BIZ BEAT: Modesto gaming room a place to 'kick it'

Business owner Chris Wherry hopes to help put an end to that old lament, "There's nothing to do."

Wherry opened Kickin' It! last week in north Modesto at Sylvan Avenue and Claus Road. The gaming room is an all-ages place for people to hang out, have a snack and just — you know — kick it.

"I've been watching kids, especially my kids, and they always say, 'I don't know where to go. There's nothing to do,' " Wherry said. "So I thought, let's roll the dice. I'll see if I can put something together where the kids can go and hang out."

What he put together was a 2,400-square-foot game room with seven LED flat-screen-TV gaming stations, three pool tables, two air-hockey tables, a pinball machine and a snack bar.

The flat screens range from one monster 70-inch TV to six 55-inchers. They run an assortment of gaming systems from Xbox, Xbox with Kinect and PlayStation 3. People also can use the TVs for movies and DVDs.

For the low-tech, Kickin' It! also has board games available.

Wherry used his two sons, ages 23 and 19, as technical consultants for the business. They work there with him.

Time on the TV stations and gaming tables can be rented by the half hour or hour, with prices ranging from about $3 to $6. Wherry said he plans to do gaming tournaments and other events in the future. The space is available for private rentals. It has a capacity of 125 people.

Wherry said he hopes the spot will attract students looking for things to do after school and people of all ages who want a fun place to hang out together.

Kickin' It!, 3948 Sylvan Ave. Suite 101, is open 1:30 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 1:30 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Call (209) 551-1352 or visit www.kickinitinmodesto.com.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

The Station in downtown Modesto is under new management. The restaurant, 950 10th St., was closed for several months and then was reopened in March by new owner Shaun Wright. The eatery has a new staff and menu. It features sandwiches, burgers, barbecue and more for lunch and dinner. The spot also has a full bar and caters to the late-night crowd on the weekend. The Station is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday to Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. It is available for parties and catering. Call (209) 622-0321.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Marijke Rowland at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; (209) 578-2284 or mrowland@modbee.com.