Racing news

Andretti high-speed go-kart and game venue cruises into Fort Worth

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games

Photo courtesy of Andretti

An entertainment concept with go-kart racing is revving into Fort Worth:Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, an Orlando-based chain with go-karts, games, and more, is opening a location at the humorous address of 2701 Andretti Karting Dr., in north Fort Worth at the intersection of I-35W and 287.

Opening day is Wednesday, September 25.

It follows an opening in Grand Prairie at 3750 SH-161, just east of the DFW Airport near Belt Line Road, in early July.

According to a release, the Fort Worth venue will comprise nearly 100,000 square feet with high-speed electric Superkarts on a multi-level track, plus state-of-the-art arcade games, Hologate and Hyperdeck virtual reality experiences, a two-story laser tag arena, interactive bowling, and a 7D Xperience motion theater.

"High speed" in this case is a relative term: Their Junior karts go up to 20 mph, Intermediate up to 25 mph, and Adult karts go up to 35 mph. Still, if you're a kid without a drivers license, then getting behind the wheel and going 20 mph is not too shabby.

Named after the legendary racing family, Andretti Indoor Karting and Games was founded in Orlando in 2001. They currently have nine locations including San Antonio, Katy, and The Colony where one opened at Grandscape Colony in 2020.

Each location also has a full-service restaurant and bar with chef-designed menus featuring brick oven pizza, local craft beer, and specialty cocktails.

The facility is pay as you go; there's no general admission fee.

“The decision to bring Andretti to Fort Worth was approved swiftly across the board. Filled with culture, history and community, Fort Worth embodies the values Andretti holds dear,” said Austen Schoensee, general manager of the new Fort Worth Andretti location. “Following the incredible success we’ve seen within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, we look forward to building our presence and bringing even more entertainment to DFW.”

They'll have grand opening giveaways, including opening day on September 25, when the first 50 guests get a free Andretti-logo YETI tumbler, and the first 50 children receive a surprise Andretti swag item. The first 100 guests on Saturday, September 28 will receive one free hour of arcade play for a future visit and will be entered into a raffle to win free arcade play for a year or a free birthday party, valued at up to $550.

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This story, originally published June 13, 2024, was updated September 24, 2024 with additional details and opening date.

andretti indoor karting arcade games entertainment concept gokart racing families

Party Is Over

Party City chain to close all stores including 9 in Fort Worth

Party City

A chain of stores where the party is always going on is closing down: Party City will close all of its stores and has initiated layoffs, effective immediately. According to CNN, CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees that Party City has to “commence a winddown process immediately,” and that Friday would be their last day of work for the company.

However, the actual store locations, including those around North Texas, will be open until February 28.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, Party City is largest party goods retailer in the U.S. — the go-to destination for every type of celebration, with more than 700 company-owned and franchise store locations across North America selling home decor, candles, balloons, wrapping paper, tableware, bulk candy, baking supplies, and more.

A typical Party City store ranges in size from 10,000 to 12,000 square feet and carries approximately 30,000 items. Halloween accounts for as much as one-quarter of yearly sales, but they celebrate all seasonal holidays, from New Year's Eve to the Fourth of July to Father's Day to Super Bowl Sunday, and offer a wide array of merchandise for birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, wedding and bridal showers, and baby showers.

Party and costume merchandise has become more competitive in recent years, with companies like the budget-focused Spirit Halloween expanding beyond its Halloween pop-ups into “Spirit Christmas” stores, as well as competition from Amazon and other online retailers.

In 2023, the chain filed for bankruptcy, then emerged with a plan that included transitioning into a privately held company and canceling nearly $1 billion in debt. At that time, there were approximately 800 U.S. stores.

There are 64 stores in Texas, with 9 in the Fort Worth area, as follows:

Arlington
Burleson
Denton
Euless
Fort Worth
Hurst
Lake Worth
Mansfield
Watauga

Dallas-Fort Worth stores have already started sales between 5 and 50 percent off.

holidays closings