Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade and Bar, the Portland arcade bar, is opening a second location in downtown Vancouver, Washington, at 415 Columbia St. Anthony D’Andrea, vice president of Timewarp Inc., the company that owns Ground Kontrol, confirmed to What Now Portland that the team hopes to open in January 2027, though a date hasn’t been set.
The new bar will be on the first floor of a recently built apartment building at the corner of West Fourth and Washington streets, close to the Vancouver Waterfront. The space is about 5,500 square feet and is currently being built out. A city permit issued in August shows plans for an arcade, a kitchen, a dining area and an office.
Ground Kontrol first opened in 1999 and is known for its classic video games and pinball machines, along with a full bar, in Portland’s Old Town. Timewarp took over the arcade in 2003. The Vancouver location won’t be a radical change. “It’ll be more of the same,” D’Andrea said, meaning the same mix of retro games, drinks and atmosphere that Portland customers know.
The location is part of a long-planned move. The company had been looking to expand for a while, and the growing Vancouver Waterfront looked like the best fit. Putting a Ground Kontrol across the river in Washington also makes it easier for people who live in Clark County to visit without crossing into Oregon.
“We are looking forward to providing the residents of Vancouver [and the surrounding area] with the great gaming and the great atmosphere and experience they’ve come to expect from Ground Kontrol in Portland,” D’Andrea told What Now Portland.
“The Vancouver Waterfront is an up-and-coming destination for locals and tourists alike, and we had been looking to expand for a while, and this seems like the best fit,” D’Andrea told What Now Portland. “Also, expanding into Washington, which is just across the river, will give a very large group of people the opportunity to visit Ground Kontrol within their state.”
