Boone's Level Up Latte recently hosted a flipper frenzy-style tournament that drew thirty-two pinball players, all participating for a modest cash prize but primarily for what was described as "the love of the game." The event, held on a Saturday, marked the coffee shop's second tournament of the school year, attracting both Appalachian State University students and other community members who lined up with quarters to support the local business and enjoy retro games.
Among the participants was Sophie Baliff, a junior sustainable development major at App State, who expressed her surprise at getting into pinball. Baliff compared the arcade experience to that of youth in the 1980s and 1990s, noting that pinball offers an affordable form of modern entertainment. She described the activity as "just like innocent fun."
The tournament style featured continuous head-to-head matches over a short period. Participants played in brackets, each striving for the highest score, until the final matches determined the overall winners. The event, which overflowed with players, ran from 2 to 4 p.m. with an entry fee of $3. Top players in the retro contest included Steve Lane, Louis Iglesias, Aaron Nies, and Guy Pecarro.
The unique combination of gaming and coffee at Level Up Latte was conceived by owner Craig Jennings and App State junior mathematics major Guy Pecarro, who utilized their personal collections of machines for the store. Pecarro clarified his involvement, stating, “I don’t work here. It’s all for the love of the game.” He grew up playing pinball with his family in Charlotte and, upon moving to Boone, observed a notable absence of gaming in the community. Pecarro now oversees every tournament at Level Up Latte, aiming to connect others to the nostalgic sport. “I started that just to get pinball rolling up in Boone. It’s an important thing,” he said.
In August 2025, Jennings and Pecarro connected through their shared passion for arcade games and their mutual goal of establishing an active arcade. Jennings, who previously owned Eleven80 Eatery before opening the fusion arcade-coffee store, sought a different professional path. He remarked about his previous venture, “It was good, but it wasn’t fun. I wanted to do something fun.”
Jennings' vision for a retro arcade faced initial hurdles. After discovering that the space previously occupied by Boone Mall's arcade was available, he intended to create a standalone arcade. However, due to bylaws from other businesses within the mall, this plan was not feasible. Consequently, Jennings decided to form a partnership with Conrads’ Coffee, local roasters and owners of Drip Coffee Bar, to establish the current coffee house featuring an arcade space.
With the recent tournament concluding, expectations are already building for the next event, scheduled to take place in two weeks. Organizers anticipate an even larger, and potentially more caffeinated, turnout for the upcoming competition.
