Sometimes there is no business plan. Sometimes it’s just a good idea which through perseverance and desire shapes success. Such is one of the newest businesses in Mineola,  Linked’n VR. 

“When we weren’t running around in the woods of Barnwell Mountain – halfway between Gilmer and Ore City -– we were playing video games,” stated Linked’n VR owner and proprietor Logan Locklear about his upbringing. Gaming was a key part of his youth.

Locklear grew up in a military family, and he and all his siblings have served. Only his brother Jarmarkus yet remains in the service, deployed with the Air Force to the United Arab Emirates. 

Locklear is recently returned from six years’ service with the U.S. Army. His specialty was as a sniper for the 25th Mountain Division. He came back to East Texas, specifically to Tyler, but found that the city was just too much city.

He eventually landed in Mineola and began to realize a vision which had taken shape from watching his kids.

“I wanted to create a safe environment where my kids could play their games while interacting with other kids,” he said. 

He was concerned that gaming, today, forces interaction with electrons but not with other people. He wanted to bridge that gap.

When the Sears outlet on the northwest loop closed, it opened a very real possibility. The advantages were a safe location, adequate floor space and the ability to rent the commercial building. 

“I had to spend some time building capital, but once I sought out the owner and explained my plan, it all began to come together,” he explained.     

The old Sears building gave Locklear 7,400 square feet of space in a building which required little more than electrical upgrades and cosmetic improvements. The electrical system upgrades were required due to the recent annexation of the property by the City of Mineola. 

On April 7 Locklear opened the door to Linked’n VR, a Gaming Center and Virtual Reality (VR) Arcade.

“You have to go to Dallas to visit a comparable gaming center,” he acknowledged, “but even then, you wouldn’t find the variety of options we offer.”

The gaming center is laid-out with military precision. Down the western wall are ten individual Meta Quest 2 Oculus VR bays, each approximately 8 x 10 feet. In the southwest corner is an Oculus VR area able to accommodate four players simultaneously. 

Across from the VR bays are a number of gaming consoles. They are laid out in sequence: Joystick Arcade, PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Players are comfortable on quality couches and beanbag chairs. 

About half of the floor space is dedicated to gaming. Two foosball tables and an air hockey table – one of the favorites Locklear said – separate the gaming area from the tabletop and retail part. 

A dozen large tables are lined up in the eastern half of the store. Along the eastern and northern walls are shelves full of games, trading cards and the accoutrements of today’s gaming industry.  

In the northeast corner is yet another aspect of the facility, a sizable shelf containing a wide array of older board games.

“We are a family entertainment store,” Locklear explained.

The center draws a wide range of ages, from families playing board games to friends competing on consoles or experiencing virtual reality for the first time.

“Its all about the entertainment,” he said.

It is actually more than that. Locklear’s fundamental charter is to maintain a safe place for young folks and families to come and enjoy themselves.

Locklear said he and his staff are ever watchful of the clientele.

“We are mindful of the vulnerabilities of youth and have oversight responsibilities for everyone in the center,” he added.

He has drawn on his military background in this initiative: “Sure, for cleanliness standards and respectful treatment of everyone who comes through the door.”

Locklear’s brother, Alex, a former U.S. Army lab technician, can often be found manning the counter. It is Locklear’s hope to bring his other siblings in with him in running the center.

“It would be nice to have us all together again,” he said.

Bringing folks together is at the core of his business. It was at a recent street fair that Locklear came into contact with the Multiclass Gaming Club, a part of the Flint and Steel Coalition. 

“We actually hosted the Multiclass Gaming Club here before we officially opened our doors…it has been a great relationship,” Locklear noted. Multiclass gamers meet at Linked’n VR each Thursday at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday seem to be the busiest gaming nights, Locklear said.

It is not without intent that Locklear’s gaming center is a bit of a walk through the history of gaming. Each type of gaming, from boardgames through consoles to virtual reality, has been in its day the gaming system of its generation. 

Locklear explained that he wants to appeal to gamers of all ages. So Pacman is as readily available as is Clue. So too is Arizona Sunshine or Skyfront.  

There are more plans afoot. Locklear described options for the covered and fenced area adjacent to the east side of the building. At the moment, however, he is busily building clientele and providing the best quality gaming environment possible. 

“Mineola has been just great,” he summarized. “People have given me tremendous support and see the value in creating a quiet, well-lighted and secure environment for young folks to play their games and meet with their friends.”  

The community is responding. Locklear said that in a short while they have built a strong number of regular gamers. It is a noble thing providing, especially young folks, a respectful and safe environment in which to socialize.