TDG EP244 From Firefighter to Arcade Baron: The Crazy Story of High Score Saloon with Clint Hoskins

Send us a text

In this episode of The Days Grimm, Brian and Tom sit down with Clint Hoskins, co-owner of High Score Saloon and Player 2 in Evansville, Indiana. Clint shares the incredible journey of how a $200 Mortal Kombat 4 arcade cabinet kickstarted a business partnership with Jared Nebel that would eventually take over the local nightlife scene.

We dive deep into Clint’s background as a forward observer in the military and his 12-year career with the Evansville Fire Department. Clint reveals the brutal reality of opening a small business, including a nightmare lawsuit from a condo association that cost them $20,000 before they even opened their doors. Plus, we discuss the massive community impact High Score has made, from paying off over $50,000 in student lunch debt to donating thousands to the Tri-State Food Bank.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Origin Story: How Clint met his business partner Jared in Panama City Beach and bonded over vintage video games.
• The Hustle: Buying and selling vintage toys and arcade cabinets to fund the dream.
• Firefighter Life: The intense training involved in the CPAT and the reality of compassion fatigue.
• The Lawsuit: How High Score Saloon was sued for being a "bar" in a condo basement and how they fought back.
• Expansion: The creation of Player 2 for kids and the future of their new venue on Main Street.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Intro & Welcome Clint Hoskins

4:25 - The $200 Mortal Kombat Machine that Started It All

9:22 - Growing Up Poor & Gaming on a Budget

16:20 - Joining the Army & Forward Observer Training

21:45 - Firefighter Training: The CPAT Test

29:00 - The Reality of Fighting Fires & Trauma

35:17 - Finding Barn Find Arcade Games

46:37 - The Lawsuit That Almost Killed High Score Saloon

55:27 - Opening Player 2 During COVID

1:02:28 - The Struggles of Running a Business in Evansville

1:13:30 - Paying Off $54,000 in Student Lunch Debt

1:26:00 - Future Plans & Appreciation for Employees

#HighScoreSaloon #Evansville #SmallBusiness #ArcadeBar #Firefighter #Entrepreneurship #TheDaysGrimm #RetroGaming #Pinball

[The Days Grimm Podcast Links]
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDaysGrimm
- Our link tree: linktr.ee/Thedaysgrimm
- GoFundMe account for The Days Grimm: https://gofund.me/02527e7c

[The Days Grimm is brought to you by]
Sadness & ADHD (non-medicated)