Indoor/outdoor go-kart complex planned for Surfside Beach area

Roller skating isn’t everyone’s idea of fun.

And the bouncy house fan club, that tops out around age 10.

But go-karts? They have mass appeal, said Tim Marks, who runs the Fun Warehouse on Dick Pond Road.

“Everybody likes to ride a go-kart,” he said.

Marks’ family plans to build a multi-level go-kart track and miniature golf course on the Warehouse’s property near the Surfside Beach Wal-Mart. Construction should continue over the winter and the family hopes to drop the green flag by Easter.

The project received some help from Horry County Council on Tuesday when council members voted to rezone six acres of Warehouse land for outdoor amusements. Paperwork filed with the county indicates the track will be built in what is now the company’s parking lot. A larger parking area will be added once the track is finished.

“We hope to start making some changes in early October,” Marks said, noting the addition will include 15,000 square feet of covered space.

Although other Grand Strand entertainment businesses offer go-kart tracks, Marks said the Fun Warehouse facility will offer both indoor and outdoor racing. If the weather is poor, he said, the outside portion of the track will be shut off and racing will continue on just the inside portion.

“We’ll be able to go rain or shine,” he said, “which is completely different than what anybody else has in town.”

The karts will be electric-powered, so fumes won’t be an issue. Each steering wheel will be equipped with a turbo button, and drivers will get three speed boosts apiece during a race. The company expects to begin with a fleet of 30 karts and gradually expand to 60. The new facility will eventually include giant trampolines and an indoor ropes course, too.

“We have a lot of stuff coming,” Marks said.

Fun Warehouse already offers roller skating, laser tag and an arcade.

“Our No. 1 thing are birthday parties,” Marks said. “That’s our bread and butter. That’s what we do best.”

The owners hope to build on that business with the new offerings. Along with families, they envision catering to parents, young adults and even businesses looking for an unusual retreat destination.

“It’s really going to open up a bigger demographic for us,” he said.

The Marks family is familiar with the amusement business, having worked in the industry since 1989. Along with Fun Warehouse, they own three miniature golf courses: Cancun Lagoon in Myrtle Beach, Mutiny Bay in North Myrtle Beach and Molten Mountain in North Myrtle Beach.

Richard Marks, the family patriarch who started the company, said he wants the go-kart track to have the same reputation as his other properties.

“We try to make that quality apparent,” he said. “Cleanliness and fun.”

This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Indoor/outdoor go-kart complex planned for Surfside Beach area."