Visit the Upstate’s only vintage arcade and ice cream shop
ANDERSON, S.C. – The Upstate’s only vintage 80’s arcade and 50’s ice cream parlor combo is located just off of Highway 81 in the Electric City!
We spoke with owner, Scott Austin, to learn more about C&C Ice Cream and Arcade.
“We’re 50’s in the front and 80’s in the back,” Austin explained. “I was an 80’s kid. The whole Stranger Things vibe, I’m like, I lived that. You know, that was me growing up. My brother had the Trans Am. He would drop me off and give me $10, and I was happy.”
Austin said he used to restore the old arcade games as a hobby.
“I would collect and restore and find one that needed a little tweaking and get it back going. Then I’d flip them and make a little money,” he explained.
After collecting a few different games in his garage, Austin’s family decided to open their business in September of 2019. He said the family wanted to open the arcade, but it needed something with it.
“My son’s like, ‘Well everybody loves ice cream,’ and we’re like, ‘Yeah, okay. Ice cream and arcade.’ So, that’s how it came to be,” Austin said.
Austin said the “C&C” in the name came from the business’ mascots Cade and Cream. Cade, like arcade, is a green scoop of ice cream who represents the 80’s era, and Cream is a pink scoop of ice cream who represents the 50’s. You can spot the characters throughout the business. Fun fact: Austin’s son, Case, created the mascots!
The Games
With more than 20 classic games, everyone is sure to have a great time!
Visitors can play pinball, Pac-Man, Asteroids, Super Mario, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mortal Combat and so much more! There are shooter games, multi-player games, head-to-head table games and not to mention rare games that you may not find anywhere else.
“We’ve got some games that are pretty rare, so we’ve had people come as far as Charlotte to come down and just play the games,” he explained.
All of the games take quarters, and there is an ATM machine in case you forget to bring cash.
Web Extra: My personal favorite was the 1979 Bally Dolly Parton pinball machine. Austin explained it was the first synthesized-sound game that Bally made. When you hit certain targets, the game will play “Here we come again.” Before this, pinball machines used pistons to play a xylophone.
The Ice Cream
With 24 flavors of ice cream and countless toppings, there something for everyone!
“We normally keep about 22 to 24 flavors. We’ve got 16 spots, so if you don’t see what you want, you can ask,” he explained. “We have three brands. We do Mayfield, Blue Bell and Kemps, so it’s all hard-scoop.”
Visitors have the option to create their own ice cream cone, milkshake or sundae.
“We have a few specialty shakes that we’ve come up with over the years. We do one with banana pudding ice cream and peanut butter, and we call it the Elvis Shake. That’s a big hit. Creamsicle is a favorite, which is orange sherbet and vanilla. We can create your own or we have a few that we’ve created.”
During our visit, we tried the Cookie Monster Sundae, Oreo Shake and Creamsicle Shake. They were all delicious, and the Cookie Monster Sundae with blue ice cream and candy eye pieces was so fun!
Plan Your Visit
C&C Ice Cream and Arcade is open Tuesday through Friday from 4 – 9 p.m. and Saturday from noon – 9 p.m. It is located at 1805 East Greenville Street in Anderson.
“We are the party venue, it seems like, in Anderson,” Austin explained. “It’s funny. You’d think it is a summertime business, but we’ve done really well in the fall and winter because we’re not competing with outdoor activities like the lake. It’s been a go-to when it’s cold and rainy.”
Austin said they have had parties for everyone ranging from from 6-years-old to 66-years-old.
“We want to bring a venue back where you can just come hang out awhile. There’s no drive-thru. We want you to stay. We want you to just come and hang out. A lot of times, you’ll see the parents up here with coffee and they might play a few [games], and the kids are back there,” Austin explained. “So, the they just get a little break too because the kids are taken care of. It’s a smaller area where you’re not chasing all over the place and wondering where they went.”
For more information, visit C&C’s Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also call (864) 261-6763.
