Duckpin bowling, pinball machines, shuffleboard, foosball tables and a vintage arcade. Groups can enjoy all of these “retrotainment” options at the newly opened Shorty’s Pins x Pints, located in a 10,000-square-foot space in Pittsburgh’s North Shore. The new venue, formerly the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, can accommodate groups from 15 to 600 for events that include product launches, “legends of your team” teambuilding experiences, “bowl-offs,” wrap parties and more.
While full venue buyouts are available, most events are semi-private and booked within a reserved area, such as the 5,000-square-foot riverfront outdoor area that features fire pits, bocce courts, cornhole and more. Reserved event areas typically include a mix of seating and standing space. “We encourage and expect our guests to play, eat, drink and socialize,” the venue says in a description of its event space. Food and beverages include a rotation of craft beers, draft batch cocktails, “Free Spirit” non-alcoholic beverages and “elevated Latin street food.”
Despite its throwback vibe, Shorty’s offers high-tech touches like tableside ordering and paying by scanning a QR code and a vintage photo booth that allows users to post their pics instantly to Instagram. Still, Mike Hanley, president of HiLife Hospitality, which owns Shorty’s, believes it’s the human touch that sets Shorty’s apart. “The entire space is interactive,” he told TribLIVE. “We have retro-gaming. In a world of technology, we encourage people to interact with each other and get back to the days before everything became computerized.”
