One of the world's most famous locomotives is expected to roll through Royersford next week, and few local businesses are better positioned to welcome it than Shy Guys Coffee-R-Cade.
The family-friendly coffee shop and arcade, located inside a former train station beside the tracks, will host a Big Boy No. 4014 watch party beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 2. The Union Pacific's legendary train is passing through the borough on its way to Philadelphia as part of the nationwide celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The Big Boy, which is the world's largest operating steam locomotive, is scheduled to depart Pottstown at 3:45 p.m. and is expected to pass through Royersford shortly afterward. While it will not stop in town, the Shy Guys team believes their location offers one of the area's best vantage points.
A Front-Row Seat
The event came together after customers repeatedly asked whether the business planned to celebrate the train's arrival.
"People came in and said, 'Hey, you guys doing anything for the train?' And I said, 'What train?'" owner Gino Caruso said with a laugh.
After creating a Facebook event, Caruso quickly realized the level of excitement surrounding the locomotive's visit. More than 1,100 people have already expressed interest.
For the occasion, Shy Guys has created two patriotic specialty drinks inspired by the event. "The 250" is a white chocolate iced latte topped with blueberry cold foam and strawberry-flavored Pop Rocks. "The 4014" is a blackberry iced latte with vanilla cold foam and a red, white, and blue mixed-berry finishing sugar.
The business will also offer a "Big Boy Arcade Combo," allowing customers who purchase any sandwich or bowl and any drink to add a one-hour arcade pass for $4.14 — about half the normal $8 hourly rate.
The Shy Guys team also plans to stock extra grab-and-go items, including chips, muffins, scones, and beverages like iced tea and lemonade. Additional seating will be provided outside to help accommodate the crowd.
Caruso owns and operates Shy Guys with his wife Kristy Caruso and brother-in-law Bill Beck. For Beck, who helped develop the cafe's menu, the event is a fitting match for the building's history.
"Occupying a train station was kind of a surprise to us initially in scouting locations," Beck said. "It's been really neat to see how many train enthusiasts show up here. People sit out there and watch trains all day."
More Than an Arcade
The Shy Guys team hopes the Big Boy's brief appearance will introduce many first-time visitors to everything the business has to offer.
Opened last August, Shy Guys combines a scratch-made cafe, classic arcade, and event space under one roof. The concept began years earlier when Caruso purchased an arcade game that reminded him of his childhood. One machine soon became dozens as he learned how to restore them.
At the same time, he envisioned creating a place that filled a gap he experienced as a parent.
"I didn't want to take my young kids to a Dave & Buster's or a bounce house," he said. "This is a little more contained. It's a safe space for parents with young kids to have a cup of coffee or a smoothie and just hang out while the kids go play."
That family-first approach helped shape the menu as well.
Beck, who spent two decades working as a chef before joining the venture, said the goal was to create something different from traditional barcades, which are often geared toward younger adults.
"We're very deliberately not a barcade," he said. "We really wanted a place where the whole family could come."
The menu features everything from barbecue sandwiches to vegan options to kid-friendly favorites like macaroni and cheese, with food made from scratch using natural ingredients.
Building Connections
The owners say one of the most rewarding parts of the business has been watching parents find a place where they can feel comfortable.
Kristy Caruso recalled a recent visit from a mother whose two young sons have sensory challenges. After getting them settled in the arcade, the mother enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich and quietly read while her children played nearby.
“She knew her boys were safe. She was close enough to hear them, but they were having fun and everything was okay,” Kristy Caruso recalled. “And she said, ‘I feel like I stepped into a dreamland,’ because she could just relax.”
Beyond the arcade, Shy Guys has become a gathering place for birthday parties, corporate events, tabletop gaming nights, and community groups. The business has even received donations of vintage memorabilia from customers who wanted to contribute to the atmosphere.
Beck said one of Shy Guys' goals is to help keep the Twin Boroughs "a great place to live" by creating opportunities for neighbors to connect.
"We're really committed to putting positive things into the community," Beck said. "When you can get people into a space where there's fun and laughter and joy, it creates those kinds of relationships. Then when the hard thing happens and someone's in a bind, you have that village to step up and help."
Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014 is making its first-ever trip to the East Coast. The eastern leg of the journey will conclude with a Fourth of July celebration in Philadelphia after display events and whistle stops across 10 states.
Although the locomotive is expected to pass through Royersford in just a matter of minutes, the owners of Shy Guys hope visitors will stick around a little longer.
As Kristy Caruso put it: "Come check it out. Have some fun."
Shy Guys Coffee-R-Cade, located at 147 Main Street in Royersford, is open Tuesday through Sunday.
