Level Up: Finney’s Arcade & Parlor Brings Vintage Vibes and Family Fun to Downtown Canton

Before opening Finney’s Arcade & Parlor, a friend of co-owner Ryan Miller uncovered a 40s- to 50s-era print ad for Finney’s Drug Store — which, starting in 1899, occupied the downtown Canton building where the arcade is now. It was inspiration to not only name the arcade after Finney’s but to create a logo with a similar font, placing a neon sign out front to echo the original.

Miller and co-owner Micah Dorward had Canton native artist Ron Copeland create a wall art piece for the arcade, mimicking a vintage Finney’s Drug Store ad by tweaking its tagline to state: Don’t say arcade, say Finney’s. Copeland readapted the ad’s female caricature, advertising pinball, pies, beer and candy.

“With a lot of projects, we want to respect the past and then look to the future — using the past as a compass for where we are going,” says Miller, who also owns Deli Ohio and co-owns Mike’s Pizza, both in Canton.

The arcade fills a void for entertainment on their downtown block that’s near Centennial Plaza. “We noticed aside from the Palace Theatre,” Miller says, “we didn’t have a ton of family fun.”

Opened in late April, Finney’s features around 40 arcade and pinball games, candy, Akron’s Pav’s Creamery ice cream, Akron’s Gardner Pie Co. pies, brews, cocktails and more. The duo renovated the space to reveal its original hardwood floors and expose brick walls, also adding floor accents such as a black-and-white hexagon tile entryway that says Hello. Plus, as its name alludes, there are a few relaxing seating areas.

“Parlor was a play on an old-school pharmacy where they would have a soda jerk or someone scooping ice cream,” says Miller. “We wanted it to have that 1920s, 1940s feel.”

Sink your quarters into classic Frogger, Donkey Kong and Super Mario Brothers games, along with Evil Dead and Addams family pinball. Also enjoy Skee-Ball, air hockey and a claw machine. Miller’s 9- and 13-year-old daughters like old-school joystick games like Ms. Pac-Man and Dig Dug, while Miller enjoys NBA Jam and “Pulp Fiction” pinball.

“I really love the movie. They did a great job of incorporating sound bites and a lot of art,” says Miller, who grew up playing arcade games at New Towne Mall in New Philadelphia.

Order from around eight regional beers on tap — including Columbiana’s Birdfish Brewing Co. Louisville’s UnHitched Brewing Co. created Brew Skee Ball, an exclusive easy-drinking light cream ale for Finney’s. Enjoy ‘20s-style cocktails like a Hemingway or a sidecar. Treat yourself to nostalgic candies, such as Bazooka bubblegum and Ring Pops.

Recently, a 5-year-old and an 80-year-old were playing games near each other. Miller sees that as success — inspiring people of all ages to have some good old-fashioned fun.

“Post-COVID, it felt heavy. You felt like fun was something that used to happen,” Miller says. “The one word we’re really aiming for here is we want to be a fun place.”

417 Market Ave. N, Canton, facebook.com/finneysarcade