‘Dream’ move: DJS Arcade Pizzeria back in play in Grand Marais

Just when Grand Marais residents thought it might be game over for their local arcade, James and Sara Woodman swooped in to take it to the next level.

The husband and wife purchased, renovated and reopened DJS Arcade Pizzeria in the community, south of Grand Beach in the Rural Municipality of St. Clements, this spring.

The business features an array of new and retro arcade games. Employees serve New York-style pizza made using a new recipe James created after more than 30 years of making pies.

The arcade was a constant in the 51-year-old’s life when he was growing up in Grand Marais. He and Sara, 38, purchased it in early 2019 and ran it until fall 2021 before selling it and moving to the West Coast.

At the beginning of 2026, the couple decided to move back to Manitoba to be closer to family.

James contacted the man who’d purchased the arcade and asked if he was interested in selling it back to them. They made a deal and the Woodmans and their two young children moved into the house adjoining the arcade.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in this room,” James said on Thursday during a video call while seated in DJS. “We paid too much for the arcade, but what do you do when you know it’s the best thing for your family, right?”

The previous owner may have planned to re-open the arcade after the Woodmans closed it for the season in 2021, but the doors stayed locked until the couple resumed ownership a few months ago. The Woodmans spent about $20,000 renovating the building before opening for business on the May long weekend.

James describes the response from the community as “huge.”

“Your kid can still wander down here without their parents and hang out here and play games and they’re safe,” he said. “There’s not a lot of places left in the world like that.”

As far as James knows, the arcade dates to the 1940s, when it was a mini golf course with a covered shack featuring a few wood rail pinball machines. It was named DJ’s after proprietor Dorothy Jones, who eventually moved the business into the 1,400-square-foot building the arcade occupies today.

When James was growing up, his aunt ran Rosie’s Bakery across the street. Eventually, James started working there as a baker. Before his shift, he’d stop by the arcade.

“I’d just come and cause havoc at DJ’s,” he recalled. “Then at three in the morning, I’d start the baking shift and then I’d sleep all day.”

As a young adult, James joined his father’s real estate listings business, which took him across Western Canada. Eventually, he settled in B.C. and pursued other work. He’s been a commercial driver, restaurateur, run a drift racing team and built distilleries, among other things. He and Sara also spent three years living on a sailboat.

By 2019, the couple was living in Ruxton Island, B.C., and contemplating a change.

Sara found a listing for a Grand Marais business called Sand Dunes Arcade & Bakery and showed it to James, not knowing it was the place where he’d spent his childhood. After purchasing the business and running it for a few years, the couple decided to move back to B.C. to start a family.

Now, life has brought them back to Grand Marais. They’ve named the arcade DJS; the J is for James, the S is for Sara, and the D is for their friend, David Morris, who owns Phantom Amusement in Winnipeg, which supplies and services almost all of the games at DJS.

Morris said he’s honoured his friends included him in the arcade’s name.

“It’s an awesome place to have family fun in the summer,” he said, adding the arcade is busy during his weekly visits to service the games. “When we first started talking about (servicing DJS) I was skeptical about how busy it would be out there, but everyone assured me it would be fine — and they were right.”

The Woodmans have ideas for the future, including more renovations and potentially opening a pizzeria in Winnipeg. But for now, they’re content.

“It’s very surreal (to be back),” James said. “But raising your kids at the beach where I was raised, that’s the dream and it’s working out. They love it.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca