COVID-19 is ‘just another plot twist’
Temporary closure of Kitchener’s AOK Craft Beer + Arcade one of many setbacks owners have faced
KITCHENER — Dani Stock and Steve Jenereaux were married on a Tuesday, opened their arcade bar on a Tuesday, and closed it down on a Tuesday.
“We used to think Tuesday was our day,” joked Jenereaux. “Now we’re not so sure.”
When you look at the threeyear timeline to open Kitchener’s AOK Craft Beer + Arcade, being forced to shut down two weeks after officially opening doesn’t quite seem out of place.
“There’s been a lot of bumps on the road,” said Stock, who owns and operates the arcade bar with her husband Jenereaux.
The pair were forced to shut down in March amid the outbreak of COVID-19, one in a long line of setbacks they’ve had to overcome since deciding to leave their corporate jobs and start their own adventure.
There was the eight-month process to find a location that suited their vision and fell within their budget. That eventually culminated in the selection of 165 King St. W.
Then there were the construction delays — lasting for two years — that kept them out of the property until fall 2019.
They had their wedding, held in the bar on New Year’s Eve, just three days after they were granted occupancy of the building — “that was some unnecessary stress.”
And somewhere along the way, a business loan that was mistakenly cancelled and reinstated.
“But for all the lows, there’s been a lot of highs as well,” said Stock. “It’s been such an enriching experience to have our friends and family rally around us.”
The idea behind the space was to branch out of the prototypical bar, and give customers something to do with their friends.
The bar includes a collection of more than 20 vintage arcade games, coming from as far as Nashville to Columbus and all across Ontario. After spanning North America for the best options, they’d drive out in their van, fit the machine in the back, and drive back home.
“We were really looking for a way to be part of the amazing growth and revitalization of Kitchener’s downtown,” said Stock. “We wanted to compliment what’s already there by adding something unique and fun.”
It’s a throwback to Jenereaux’s youth spent in arcade rooms, while also shining a spotlight on the growing craft beer industry. The bar was equipped with 12 rotating taps, and the plan was to highlight as many breweries as possible.
They officially opened on March 3, exactly two weeks before non-essential services were told to shut down.
In its first week, they almost ran out of beer, and ended up having to call in favours to keep the beer flowing.
“And then we shut down, and that’s pretty much where the story ends,” she said.
It’s a difficult time to navigate for a new business, compounded by the fact they had only been open for two weeks, and aren’t eligible for most of the business aid packages.
“Businesses that have just opened are certainly among the most at risk of not surviving this,” said Stock.
They’re now working with their landlords on ways to manage their rent payments, and they’re constantly watching the headlines, looking for any indication of a timeline when they can reopen.
But they’re not looking for sympathy. They said they know they are not alone in this, and their story is one mirrored by many business owners across the country.
And the partners in business and life have been support systems for each other through it all, taking turns bringing the other up when they’ve been down.
“We’re not killing each other yet,” Jenereaux said with a laugh. “We have the fresh new marriage view, and we still love each other.”
Dani, sharing in on the laugh, said it’s just another challenge for the couple to overcome.
“We’ve been through adversity before, this is just another plot twist. And having gone through this journey has made us a lot stronger to weather this.”