Brightly colored plush toys dangle from claw machines as players carefully guide metal claws toward Pokémon characters, Hello Kitty dolls, and the latest internet-inspired collectibles. Some walk away with prizes. Others leave with only a near miss and a laugh.
For arcade operator Kako Claw, that’s still considered a win.
The growing Virginia-based company prepares to open its newest location at The Mall in Columbia later this summer, and company leaders say the real product isn’t what’s inside the machine. Instead, the reward is the playing.
“While we definitely take pride in the prizes that we carry, what we’re really selling is the experience,” said Kevin Soulivong, director of operations for Kako Claw. “The prizes are simply a tangible souvenir of a positive memory.”
Founded in Fairfax, Virginia, in December 2023, Kako Claw has expanded to 15 locations in less than three years, including at Arundel Mills. The Columbia location will become its 16th store, with another location planned for Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Soulivong said that Kako Claw places as much emphasis on employee interaction as it does on the machines themselves.
Employees offer gameplay advice, rearrange prizes that appear impossible to win and keep machines stocked throughout the day. The goal, Soulivong said, is to create an environment where the machines feel winnable, and not stacked against the player.
The approach stems from one of the company’s core values, customer centricity.
“Every interaction is a chance to make someone’s day,” said Soulivong. In a world often dominated by stressful headlines and endless screen time, Kako Claw aims to provide a place where visitors can step away from daily pressures and simply play.
“Claw machines have universal appeal,” Soulivong said. “With everything being so digitized and electronic these days, people definitely feel a sense of nostalgia when playing our claw machines.”
The prizes themselves are carefully chosen to tap into both nostalgia and current trends. Longtime favorites include prizes of pop-culture fame, such as Pokemon, Hello Kitty, and, more recently, KPop Demon Hunters. New items are added regularly based on customer feedback and popular culture.
For many visitors, the memory of maneuvering a claw toward a coveted prize may last longer than the prize itself.
“The prizes are simply a souvenir of the positive memory that we’re looking to create with our customers,” said Souivong.
More information on Kako Claw can be found here.
