Founded in 2019 in Michigan, High Caliber Karting & Entertainment started out as an idea from three friends motivated to elevate the industry of go-kart racing. By developing their own immersive technology and working with vendors to make it happen, the founders pioneered an interactive virtual racing experience now known as “combat karting.”

Website: https://highcaliberkarting.com

Prior to opening the doors of High Caliber Karting, the founders traveled across the United States, visiting as many go-kart facilities as possible, scoping out the best practices and analyzing systems in play. From the get-go, they decided that High Caliber will also offer attractions and experiences like axe throwing, rage rooms, pocket soccer, throw bowling, archery, and an arcade game room floor with redemption. 

“Some of our biggest concerns when we were starting were reliability, functionality, and the ease of use of solutions that we will be adopting, so coins and tickets were already a no-no,” says Zach Bingham, General Manager. “We were keen on operating with systems that can integrate well with one another for the variety of attractions we offer – we know this is the only way to stand out from the competition,” he adds. Thus, the search for integrated cashless systems began.

High Caliber Karting had a clear vision from the start – cashless is the only way to go. To achieve that goal, the FEC partnered with Embed and implemented its cashless system of integrated hardware and software solutions, such as smartTOUCH card readers, kiosks, customizable game cards, and applications under the TOOLKIT suite, namely SALES, PRIZES Redemption POS, and GURU. 

“The Embed system is exactly what we wanted for our business,” says Bingham. “No operator wants the headaches that come with an unreliable system. With Embed, guests can just swipe their card on a reader or use a kiosk and they work every single time. Unlike many venues I’ve been to when your transactions get processed on the fourth or fifth try, Embed’s system just operates well and rids us of any revenue blockers,” he explains.

Speaking of revenue, Bingham specifically lauds the Embed Kiosk: “It’s easily my favorite thing. Guests don’t have to wait in line anymore at counters, and kiosks ensure upselling and taking the guest through all the steps that we would otherwise have to train our employees to do at the front desk.”

Solution Highlights:

• smartTOUCH readers

• SALES

• PRIZES Redemption POS

• GURU

• Game Cards

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After partnering with Embed, High Caliber Karting has seen increased operational efficiency and consistency across the board, enjoying more profitability without the need to add more employees. These paved the way for the addition of a $2-million worth 25,000 square-foot expansion in less than 2 years – and during a global pandemic!

“Embed’s whole system, especially the kiosks, operate really well for us – they produce so much revenue with us putting little to no effort towards it,” praises Bingham. “The arcade part of our business runs itself. It produces revenue and we don’t have to do anything,” he claims. 

As they continue to push the envelope in the family entertainment industry, High Caliber Karting & Entertainment continues to expand the attractions they offer to guests, completing their massive expansion in  2021, which included a large bar area, two VIP rooms, gamified axe throwing with digital targets, an assault arena for archery tag and Nerf wars, and karting upgrades.

“We went from having a go-kart track, to us having top-of-the-line pro-tech barriers, to having a sweet bar that has bottoms-up beer,” explains Bigham.

The Embed integration enables High Caliber Karting to streamline their operations, optimize the guest experience, and minimize manpower - creating a cohesive experience across all their attractions and latest offerings.