Whether you are a freshman, transfer student or a senior preparing to graduate from Kent State University, you probably enjoy a good day downtown with some friends, and these new spots make the perfect schedule for some fun, sweets and memories.
Totally ’80s Ice Ice Cream Shoppe
This neon splattered shop located on East Main Street is the perfect spot downtown for a sweet treat and some free entertainment. Visitors can find 1980s memorabilia and free games including an arcade Pac-Man and board games at the booth style tables.
While the shop is nothing new to the state of Ohio, it is new to Kent. With locations in both Salem and Austintown, owner Mike Thorpe opened the newest location of the family run shop in June 2026.
“We just want to offer free games, good ice cream and all fun,” said Tyler Thorpe, manager of the Kent location and son of the owner.
The menu has treats for just about anyone. Ice cream can come as sundaes, banana splits, homemade pushup pops and even ice cream cakes. If you’re a fan of Hershey’s Ice Cream, hand-scooped flavors at the Totally ’80s Ice Ice Cream Shoppe come in anything from Oatmeal Cookie Craving to Whitehouse Cherry. Milkshakes, lemonades and floats are also available in the shop if you are look for a refreshing beverage.
If candy is your preferred method of taming that sweet tooth, they have options for you too. A wall of candies like Fun Dip, Nerds, Moon Pies and popcorn are available for purchase as well.
Tyler Thorpe said his parents were both ’80s kids, so naturally, they love the vibe of the time. The purple walls adorned with Michael Jackson collectibles, cutouts of icons like Cyndi Lauper and signage from all the famous ’80s films bring the nostalgia to life.
Free arcade games complete the ’80s feel. With no purchase necessary, anyone is welcome to walk in and play. Options for gamers include Pac-Man, Golden Tee 3D Golf and WrestleFest. Also on the wall is a free to play Atari Flashback 9, a gaming console with Atari 2600 and other classic arcade games such as Frogger and Space Invaders.
“I liked going to an arcade when I was younger, but I hated paying for it,” Tyler Thorpe said. “So what if we just did free games instead and make it all fun?”
Fruity Films Studios
Located above the Buffalo Wild Wings in Acorn Alley, Fruity Films Studio is the place for those wanting a memorable experience with photos to take home from it. Both a photography studio set up in one room and a unique, vibrant selfie museum in the other room make it suitable for nearly any style of shoot.
The photography studio can be fully rented out privately for a photographer and client. Colored backdrops come in white, black, brown, pink or blue, according to their website. Multiple sets of professional lights provided in the studio can allow for flexibility in the vibe of the shoot.
Unlike the studio, the selfie museum is a public rental, meaning visitors just need to buy a ticket to enter, and more than one person can be in at a time. With 30 different unique, fun sets, props and lights, patrons can purchase a tiered ticket for anywhere from 1 hour to an all day pass in the museum.
“There’s about 30 different backdrops, all handmade or hand built, just bringing weird, quirky little visions to life,” said Lauren Glass, owner of the film studio.
The sets in the selfie museum are anything but boring. Walls covered in vibrant colors, quirky items and fun props make for a unique photo shoot. Though Glass said she plans to keep the museums changing every few months or so, the current sets feature walls of stuffed animals and little plastic army men.
Glass’ idea for the place and the rooms came from wanting to keep photography sustainable. Being an avid thrifter, she started to come up with ideas for the selfie rooms based on things she and friends could find in bulk at local thrift stores.
“When I decided to just dive into doing this, that’s where we just … would go for things, see kind of like what we could find, and what we found, like, bulk of, essentially,” Glass said.
Besides sustainability, the studio is also based around inclusivity and support of the queer community. Glass has lived in Kent her whole life, saying it’s always been an inclusive area. When the LGBTQ+ center at Kent State University was shut down in 2025 to comply with state law, she felt it necessary to provide a welcoming space for everyone.
“I was like, I’m gonna really, heavily focus on making sure that everyone knows that they’re welcome, whether you’re straight, gay, trans, anything, like everybody is welcome,” Glass said.
There’s more to come from the studio as well. Glass said she’s currently working up to having bi-monthly movie nights for the community in one of the studios. So, if you don’t want to take photos, you can stop in for a thrifted movie night complete with popcorn and beverages.