Down the Rabbit Hole (VR)
Mitchell and Jennifer Poythress
When you go out to dinner and plan a date night, video games aren’t the first idea of a good time.
But Rabbit Hole VR (Virtual Reality) plans to change that, not only in Nashville, Tenn., but also around the world.
The husband and wife duo, Mitchell and Jennifer Poythress, opened their doors in August of 2017.
“We were one of the first ones in Tennessee with this concept to open up and do as well as we are doing,” says Mr. Poythress.
“Ours was a completely original concept. From start to finish, we did all the research on it, we didn’t even go and see any other Virtual Reality arcades because there weren’t any at the time.”
The Rabbit Hole VR quickly became a favorite in the community for a date night, evening out with friends, or a Tuesday afternoon pick-me-up.
The Location
The space was made directly for them, by them. Tyler Cauble of The Cauble Group helped them find the space they are currently located in on Church St.
"The search was intense," says Cauble. "We knew the concept would attract quite a buzz from Nashville's booming tourism industry. Downtown / Midtown were really our only options for a strong tourism play."
Opening their doors for business took only about two months.
Interior of The Rabbit Hole VR
“We signed the lease June 15th and opened August 12th,” says Mitchell.
“We did a lot of it ourselves - all the tracking systems, VR equipment, projectors, TVs, networking, was all done by me and my family. The drywalling and divider walls were done by a contractor, who we actually kicked out of the space. They were telling us it was going to take until about August 19th and we just had to tell them to come to get their stuff and we would finish it so we could be open on the 12th. We were painting the floors the day before we opened.”
It was a profuse amount of work, but it was work they had to get done so they could build this dream into a (virtual) reality.
The Future
After being open only a year, The Rabbit Hole VR already has enough business to expand, tapping The Cauble Group to help in this process.
According to Jennifer: “We plan to dominate the Southeast in terms of being a Virtual Reality arcade, but what that actually looks like is going to change with technological advances. Basically the plans are over the next few years to tweak what we are offering and open multiple locations throughout the Southeast.”
Their goal was to take over Nashville. Now they're looking throughout the country.
“People always say, ‘I don’t play video games!’ But we have something for everybody,” says Mr. Poythress.
“We currently offer about 35 titles, hand selected from developers around the world and a wide range from underwater adventures to shooting zombies. Whatever you want.”
Unlike Any Other
Rabbit Hole VR creates a gaming experience unlike any other.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Other group outing locations, such as Topgolf or Escape room, offer a limited experience. The beauty of a virtual reality arcade is being able to experience something different every time.
“Come back and play," says Jennifer. "We are always getting new experiences. The best part of the virtual world is that it’s always changing. You aren’t stuck to any one adventure, because we can keep adding new games.”
Learn more about The Rabbit Hole VR here.