FYE closed its single Houston location in Katy Mills Mall last week, ending the chain’s local presence for the second time. What would eventually become FYE opened its first Texas store at the Galleria in 1992. It was marketed under the dual names Record Town and Saturday Matinee and was one of many chains trying to corner the market in both media sales and rentals at the time. The company would continue to grow by opening new locations and acquiring competitors such as Camelot Music, Wherehouse Music, Suncoast Video, and Sam Goody. FYE’s first location in Katy Mills opened with the mall in 1999. FYE was considered an anchor on the mall’s entertainment side; the store featured a large arcade that is still in operation. The original run at Katy Mills ended in 2011, as the chain was experiencing financial distress and was shedding locations of other chains it had acquired before this move. FYE returned to Katy Mills in 2021 in a much smaller space, not far from its original location. The reopening strategy was attempted in a few other markets, but ultimately has not worked out for FYE, which continues to cut locations.
It’s not exactly the same arcade; the two companies aren’t directly related. Tilt opened in Katy Mills by first taking over FYE’s arcade space. Then when FYE cleared out they built Tilt Studio (also in 2011).