Baked Spring 2023

GAME ON
at THREE LIVES
The video-game themed bar on Clinton Street
provides a safe space for nerds and non-nerds alike
Written by Sarah Alessandrini | Photos by Megan Jonas
When Jon Page opened Three Lives in
2020, the video-game themed bar
had a row of 15 old arcade machines that patrons
weren’t allowed to play for most of the
pandemic. So, Page and his staff developed
the “Roll for a Shot” menu.
The server rolls a 20-sided die, with
numbers corresponding to a shot on the
menu. Like all of Three Lives’ menu items,
these colorful, flavored shots are based on
popular video games, like the Din’s Fire shot
inspired by Legends of Zelda.
A TikToker named Dustin Dean paid a visit
to the bar and featured the “Roll for a
Shot” menu on his account, giving the small
Syracuse bar the exposure it needed to
stay afloat.
With a commitment to theme and a willingness
to adapt, Three Lives not only survived,
but thrived through the challenging pandemic
years.
“It’s wild the way the universe wants you to
work,” Page said. “You are in your flow state
right now. You’re doing your thing. You stay
on that path, dude. Life will just seem easy.”
Page, 31, was a professional musician and
bartender with years of experience in
fine dining before he decided to open
16 | baked