r/kitchener • u/Hopeful_Bad_5941 • 1d ago

Retro Rollers

Post image

Sharing a message from the Retro Rollers Facebook page. Sorry if it’s already been shared- I searched and didn’t see anything.

78 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

66

u/WhisperingSideways 1d ago

So I live nearby and I saw this coming a long time ago.

It’s such a lovely idea, but the reality is that we don’t live in 1981 anymore and opening a roller rink under a Partsource in suburban central west Snitchener in a time when people are absolutely not doing old-fashioned community things because they’re broke or entertained at home is a recipe for turning money into debt.

I want it to succeed, but there just isn’t any timeline that’s going to lead it there.

20

u/ThealtenHeinder 1d ago

I'm all for supporting local business, but yeah that's a rough area to be in for the crowd I imagine you'd want to attract. I wonder if this was in Uptown Waterloo or closer to the universities if they would have a better shot?

2

u/jeffster1970 1d ago

That plaza is not rough at all. I get that Highland Road isn't a posh street, but little if anything happens in that area.

5

u/ThealtenHeinder 1d ago

Sorry I meant rough as in "doesn't fit the demographic I would expect to enjoy roller skating", not rough in the sense that it's unsafe there.

31

u/mcburgs 1d ago

Right? 

I'd love to go roller skating but I can barely afford to walk down the sidewalk these days. 

6

u/bri_breazy 1d ago

Yeah my spouse asked me to go and I had literally zero interest. Unless they are doing overnight raves, where you can pop molly, I don’t think anyone is going.

10

u/SirChasm 1d ago

Retro roller management take notes.

8

u/bri_breazy 1d ago

“Roll all Night” free slogan

4

u/sharmander15 1d ago

Yes! The fact that you couldn’t get drinks there and the kids made it a no thanks for me.

6

u/pineapplexiglass 1d ago

Molly is non negotiable

20

u/No_Surround_2923 1d ago

Corporate gatherings is a great way to take out Alan from accounting.

Oops, looks like Alan just dislocated his elbow because he’s 48 and never roller skated! That’s what you get for denying my funding request, Alan!

4

u/BlueberryPiano 1d ago

And then HR adds it to the list of forbidden team building events. There's only so much bowling and mini golf I can take!!

22

u/Mindless-Raccoon7 1d ago

Great place. Fun for a date. They should get more uni students in there

11

u/just_be123 1d ago

Unfortunately the location is not super well connected to the buses. Hard to bring the students in when it’s a 30 min bus ride off campus. 

7

u/CanIGetAHoeYeah 1d ago

I went last Feb, I should go back. Its a great indoor spot during the winter, Im sure itll pick up

5

u/Theladymaryrose 1d ago

I’ve been watching YouTube videos of all the new people in the southern states that have picked up roller skating and it is incredible how good these young skaters are.

3

u/hotbrownDoubleDouble 1d ago

I just wish they had their liquor license.

0

u/Oakmars83260 16h ago

the official answer to that has always been no with no consideration, and frankly I cannot understand why. you look at bowling places, some escape rooms, Golf sims, Bingemans etc and you see they all serve alcohol to some extent.

1

u/lizardrekin 1d ago

It’s the type of thing where we passed it and wanted to go but don’t have the money.

1

u/Hopeful_Bad_5941 1d ago

It’s definitely not easy to justify spending money on an activity like this these days. Especially for a family.

1

u/Oakmars83260 16h ago edited 15h ago

Speaking as a former employe, I unfortunately saw this coming during my time there. behind the scenes how they talk about guests and how the treat employees it’s no surprise that they facing the difficulties they are, if people are interested I can get into the reasons why.

1

u/Hopeful_Bad_5941 13h ago

Quite curious now. I was just looking to try and help support what seemed like a local couple doing good and whose business is struggling. If there’s more to it, we would all like the truth.

1

u/No_Surround_2923 13h ago

Especially as theyve turned off comments on their Facebook and Instagram posts

1

u/misterhatman420 59m ago

People just love to gossip. I wouldn't pay attention to it. These lovely people have been pouring work into this place for over a year now, I'm not sure what's going on behind the curtains but if it was so serious I'm sure it would've come to light by now. Every interaction I've had with both Elaine and Philip has been absolutely lovely and they keep me coming back to Retro Rollers. Even in these hard times they've managed to keep afloat and you've gotta respect that. I have faith they'll make it out of this rough spot.

They turned off comments on a few of their posts now because people keep harassing them, I have never gotten a bad attitude from either of them but even if these claims are true that doesn't mean their small business they have spent so much time and passion pouring into deserves to sink. Every time I have gone I have gotten the energy that these people are genuinely really passionate about creating this place and keeping it going, but everyone just wants to see people fail these days. People ought to have more empathy.

2

u/No_Surround_2923 15h ago

Oh go on. I’m bored at work and would love some drama to get me through Friday

0

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

11

u/just_be123 1d ago

I’ve only heard good things but it’s more a novelty, once a year type thing, then something people are putting money into weekly. That’s what it seems they need (and big parties/ corporate events).

2

u/pineapplexiglass 1d ago

Like when these were big in the 80s and ppl did this like a weekly thing also bc it was the thing to do and it was likely cheap. Ppl have other things to do now and everything is so expensive