Founded in 1994 in California, Wilsonville Family Fun Center set out to introduce their FEC concept in Oregon as their sixth location. In 2019, the company rebranded, remodelled, and upgraded equipment, reopening as Bullwinkle’s Wilsonville, now the only outdoor entertainment facility in the Pacific Northwest.

The large entertainment center sprawls across six acres, boasting a variety of attractions, including go-karting, zip line, bumper boats, a miniature golf course, a sky trail, laser tag, XD Dark Ride, soft play unit, froghopper, VR simulators, food and beverage, a bar, bowling lanes, and a two-story arcade.

Website: https://www.fun-center.com/wilsonville/

With the remodeling done, Bullwinkle’s needed a new business system that can integrate everything they are offering – from the arcade to the attractions, to the food. 

Coming from coin-operated machines and manual backend processes, they wanted guests to enjoy games and go from one attraction to another without the burden of coin weight and long lines at counters. 

With “Oregon’s Going Green” initiative, they also needed to eliminate the use of paper tickets that create trash and production cost. 

Starting in the late 2000s, Bullwinkle’s spent years researching cashless systems and decided to go cashless with Embed in 2010.

Transitioning from a competitor’s redemption system to going cashless with Embed was an easy change, according to Darren Harmon, General Manager at Bullwinkle’s Wilsonville: “Once it was explained to us what cashless meant for our operations and our guests, it was almost a no-brainer to fully move over to Embed.”

Going cashless can be overwhelming for some operators given the technical aspects of the system, but Bullwinkle’s had the peace of mind to make the switch.

“We chose Embed because not only were they going to meet our needs, but they were able to answer all my concerns in terms of the backend,” shares Steve Klepper, Tech Manager. “Being a technician, I’m tech-phobic. I was concerned about how a wireless system would hold up inside our building – the stability and reliability? Is it going to meet our reporting needs and have a system back-up in case of failures? Every question I had, there was already an answer for it and protocols,” he adds.

This leap enabled Bullwinkle’s to dive into the challenges of rebranding and remodelling – allowing them to dramatically transform their operations and guest experience.

From an operational standpoint, Embed’s software solution provides a portal for employees to communicate any tech problems that may arise to Klepper, resulting in speedy resolutions and data-driven business decisions on pricing adjustments, bundle offerings and demand generation promos. “It also gives me real-time information to determine whether the layout is working for us, and how they’re affecting games payouts in line with our expectations for a certain period. Overall, it helps us run the park more efficiently and quickly,” explains Klepper.

With Embed’s product integrations, Bullwinkle’s didn’t have to worry about system compatibility. “We’re currently with CenterEdge for POS, Embed for the card system, and Brunswick for our bowling system. The beauty of that is all three of them integrate. We have one master recording system going through the POS system that’s making it easy to have those reports come out, so I know how our games are doing and what sales are live. I don’t have to go ringing kiosks or another point-of-sale system,” details Harmon.

Talking about the elevated guest experience, Harmon adds: “By moving to Embed’s cashless card system, it made it easier for guests to play games, do attractions, and redeem prizes. They can buy a card and everything’s there – no more tickets and tokens in their pockets. They can just top-up anytime or purchase a package of multiple cards and get bonus play. It just made it so much easier for guests to spend money.”

“Guests love that they didn’t have to be weighed-down with all their winnings,” Klepper adds. “Everything was digitized, and when they return to the venue, they don’t have to carry bulky receipts with them. It also lets guests know whether a machine is operational or not in a more presentable manner, saving them time.”

Solution Highlights:

• smartTOUCH card readers

• TOOLKIT: GURU

• Game Cards

• Kiosks

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More Revenue, Less Manpower

Because of the system’s efficiency, reliability, and ease of use, Bullwinkle’s saw a significant increase in their revenue with less manpower to boot:

“Upon installment, we got about a 15% sales boost to the arcade, and now that it’s been in for so long, it’s just part of the metrics. But on certain days you can see people go in and buy more on a card so I would probably say we are up more around 15 to 20% since we went cashless,” shares Harmon.

He continues, “Using a cashless card system makes it easier to get an increased sale out of someone. The amount of money that’s left on a card – may it be pennies or dollars – just adds up over time. Guests are getting this increase in their cards, and they spend a little more.”

Prior to Embed, Bullwinkle’s required 70% more workforce on the gaming floor to entertain guests and attend to hardware. Now, they enjoy less wear and tear on games as well as downtimes, guaranteeing continuous revenue and a seamless guest experience:

“Embed has been nothing but phenomenal as far as support and consultations – good partners especially when we’ve been put up against a wall with an issue or a problem such as investigating internal theft. From day one of the system, it has managed to operate flawlessly. The only time Embed didn’t work was when it was still unpacked in the box. I will be working with Embed until I’m no longer in this business,” concludes Klepper.

Bullwinkle’s Wilsonville offers a variety of experiences for the entire family. Through their partnership with Embed, they can focus on their business, run their operations smoothly, and ensure a superior guest experience day-in and day-out.

“If I were to recommend Embed today, the cashless system is the way to go. Embed has solid products - easy to install and integrate seamlessly with multiple vendors,” finished Harmon.