Wareham’s New Restaurant-Arcade Looks to RWND Back to the 80s and 90s

WAREHAM (WBSM) — A new Wareham dining and entertainment experience is set to throw the Gateway to the Cape back to the heyday of Generation X with a restaurant-arcade bar unlike any other.

A former Main Street engine shop, which had once been a steakhouse and lounge back in the 1970s, will soon have new life as RWND (pronounced “Rewind”), with owner Phil Warren seeking to redefine a night on the town in downtown Wareham.

The location, between the building that houses the Woh Lun restaurant and the one that is the Law Offices of Bello and Morton, is set back a bit from the road but a sign proudly displays what is coming soon.

The work is underway at RWND to fast-forward it to its new look, and it’s beginning to take shape. As we visited recently, work crews continued to craft Warren’s vision into reality.

Wareham's RWND Will Be a Place to Unwind

The front entryway will greet patrons with an instant wave of nostalgia and fun decor before they go up the stairs into the dining room. Off to the side of the dining room is a party room/additional dining space.

The dining room seats 80 people with an additional 20 seats at the bar, which Warren said will be built “out of glass blocks for that retro feel.”

There will also be neon lights, custom neon signs and vintage-style televisions throughout playing classic music videos from the 80s and 90s.

A short flight of stairs leads down to the arcade level (there is a wheelchair elevator as well) which will also have its own walk-up bar and restrooms, so there’s no need to have to venture back up into the dining area. There will also be an outdoor patio area, too.

Each bar, whether upstairs in the restaurant or down in the arcade, will have 12 taps featuring local craft beers, creative cocktails and mocktails as well.

The arcade will also have television playing old school music videos, and there will also be an entertainment area at the far end where there will be live music, DJs or karaoke, depending on the night.

Oh, and one other key feature: RWND will have both its own front and rear parking lots, a rarity in downtown Wareham.

What’s on the Menu at RWND?

The plan is for the menu at RWND to “match the venue’s fun and nostalgic atmosphere,” according to Warren, which will include classic American favorites such as pizza and smash burgers.

There will also be some contemporary Asian-inspired appetizers and entrees, because both Warren and his executive chef are fans of that type of cuisine and Warren said he thinks that Japanese-style foods will fit in with the arcade theme.

He said the menu will feature quality options, “not just bar food to feed people.”

“The focus from the beginning has always been not to be an arcade with bar food. We're going to be a restaurant first,” Warren said. "I don't see it as an arcade bar with food. I see it as a restaurant with an arcade bar.”

The Game Plan for RWND

RWND will have a collection of 200 retro arcade games and pinball machines from the 80s and 90s, all in original cabinets with original artwork, and will feature 40 of them on the floor at one time.

The selection will be rotated monthly, so you can expect to see so many of your childhood favorites.

All the games will be set to “free play,” meaning you won’t need quarters or tokens to play them. Instead, you will pay one price – still to be determined – for a wristband that allows you entry into the arcade area to play as much as you want.

Does Warren have a favorite arcade game of his own?

“I’m somewhere between Pac Man and Space Invaders,” he said. “I love the aesthetic of it.”

Will RWND Be for All Ages?

Warren said RWND will “cater to guests of all ages” and that the arcade level will have “family friendly and 21-plus hours.”

“We will be 21-plus at night,” he said. “We do want to switch every night over to 21-plus.”

He is also planning special seasonal family events.

“In the season, I’d like to do a family brunch on Sunday, with brighter lights inside and having it more affordable for families to come have lunch and then play games,” Warren said.

The Inspiration Behind RWND

Warren said that he was inspired to open RWND during the COVID-19 pandemic, as he “navigated the challenges of raising a young family in a socially-distanced world.”

“A trip to an arcade helped my son overcome public anxieties, sparking a love of arcades that led me to explore the growing bar arcade industry,” Warren said. “I envisioned the possibility of something beyond the typical bar arcade – something more family-friendly, exciting and with superior culinary experiences.”

First-Time Restaurateur, But a Lifetime of Business Experience

Warren, a Carver native, has never owned a restaurant before but he has decades of business experience that will be put to use with his new venture.

The Cape Cod Community College and Bridgewater State University alumnus spent 15 successful years in the industrial coatings industry, filing two U.S. patents and playing a key role in the growth and eventual sale of his family’s epoxy manufacturing business.

After the sale, he stayed on with the new owners as Technical Director and earned recognition as a technical writer in industry journals and winning several awards for his contributions.

He plans to use all of those talents to help with RWND, but he also said he knows the No. 1 way to be successful in owning a restaurant: surrounding himself with the best talent in all the key areas of running the establishment.

When Will RWND Open in Downtown Wareham?

“I’m aiming for Q1 of 2025. If things go well, it could happen,” Warren said.

You can get updates on the website, PLZRWND.com.