Heard of a mixed-reality playground? This new Raleigh-area business has one
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- McWally’s opens in Fuquay-Varina with bowling, arcade, and laser tag arena.
- The entertainment complex spans 42,000 square feet and employs about 100 people.
- Owner Bryden McCormick aims to boost local economy and attract regional visitors.
Saying there’s a lot to look at inside Fuquay-Varina’s newest entertainment complex would be an understatement.
As if the 20 bowling lanes, 5,000-square-foot laser tag arena, 60 arcade games, mixed-reality playground, full-service restaurant and indoor/outdoor bar aren’t enough, there are also more than 90 televisions across the 42,000-square-foot McWally’s.
Owner Bryden McCormick, who has been a dentist in the town for around 18 years, started thinking about opening a bowling alley in Fuquay-Varina in 2013. But it wasn’t until about five years ago, after he renovated a four-story building downtown, that he decided to embark on building a new bowling alley.
After a feasibility study was completed, McCormick knew the project should include more than just a bowling alley — hence the arcade games and laser tag.
Named for a combination of his and his wife’s last names, McCormick and Wallingford, McWally’s will be a much-needed event space for the community, McCormick said. It can hold several hundred people and has four private party rooms.
“We don’t have to drive out of town,” McCormick said. “Keep the money here in Fuquay.”
He also expects the business, which employs about 100 people, to draw residents from Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs and Harnett County towns including Lillington and Angier.
Fuquay-Varina is one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing cities; between the 2020 Census and July 2024, its population increased more than 35%.
What to do at McWally’s
People of all ages can try the activities McWally’s offers.
Rows of arcade games cater to different interests. Some have popular movie or video game themes, including “Jurassic Park,” Halo, Angry Birds and Minecraft. There’s also table hockey and basketball shooting games.
Players can then exchange their winnings for prizes, such as slime, puddy, plush figurines, balls and board games.
More than a dozen players at a time can join teams and battle for about eight minutes in the laser tag arena, a 5,000-square-foot room filled with ramps, windows and hiding places.
McWally’s has two bowling areas, with 14 lanes in the main part of the building and six lanes in a separate room with its own seating and bar. Those six lanes have “VIP Bowling Spark” technology that includes LED lighting, on-lane video projections and custom game modes.
At one end of the building, McWally’s installed a Valo Arena, which uses motion-tracking technology and projections to create an interactive play space.
Up to six people can play at once, trying out different games that each last three to five minutes. No goggles or headsets are needed.
McWally’s menu
The full bar offers a range of nonalcoholic and alcoholic cocktails, including classics like margaritas, espresso martinis and mimosas, along with beer and wine.
These are alongside bar food staples — burgers, nachos, wings among them — as well as pizzas, salads and tacos.
For dessert, customers can choose from bread pudding, chocolate brownie sundae and doughnut holes.
McWally’s location and hours
Located at 1475 N. Judd Parkway Northeast in Fuquay-Varina, McWally’s opens to the public Friday, Aug. 22. Its regular operating hours will be 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM.
