa, in 2020. The Pratts also own the Pizza Ranch restaurants in Bettendorf and Sterling, Illinois, according to Pizza Ranch.“Brandon and Jennifer have made an incredible impact on their communities, with personal involvement and service through their Pizza Ranch restaurants. They are an integral part of the Pizza Ranch franchise,” said Adrie Groeneweg, president and founder of Pizza Ranch, in a news release at that awards banquet.“We have some big shoes to fill. … We’re excited to be in Clinton,” Mr. Pratt said Tuesday.Pizza Ranch is based in Orange City, Iowa., It has franchises in more than 210 locations and 14 states. The first Pizza Ranch was started by Mr. Groeneweg in 1981 in Hull, Iowa.
