Retro Vibes: Designing The Decades Experience

“When we saw the interior of the Stahr Armory, we knew right away we had to be in this building because of the natural aesthetics that already existed,” said Jonathan Yeager, Marketing Manager and Partner at Decades.

Jonathan, Chris Trendler, and Adam Ozimek have been friends for years and wanted to create something like Decades–a place that would offer nostalgia, an inclusive space for anyone to be themselves, and a fun experience with curated food and beverage combinations that elevated what most people think when visiting an arcade. We recently featured Chris in a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a retro arcade tick.

A view of the Decades space - including the arcade, bar dining areas, and bowling lanes

But before all of the retro games, delicious cocktails, and busy Saturday nights echoed throughout the space, there was only the beginning stages of an idea. 

I chatted with Jonathan to get a look at what it was like to develop the concept of Decades, from the logo design to the intentionality around color palettes to make the space warm, inviting, and nostalgic. 

Jonathan Yeager, Partner & Development/Design Manager

Building A Brand

“I’ve spent the majority of my working career creating brands and designs for other people but it’s not easy creating something for yourself, especially when I’m picky and indecisive,” said Jonathan. 

Jonathan’s experience designing logos and helping to shape a brand is robust. After graduating from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in 2004, Jonathan moved to Portland, Oregon to work alongside companies like Adidas, Nike, Subway, T-Mobile, Wacom, Foot Locker, and Intel. When he returned to Lancaster in 2011 he developed his own freelance design company–Wonderhead Collective–began teaching at PCA&D, and started the Lancaster Craft Beerfest with Chris and Adam. Now he’s focused on maintaining the growth of Decades. 

In the initial process of creating Decades, there was a lot to discuss in look, feel, and how people would experience the space. 

“The branding and design process took a long time as we were all busy with our own jobs and I wanted to maintain that we all had equal input,’’ said Jonathan. “For years,  Adam, Chris and I met once a week to plan what was to become Decades so having that weekly check-in allowed us to stay consistent with our choices.”

One of the big discussions was naming the destination. 

“It was such a fun process coming up with all the possibilities of names for the place,” added Jonathan. “We all had our own lists and we would compare them and continue coming up with names until we ultimately agreed on Decades.”

Other names tossed around as options included Joycat’s, Jackstraws, Yesterdays, Welcome To Canada (joke), Moonwalkers, Whiskey Bowl, and Hopscotch. 

“I have sketches with the Decades name specifically dating back to late 2016 so it was a two-to-three year process to finalize the design,” said Jonathan. “The challenge with the logo design specifically was that the name Decades allowed for so many interpretations. Ultimately we knew that we wanted a logo that felt like it could have been created 80 years ago or 40 years ago. Something that felt timeless.”

After around 75 sketches and ideas, the team finally decided on the classic logo currently used! 

Creating Good Vibes

Decades is more than designs and logos, it’s all about a feeling when guests walk through the door–something intentional that brings elements of the space together. 

“One of the first things I imagined in space was the Decades globe lights,” said Jonathan. “I felt like they could be a great centerpiece for the space and something to ‘tie the room together’ considering the space would have to be cut in half because of the lanes.”

He also noted that the color palette of the Stahr Armory space was perfect for the imagined decor including the beautiful wooden bar, black beadboard walls, dark green bar stools, booths, and the tan leather couches at the lanes. All of it works together to create a warm comfort for guests, evoking nostalgia and providing a great space to create lasting memories. 

“Almost all of the things in our space are custom designed and we had part in all aspects of the design,” added Jonathan. “I was able to imagine many of the areas and furniture in the space and sketch them out for the builders and furniture makers to reference.” “Also, I was able to paint some murals in areas that needed some life.”

One of the most unique elements of the space is how many of the items are sourced from a popular Netflix show set.

“The lighting was one thing we really lucked out on because an old friend of ours worked for the production company that did the Netflix show, House of Cards,” said Jonathan. “We were able to get the chandeliers, our front desk lights, glass on the dividing wall, the four lights above the bar, the billiards lights at the bowling desk, and much more, from the set to show off in the space.”

Explore all of the House of Cards decor items in the Decades space here!

Toasting To Our Guests

The entire process all culminated in the creation of Decades that opened in 2019, an intentional experience that welcomes hundreds of guests each week. 

“I hope guests feel a sense of awe when seeing the space for the first time, and maybe not knowing what to expect from seeing the front of the building,” said Jonathan. “I hope that guests feel welcomed right away and that the color palette creates a feeling of calmness, juxtaposed with the colorful lights from the retro arcade machines.”

The project took many years of ideation and creation, and the team is always happy to greet and entertain visitors. 

“I hope guests feel the comfort of our space and pick up how intentional we were in creating the aesthetics and the functionality of everything in the venue,” added Jonathan. “The atmosphere, smell of tasty food, and ambiance should all create a sense of belonging and desire to come back.”

Explore other stories, like our food feature and our beverage feature, then plan your visit to Decades!