Local couple lets their passion lead the way by opening a comic book store
BRIDGEWATER — A local couple opened a vintage arcade and comic bookstore to gives kids a blast from the past.
The owners, Steve DeMita and Heather DeMita, opened Steve’s Comics & Collectables as a passion project.
Steve has loved comic books ever since he was a kid, but as life trekked on, he dropped his childhood hobby and grew into his responsibility as a man.
Steve had worked as a commercial roofer since the age of 18. The job is very labor intensive and causes severe back and knee pain.
The entrepreneur knew there must be more to living than being someone’s employee.
“Eventually, you get to a point where it’s either you work for someone else for the rest of your life, or you work for yourself, and my wife pushed me to open our store. It fell perfectly in place like it was meant to be,” Steve said.
The couple set a goal and were able to achieve opening the store by flipping a home they bought years prior and used some of their extra savings.
The comic bookstore was a childhood dream Steve had that the couple turned into a reality.
“I believe everything happens for a reason, and sometimes the stars align for you,” Steve said.
Steve feels like a kid in a candy store working as his own boss doing something he loves.
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And seeing young customers come in super excited to read comics or play in Richie’s Retro Arcade makes all the hard work worth it.
Richie’s Retro Arcade is in memory of Richie McQuade, Steve’s uncle, who died of cancer in 2021.
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The comic bookstore sells dozens of new and old series while keeping the retro 80s vibe.
In addition, the two built an arcade with all original games, including Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, to indulge in their childhood nostalgia.
“We sell every comic book you can think of from Marvel, DC Comics, toys, collectibles, Funko Pops, silver age comics from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, and tons of Dollar Comics,” Steve said.
Steven remembers as a kid going to an arcade on a Saturday night with $5 and playing all night with his friends.
Those were the nights that made childhood worth smiling about.
“We wanted to create a fun place for people to enjoy themselves without limits. The games are 25 cents, so we aren’t trying to make a killing. We just want people to have fun,” Steve said.
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The end goal for the couple is to pass down the business to their daughters and expand to more locations.
But Steve is content with having one location that’s deeply embedded in the community bringing laughter and happiness to people through reading and creativity.
“We’re super excited to be in this amazing community of Bridgewater and we hope the community is just as excited as we are and come in and play a game and look at some of the comics we have,” Heather said.
The comic bookstore is located at 42 Central Square in Bridgewater and hours of operation are seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
