Popular arcade bar Rubiks decides to temporarily close amid El Paso’s virus spike

EL PASO, Texas -- For five years, Rubiks Arcade Bar has been a destination for those seeking a blast from the past. The bar and restaurant features full-size pinball machines and arcade games.

While the bar has been successful at keeping regulars coming through the door; right now the owner is concerned about that very fact.

"The number of cases coming out of El Paso, I just knew it was a matter of time before one of our employees gets sick. It's a matter of time before our customers start getting sick. I just thought it was in the best interest of our employees and our customers to keep them safe," Alex Macias, the owner of Rubiks Arcade Bar said.

While there have not been any confirmed cases of Covid-19 linked to the popular arcade, Macias didn't want to risk a local breakout at his establishment.

Macias owns another arcade bar in Las Cruces, and that establishment has been closed since March due to stricter regulations across state lines in New Mexico. Even with the loss in revenue in both states, Macias believes he is doing the right thing.

"In New Mexico, we've been shutdown since March," Macias said. "Your whole livelihood is taken away from you, but once we saw a spike in the cases and we started seeing people getting sick, we thought we don't want to be part of the problem," he explained.

Macias has not given a clear date when he will reopen the popular arcade, but for now he asks customers to keep up with his business through his social media account.