Ballerz Pinball Café: Old Main Street’s Pinball Comeback

Old Main Street has coffee shops, a speakeasy and a Saturday market. Since July 2025 it has also had something it hadn’t seen in a while: a room full of pinball machines you can play all day for one price.

Who’s behind it

Ballerz Pinball Café is owned by Jon-Paul Taylor and Eddie Pantoja, both Bradenton locals, according to Discover Bradenton. Taylor had spent years placing pinball machines in breweries and bars around Tampa Bay before deciding he wanted a place of his own, he told What Now Tampa when the café was first announced in October 2022.

That announcement targeted a late-2022 opening. The doors actually opened in early July 2025, and the Bradenton Herald counted it among the new Manatee County spots that opened in 2025.

What you’ll find inside

The café runs more than a dozen restored machines. Its game list includes Stern titles like Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic Park, Godzilla, John Wick, The Mandalorian and Iron Maiden, plus Pulp Fiction from Chicago Gaming and Harry Potter from Jersey Jack. The lineup rotates, so the site warns that games may differ when you visit.

Serious players can keep score too: Ballerz keeps a yearly leaderboard and hosts tournaments, member-only events and private parties. The pinball-tracking site Kineticist ranks it No. 30 among Florida pinball locations and notes it runs a league.

Food, drinks and the vibe

Between games there’s a snack bar with hot dogs and coffee, and Discover Bradenton’s 2025 visit also found Cuban sandwiches, nachos, beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks. Online ordering for pickup is on the café’s website. Discover Bradenton described the room as more of a cozy neighborhood spot than a loud arcade, built for all ages.

Know before you go

Price, hours and games as listed on ballerzpinballcafe.com on Oct 5, 2026. Hours can change around holidays, so check their site or socials before you go.

Make a day of it

Ballerz is a short walk from the Riverwalk and sits right on the block where the Bradenton Public Market sets up every Saturday, October through May. Pair a morning at the market with an afternoon of pinball, or check the downtown events calendar for what else is happening.