To pizza and beyond: Marine vet opens arcade in Plano and Yorkville area

Sometimes being a small business owner feels like a wall is standing between you and your dreams.

For U.S. Marine Corps veteran Steven Olesky, owner of Planet Pizza in Plano, tearing down a literal wall to expand is about more than just chasing his dreams of opening the area’s first arcade for children. He wants to give back to the community that’s embraced him by creating a space where children can take their imaginations to infinity and beyond.

“Just like the movie Toy Story, my idea was to provide a fun setting in Plano,” Olsesky said. “There’s nothing like it around in this area. We want to provide something for kids, teenagers, even adults who want to play. Seeing kids enjoying the games will mean the world to me. All the hard work and labor, it’s all about giving the kids better childhood experiences.”

Planet Pizza originally was established by Olesky in 2022. The restaurant is located at 216 Mitchell Drive, Plano. A full menu and hours can be found at their website planoplanetpizza.com.

Olesky said he scoured all over for the perfect arcade games. The new restaurant hot spot features dine-in seating, with tables and booths accommodating 40-50 guests. The gaming fun center has 10 different arcade machines, a skee-ball game, a pool table and a dartboard. The arcade area also features shooting and racing interactive games.

“I drove to Chicago, I drove to Peru, I searched all over online trying to find the best variety of arcade machines,” Olseky said. “I always loved games like this and can’t wait to bring something like this to the community. My favorite is the NASCAR racing game because it’s very realistic. When you hit the wall or go into the grass, the whole thing shakes. You can even drive manually and shift through all four gears.”

For Olesky, chasing his dreams has been a long time coming. He relocated to the Plano community right after completing his service in the Marine Corps. He originally worked in the mechanical field, working on everything from semi-trucks to fire trucks and ambulances. But after several years, Olesky realized his true passion was in finding a greater way to serve his community.

“I wanted to make a change, I knew I wanted to be more of an entrepreneur, and I wanted to make a change in the community to provide something it does not have,” Olesky said. “The community is willing to help you when you need help, I have personally seen that. The community has such a wonderful variety of personalities and characteristics.”

During a period of slow sales, Olesky found out first-hand the frustrations that come with a dream deferred. This is when the community stepped-in to offer a helping hand.

After a collection of moms and community members from the Yorkville and Plano area circulated the business’ need for support on social media, sales took off like Buzz Lightyear.

“The support definitely helped our business grow into what we have now,” Olesky said. “I always dreamed of the arcade and dine-in seating, and the extra revenue made it a possibility to make it even better than what I was originally planning.”

As he puts the finishing touches on decorating the arcade area’s interior with a space theme, Olesky said he wants to cultivate an inviting play area that’s enjoyable for people of all ages. He said it also helps if his team can provide some pizzas and food that is out of this world.