RETRO ROLLERS ROLLS INTO KITCHENER
Waterloo Region’s first roller rink in over a decade celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 28, 2026. Retro Rollers, located at 563 Highland Rd. W. in Kitchener, offers roller skating, fitness classes, and party rooms for birthdays and company events.
Retro Rollers is the culmination of almost a decade of work for co-owners Elaine Beck and Phil Morris. The partners started the business in Wellesley in 2017, renting out the Wellesley Arena during the summer and hosting events. Shortly after, the City of London issued a request for proposals to take over management of its roller skate program.
“We got accepted and we’re still there today. We’ve done all kinds of pop-ups, private events, fundraisers and worked with roller derby teams like Tri City, Forest City and Royal City,” Beck said.
The original plan was to open a permanent roller rink, but that was delayed by the pandemic. Beck added that, while they would have liked to open sooner, the delay gave them time to build the right experience to open the Retro Rollers roller rink.
“When we look back at our original business plan, it was always to open a roller rink. Back then, the banks laughed, and they still do,” she laughed.
Saving the capital needed to open the roller rink was one thing, finding the space was another.
“We had to find a space that was big enough and the right price. We didn’t want to charge people $50 to come and roller skate,” Morris said.
The location first came up during an internet search in 2018. At first, Morris said Beck was not sold on the idea of a basement. When they restarted their search after the pandemic, the space was still available. Once she visited the space in person, Beck said she saw a vision for what it could be.
“As soon as we came down here, I saw a way to take advantage of a layout that would foster both beginner skaters that are just learning and those that are really experienced,” she said.
Beck and Morris added that the landlord was great to work with and the rent made it possible to offer pricing that is accessible to as many people as possible. Retro Rollers offers three-hour sessions for $15, with skate rentals for $5. The venue is alcohol-free, a choice Beck said is for liability and for the experience.
“Roller skating releases natural dopamine, and you can burn 400 to 600 calories every hour on roller skates,” she added.
The space is nostalgic, with pinball machines, a snack bar, a DJ booth and retro-inspired murals painted by Beck and her daughter.
“We see a lot of people that turn into a kid when they put their skates on. They’re screaming and laughing—it’s amazing,” Beck said.
Morris and Beck said seeing the impact Retro Rollers is already having in the community is validation for pursuing their dream.
“We saw what was going on around us with social media and the way it was sucking everybody in. We wanted to bring people out. We’re not here to make a lot of money, but for us, the biggest paycheck at the end of the day is seeing people smile, have a good time and enjoy their lives,” Morris said.
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