Mobile crane arcade
Kellie Brown, Jimmy Brown, Brittany Wiesinger and James Wiesinger, all business owners of Pop Claw, and Carter Brown, Morgan Brown, Campbell Wiesinger and Palmer Wiesinger, the children of Pop Claw co-owners, gather for a photo on the Pop Claw mobile arcade trailer.
You have probably seen claw machines at fairs or entertainment centers, but two Buffalo Ridge Elementary School (BRE) families have put them on wheels. Pop Claw, a mobile arcade trailer, rolled into this year’s Castle Pines Fall Festival.
“We’re pretty sure it’s the world’s first mobile crane arcade,” said co-owner Jimmy Brown, who runs the business with his wife, Kellie, and their partners, Brittany and James Wiesinger.
The idea sparked at the Douglas County Fair, where Kellie and Brittany watched their kids beg for money to play the claw machines. The two moms began brainstorming and a few months later, Pop Claw was born.
Since launching in October 2024, the arcade trailer has brought the claw machine experience to birthday parties, school fundraisers and community events across Douglas County. Pop Claw has 20 claw machines that are filled with plush toys and themed prizes, attracting players of all ages.
“We hear it all the time: ‘This is rigged.’ We’re trying to change that perception,” Kellie said. “These are actually winnable.”
The Browns and Wiesingers have known each other since their oldest kids, Palmer and Carter, now 9, were in preschool. The business has strengthened their friendship. “It doesn’t feel like work when we get together,” Kellie said. “Even our kids ask, ‘When are we going to see them again?’”
The Browns are also parents to Morgan (7), while the Wiesingers have Campbell (6). All four kids attend BRE. “We have one huge family now,” added Jimmy. “We’ve seen each other’s houses in different states of array. It’s become that type of dynamic.”
Teamwork has been key. “Everyone brings a different skill set. There’s no way we could have done this without the Wiesingers,” Kellie said. “That’s what took it to the next level, having partners who hold you accountable.”
Community support has also been strong from the start. “The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce has been incredible,” Brittany said. “They invited us to events, paid for [promotional] cards to hand out and even had the mayor distribute them.”
For both families, Pop Claw is more than a business. It is a way to bring excitement to the community and inspire their own children. “We say this is our love letter to our kids,” Brittany said. “If you have an idea, you just have to get started and take the first step.”
For more information, visit popclaw.us.
Carter and Palmer play on the claw machines inside the trailer.
By Mindy Stone; photos courtesy of Jimmy & Kellie Brown and James & Brittany Wiesinger
