Portal Lounge – A new tech-forward lounge from Gameway founders Jordan and Emma Walbridge opens at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport on May 28, blending immersive gaming with chef-driven food and drinks, including a robotic bartender. The common-use space will run
By 4 a.m. on May 28, the wait in Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport is supposed to look different.
Portal Lounge—an independent. tech-forward airport lounge concept created by Gameway founders Jordan and Emma Walbridge—will open next week inside MSP with a portal-inspired entrance. cinematic lighting. and an immersive space designed to keep travelers from slipping into the same “sit and wait” routine. The 3. 800-square-foot lounge is built around social gaming. chef-driven food and drinks. and interactive technology. with a robotic bartender mixed into the hospitality experience.
The Walbridges have spent years testing a similar idea at the airport. Their gaming-focused brand Gameway currently operates in nine U.S. airports, with plans to expand to 11 locations by the end of the year. Portal Lounge takes that core concept and scales it into a full hospitality venue—less like a quiet holding area. more like a destination travelers can enter even if they’re just killing time between flights.
The inspiration goes back nearly a decade. The couple came up with the Gameway idea after visiting a gaming center in a shopping mall in England. Jordan Walbridge initially explored whether the concept could work as a stand-alone business. but Emma Walbridge—who had previously worked in hospitality and hotel management in England—quickly saw the limitations of a traditional location-based gaming model. “I said to Jordan. I’m actually hospitality born and bred. ” she said. explaining that airports. not shopping malls. would be the right fit. “I was like, this would do great if it was in airports.”.
Gameway’s first location opened at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 2018. where it gained traction among travelers who had grown up gaming but were now traveling as adults for both work and leisure. Emma Walbridge said many people still assume gaming is for kids, arguing that it has become something else entirely. “A lot of people think gaming is for kids, right?. And it’s not anymore,” she said. “We were brought up on games. but now we’re actually in our 30s. 40s. and we are traveling for work as well as leisure.”.
That age shift—toward adults in their 30s—sits at the center of Portal Lounge’s strategy. Adults ages 30-39 represent the single largest gaming demographic in the U.S., accounting for 26% of gamers nationally. The same group, the founders say, is increasingly showing up in premium travel programs and airport lounge memberships.
Jordan Walbridge framed the attraction in social terms, describing modern gaming as a mainstream activity for adults. “These are the modern day gamers,” he said. “It’s something that we use as a social activity.”
Portal Lounge is designed around that idea. The lounge includes an immersive gaming area of approximately 600 square feet with 17 stations equipped with Nintendo Switch. Xbox. PlayStation. and custom-built gaming PCs featuring more than 30 titles. spanning casual games and competitive multiplayer experiences. Emma Walbridge said the PCs were built to feel genuine to the gamer community. “We custom built our PCs,” she said. “When we talk about being genuine to the gamer community.” She added that the variety is the point: at the lounge. guests can stream the latest game or play Mario Kart. “There is really something for everyone,” she said.
Even the design language is meant to avoid the corporate stiffness travelers associate with many lounges. Jordan Walbridge admitted that the original design vision for Gameway leaned too utilitarian before Emma pushed for a different look—one he described as blending an Apple Store feel with eSports. “She said, ‘I really believe our space needs to blend Apple Store with eSports,’” he recalled. “It’s gonna be beautiful. and it’s gonna be nothing like you’ve ever seen in the gaming place. anywhere in the world.”.
Portal Lounge carries that philosophy into the details, including a robotic bartender. Developed in Italy, the robotic arm works alongside human bartenders instead of replacing them. “It is there to be part of the experience,” Emma Walbridge said. “Some of the drinks get partially made with the robotic arm. and then they hand to the bartender to be finished up.”.
The founders also position the lounge as a response to shifting expectations. Jordan Walbridge said traditional lounges have been shaped around exclusivity and waiting. while travelers increasingly want experiences rather than just amenities. “Traditional lounges were designed around exclusivity and waiting,” he said. “We need to revolutionize this marketplace of lounges now.”.
Food and drink are built to match that pitch. Signature offerings include the “Lag Free. ” a Minnesota-inspired margarita featuring Honeycrisp apple. maple. and citrus notes. and “Prince’s Lemonade. ” a zero-proof cocktail inspired by Prince. The menu also includes chef-driven small plates. local beers. regional wines. and an expanded mocktail selection aimed at younger travelers who want premium non-alcoholic options.
Portal Lounge is also structured to be accessible beyond airline or card-specific loyalty. Unlike lounges tied to a specific airline or membership, Portal Lounge operates as a common-use independent lounge. Access will be available through Priority Pass and participating premium credit card programs from Chase, American Express, and Capital One. Walk-in access is also offered for approximately $70.
From the founders’ perspective. the combination of flexibility and a more visually engaging space is what modern travelers are looking for. Jordan Walbridge said warm and welcoming design—especially for adult travelers who also game—has driven demand. “When you design something that’s very warm and welcoming for the adult traveler who also hobbies of playing video games. then they started to come in by the droves. ” he said.
Portal Lounge will operate daily from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting May 28.
Portal Lounge MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Gameway Jordan Walbridge Emma Walbridge robotic bartender Nintendo Switch Xbox PlayStation gaming lounge Priority Pass Chase American Express Capital One
Robots bartending at the airport already??
So is it like a bar or more like those gaming rooms? I feel like they’ll still run out of stuff by the time my flight boards lol. Also what if the robot bartender messes up my order.
Wait I thought Gameway was like arcade stuff, not a lounge. If it’s 3,800 square feet then it’s not even that big right? But they said it’s to keep travelers from “sit and wait,” so does that mean they’ll like… force people to play games? My cousin said these airport lounges are always packed anyway.
By 4 a.m.?? That’s ridiculous. Airports are already stressful, and now you’re telling me there’s gonna be a “portal-inspired entrance” with cinematic lighting and robots. Next thing you know TSA is gonna scan your thumbprint to unlock Mario Kart or something. I’m not mad I guess, just seems like they’re charging you for distractions instead of fixing actual delays.