The Valley’s newest entertainment venue, Mavrix, opens its doors in the Talking Stick District this week. Mavrix offers 22 lanes of bowling, a scratch-kitchen restaurant, 85 arcade games, state-of-the-art laser tag, billiards tables, dozens of 4K televisions, 1,500 square feet of meeting and event space, three indoor bars with craft cocktail menus and a large outdoor beer garden.
Mavrix (pronounced mav-RICKS) is a brand new venture for Octane Entertainment, the people behind Octane Raceway, Arizona’s premiere kart racing facility, and Velocity VR, the state’s only free-roam virtual reality gaming arena. The new location opened up next door to Octane Raceway, allowing guests to use arcade game cards at both locations and flow seamlessly between them through the shared outdoor patio and beer garden. The two venues combined form a 110,000-square-foot entertainment destination just off the 101 and Talking Stick Way.
“We’ve gone all out with Mavrix,” said Scott Sanders, CEO of Octane Raceway and owner of Octane Entertainment. “We invested in the most innovative entertainment technology to date; from the Spark® bowling lanes, to the LASERTRON laser tag system, to the 85 brand-new arcade games. Mavrix goes beyond the traditional entertainment model and I’m looking forward to surpassing our guests’ expectations.”
The highly-anticipated Spark® bowling experience is a main differentiator for Mavrix. Spark® uses cutting-edge projection mapping to display augmented reality mini games on the bowling lane itself, while tracking the player’s bowling ball as it speeds toward the pins. Depending on the mini-game, the ball will leave a trail of sparks or fire in its wake. Players can even play Angry Birds, knocking down pigs and then pins, while earning extra points toward their total game score. Mavrix offers Spark® on its eight VIP Lanes.
“In addition to Spark®, what sets us apart is our restaurant and bar, Trophy Room” said JP Mullan, COO of Octane Entertainment. “We have an executive chef on-staff who helped create our menu, and the dishes are inventive and fresh. This is not bowling alley food by any means.”
The Trophy Room menu features an eclectic mix of hearty American dishes, elevated salads and tempting mains, like the Braised Short Rib with chipotle aioli, pico de gallo, crispy onions and micro cilantro. Trophy Room’s standout item is the handmade Blueberry Pizza cooked in the wood stone hearth oven, which is prominently displayed near Mavrix’s central lounge. The Blueberry Pizza is topped with prosciutto, fresh blueberries, goat cheese, grilled onions, baby arugula and honey, coming together to make a well-balanced and daring dish.
In addition to the elevated food menu, Trophy Room offers a craft-cocktail menu that rivals the best in the Valley. Making the Royal Apple Mule, described by bar manager Bretlee Blair as tasting like “orange Christmas,” is as entertaining to watch as it is delicious to drink. The mule is garnished with a lime boat filled with orange extract oil that is set aflame and sprinkled with cinnamon, creating a sparkling light show. Guests will be happy to find an extensive library of bourbons, as well as a rotating list of Arizona beers on draught.
Mavrix’s name pays tribute to the original story of Sam Maverick, an “independently minded” rancher who refused to follow convention and carved his own path into history. Mavrix conveys the spirit of bucking trends and is focused on creating rich experiences for its guests. Built for a memorable night out with friends, a day of family fun, or an all-in-one team building venue, Mavrix is the Valley’s ultimate entertainment destination.
Mavrix is open from 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Learn more or to subscribe to the newsletter at mavrix.com.
