Published 31 May 2012

£2million Refurb for Games Hotspot

BOSSES at a major Northwest tourist attraction have pledged to keep the dodgems running - despite a huge £2million refurbishment set to transform the venue.

Throughout May and June, Namco Station at The Trafford Centre is set to undergo a full refurbishment.

Architects plan to transform the venue into a 21st Century arcade, which will be rebranded ‘Namco Funscape’ in line with other Namco venues around the UK.

Namco Station’s General Manager, Frank Johnson, believes the refurbishment will take everyone by surprise. Said Frank: "Our reputation is built upon being an exciting and vibrant place in which to have fun. We're turning up the volume on that reputation and cannot wait for our loyal customers to walk in and see what we've achieved."

Re-launch

Scheduled to finish in early July, the refurbishment will be undertaken in stages with Namco Station vowing to remain open during the works, with as little disruption to customers as possible.

Frank added: "This investment is a huge indication that Namco has a solid future in the Northwest and will be attracting some of the 30million annual visitors to The Trafford Centre for many years to come. The re-launch in July will be a very exciting time for the staff and our customers. We are planning lots of special events and offers to celebrate our brand new look."

Namco Station has been a mainstay of The Trafford Centre experience for some 14 years, proving to be a big draw for families, couples, groups and children alike, all eager to extend their shopping trip with some leisurely activities. The hugely varied offer includes tenpin bowling, pool, arcades, video games - and Europe’s fastest dodgems.

Explained Frank: "We are determined to keep the balls rolling right through our amazing make-over, so no-one need go without their fix of fun!"

The £2million make-over will see Namco Funscape enlarge the bar area to provide additional seating and giant sports screens. Groups will be offered the use of special private hire lounges.

The 18 tenpin bowling lanes will be fully refurbished with six brand new VIP lanes now included. The main games area will also be getting extra space and new feature machines.

Face-lift

The whole venue will be given a face-lift - with a much more luxurious feel to the décor. Comfy seating will be provided in the bar and on the lanes and new flooring, atmospheric lighting and colour schemes will all come together to make the refreshed venue "a real jaw-dropping experience" says Frank.

Gordon McKinnon, director of operations at The Trafford Centre, welcomed the news.

Said Gordon: "Our new Namco Funscape will sit perfectly within the leisure offer here at The Trafford Centre. As more and more people look to extend their shopping trips into full days out and even weekend's away, having a variety of ultra-modern leisure venues is very important to us.”

"The venue is famous for its external theming, which is based on an Aztec temple. We cannot wait to see what magic this new design will bring to the interior of one of our most popular attractions."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• To learn more about the major refurbishment, book a party or a lane, visit in-store or call the team on 0161 749 1111.
• Look out for future announcements on Namco Funscape’s re-launch in the coming months!
• For information on anything related to this press release please contact Natalie Couzens on 0208 324 6243 or ncouzens@namco.co.uk

Namco Funscape at The Trafford Centre, Manchester opened in September 1998 in The Orient section and the Northwest’s most unique entertainment space with 18 lanes of bowling including 6 VIP lanes, Europe’s fastest dodgems, the latest exciting arcades, pool, meeting and party facilities, Vegas gaming centre and licensed high class bar with large screens showing Sky Sports.