Gizmo’s Arcade & Eatery is at Commercial and 11th streets.

Gizmo’s Arcade & Eatery, the downtown space known for classic arcade games and hot dogs, is up for sale.

The arcade opened in June 2021 and revived a corner at Commercial and 11th streets that had sat vacant since The Arc Arcade closed in 2017.

Now, owner Andrea McDermed is ready to pass the joystick.

“My husband and I, we grew up in the ’80s,” she said. “And we just really kind of had a nostalgia for that era. And there’s not a lot of other places that are exclusively for gaming in Astoria.

“On top of that, we have four kids, and we realized there’s not a ton to do if you’re under 21. So just having some hangout spot for tweens and teens was important to us. And being that it was an arcade before, we thought we could probably do it again.”

McDermed said the classic ’80s vibe at Gizmo’s seems to be in tune with Astoria, which is known by many as the backdrop for the 1985 adventure comedy “The Goonies.”

“It definitely serves a niche,” she said. “Before we opened, that was one aspect where we thought Astoria could pull it off, where another small town might not be able to.”

McDermed emphasized that the sale of the business is not due to a lack of customers or other challenges.

“Our main goal was to create the space,” she explained. “We really just wanted to see something on this corner of Commercial and 11th because it was sitting empty for so long. And we really just wanted to do something fun for the town. It’s a town we really love.

“And now, Gizmo’s is everything I could want it to be, and kind of everything that I am personally capable of doing. So I’ve done what I want to do, and I’m kind of ready to move on to the next idea that I have.”

McDermed said she is focused on finding a buyer who embodies the same interest in creating a space for the community.

“It’d be nice if whoever took it over kept it kid-friendly,” she said. “Someone could take over as is and do just fine. But there’s also a lot of room for expansion, room for someone to put their own ideas in. It would be beneficial if someone had a basic understanding of arcade games. But if a buyer was more community-focused, that’s a lot more important to me than making money.”

The business will be taking letters of interest through December.

McDermed said it would be ideal to find a buyer before the next summer season, so the new owner can get a head start before the peak of tourism.