A trolley rolls past a brick building in Ybor City, Florida, housing GameTime Tampa. — GameTime’s Ybor City location. Credit: GameTime Tampa

Yet another Ybor City staple is closing its doors.

After 16 years of birthday parties, school fundraisers, date nights and more, it’s apparently game over for GameTime arcade.

Located at 1600 E 8th Ave, in the Centro Ybor complex, GameTime’s last full day of business will be August 9, says owner Michael Abecassis, who cited an expiring lease, the current economy and the overall direction of Ybor in his reasoning for the closure.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision,” Abecassis said in a lengthy goodbye posted to the company’s website. “Our lease at this location is no longer in effect, and given the current economic climate and how Ybor City has evolved, we don’t see a path forward for us to stay here. After sixteen remarkable years, we have to say goodbye to this building — though never to this community.”

GameTime first opened on April 16, 2010 in the 24,000-square-foot space formerly known as Gameworks. Over the years, the arcade became a popular spot for corporate events, family gatherings, and more, featuring an array of retro video games, interactive games, ride simulators, full-lane bowling, a full food menu, and a full-service sports bar.

“We’ve shared in some of life’s biggest moments here,” continued Abecassis. “We’ve watched first dates turn into engagements, engagements into weddings, and weddings into families who now bring their own kids back to visit us. We’ve welcomed guests who moved away and made a point to stop in on their way back through Tampa, just to see the place again.”

It’s unclear what will happen to the vacated space, but Abecassis says he’s willing to open a new GameTime location if the right situation presents itself.

“This isn’t goodbye to Tampa — it’s goodbye to this building. If the opportunity ever comes to return, we would jump at the chance. Until then, we’re grateful for sixteen incredible years, and we’ll keep working to serve this community, whether here or somewhere new.”

GameTime still has operating Florida locations in Fort Myers, Kissimmee, Ocoee, and Miami, all of which will honor any game card balance, tickets and gift cards, says the website.

In 2021, GameTime’s parent company, A&E Adventures LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but successfully came out of it one year later.

This is the second major business to leave the Centro Ybor complex in the last couple months. Last May, Tampa Bay Brewing Co. closed its Centro Ybor location after 20 years of holding down the main floor.

This is also just the most recent in what seems like an endless onslaught of recent closings of local bars and restaurants across Tampa Bay.

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This article appears in July 02 – 08, 2026.