Owners, officials to discuss fate of game room

The District Attorney's office is scheduled to meet today with the owners of the University Pinball game room and University officials to discuss the fate of the business at 40th and Spruce streets, which the city shut down Friday, calling it a public nuisance. University officials claim that the 24-hour game room attracts unsavory characters who instigate fights, urinate in the street and possibly conduct drug transactions. Executive Vice President John Fry said he and other University officials recently have met several times with the game room's landlords -- who also own the property that houses Billybob's restaurant -- urging them to "clean their act up." But Fry said he is frustrated with the results of the meetings with landlords Billy and Bob Schoepe, whom he claims have not heeded suggestions he and University Treasurer Scott Lederman made for such changes as closing the businesses for part of the night instead of keeping them open 24 hours. "We tried to take the high road with these guys," Fry said. "I don't think the progress they've made is satisfactory." Hideo Omori and De Wong, who own both Billybob's and the adjacent Genji Japanese restaurant, voiced concern that negative publicity and a heightened perception of crime drive away their main clientele -- students. Omori -- who has owned Genji and Billybob's for approximately eight years -- said he recently opened a second Genji restaurant in Center City because many of his suburban customers refused to come to the University City establishment. "Genji is suffering because people are scared to come to this corner," said Omori, who has also met with Fry and Lederman. The 1992 closing of the basement in nearby Smokey Joe's tavern at 40th and Walnut streets significantly reduced late-night student foot traffic, Omori said, adding that it was once tradition for students to head over to Billybob's for a hoagie after a night in the Smoke's basement. "Now they don't come here because they are afraid of the drug pushers [at 40th and Spruce streets]," he said. Omori maintained, however, that Billybob's is an extremely safe place in which to eat, noting that the business has not seen a robbery, stabbing or shooting within its doors for the past 12 years. And Wong -- who became a partner in Billybob's with Omori less than one month ago -- proudly displayed a bill from the security guard firm whose employees often patrol Billybob's at night. "We are not sitting here and saying, 'We are going to bring the bad people'," Wong said, noting that he plans to add extra lighting and video cameras in order to deter crime. "I do care about the students." The University worked with the Public Nuisance Task Force of the District Attorney's office in order to encourage the Department of Licenses and Inspections to revoke the game room's Business Privilege License, officials said. Assistant District Attorney Carl Anderson refused to confirm, however, that the task force was also targeting Billybob's. "We are working with the community and the University on a few properties for investigation," he said, declining to identify those particular properties. Anderson added that the task force normally "works with community groups and city agencies to abate nuisance, illegal and other types of criminal activity at properties." Billy Schoepe did not return phone calls yesterday. Daily Pennsylvanian reporter Tammy Reiss contributed to this article.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.