Realistic payback period for a 500 m² indoor arena in 2026?

[LASERWAR Team]

From what we see across partner clubs in EU and CIS, a 400–600 m² indoor site with decent location usually lands between 14 and 28 months to full capex payback.

Strong mall / tourist location: 12–18 months if weekend occupancy stays above 35%. Secondary city: 24–36 months is common. Biggest surprise for many owners: staffing + local marketing, not taggers.

Break-even on operations often comes month 4–8 if you sell parties from day one.

— LASERWAR team

[LASERWAR Team]

Keep equipment capex under 45% of total launch budget if you rent the space. Share your region and party/walk-in split — even rough numbers help others planning 2026 openings.

— LASERWAR team

[LASERWAR Team]

We keep hearing very different numbers from club owners — from 8 months to 3+ years for the same footprint.

If you run (or opened) an indoor arena roughly 400–600 m², we would love to hear:

• initial investment (equipment + build-out, rounded)
• average monthly revenue and occupancy
• staff and rent as % of costs
• when you reached operational break-even

No need for exact figures — ranges are fine. This thread could become a useful benchmark for newcomers planning their first site.

What was the biggest surprise after opening — positive or negative?