Game On: A New Website for Start Bar

Game On: A New Website for Start Bar

This past summer, Start Bar, St. Louis’ first true bar-arcade hybrid, opened in downtown St. Louis. It’s a tribute to everything we loved about arcades in the ’80s and ’90s. The dimly lit rooms. The glowing arcade cabinets. The mystery that awaited you around every corner and the rush of exploring (and winning) new games. The feeling of independence and youthful rebellion.

Atomicdust worked with the Consips team (the same masterminds behind neighboring bar Wheelhouse) to create a unique brand for Start Bar, designing a logo, game tokens, environmental graphics, employee t-shirts and more.

At the time, we built a splash page to cover the basics – hours, location and menus – and introduce Start Bar to St. Louis. But with an ever-growing food, drink and game list, it was time to build a new website.

The new Start Bar website still covers the basics. In fact, the address and hours are listed prominently right at the top of the website. But, more than just a hub for information, the Start Bar website is designed to be a reflection of the actual space.

Grungy, cool, and a little bit chaotic, the website is littered with hidden delights. Start Bar has its secret room. Its website has subtle attitude, with lines like “WTH is Street Fighter” and “Follow us, we’re funny” appearing alongside typical navigation items.

Start Bar is rebellious. It’s not afraid to break some rules. As web design nerds, we had fun breaking some traditional UX design rules on this one. We combined horizontal and vertical scrolling. We pushed ourselves with a complicated side navigation. We took one look at the classic, expected grid layout…and decided to color outside the lines instead.

Most of all, Start Bar is about socializing. It’s a place you go with your friends to hang out and play video games, just like you did as kids. Start Bar has already made a name for itself, hosting both big parties (NHL Winter Classic Block Party, anyone?) and regular, weekly events like Killer Queen tournaments, touring DJs and rotating daily specials.

The new website makes it easy for Start Bar to create and publicize their latest event or share news with customers. We also made it even easier to reserve the space for everything from birthday and bachelor parties, to corporate events or a fun Friday night out.

Visit the new Start Bar website to learn more about their new party packages, check out their game lists or plan your next visit around their daily specials. We’ll meet you there (and challenge you to a game of Mario Kart).