Joe Williams took a smoke break Monday night outside his Sixth Street coffee shop in Bremerton, The Insomniac Club, after no one showed up to the Xbox Rock Band tournament he had planned that night.

But the owner of the 24-hour cafe that opened Dec. 16 was still optimistic about his new business.

“It’s because we’re new,” he said, adding that customers will come in time. “Nobody knows we’re here.”

Lisa and Tom Arnold, who opened a 24-hour family restaurant called Papa’s at the Perry Avenue Mall Nov. 20, stopped their Thursday through Saturday 24-hour operations after a few weeks because no one came during the late-night hours. But they plan to restore the weekend 24-hour days when they open a lounge with beer, wine and cocktails, hoping that the food that hooks customers during the day will draw people late at night.

Papa’s and The Insomniac Club are two Bremerton businesses trying to establish 24-hour all-ages hang-outs in Bremerton, citing a lack of places people can go in the middle of the night to eat, play pool or use free wi-fi. While The Insomniac Club is aimed at youth, serving coffee and burgers, Papa’s hopes to attract families during the day and graveyard shift Puget Sound Naval Shipyard workers and patrons of nearby bars at night.

Lisa Arnold said family-friendly restaurants and hang-outs have dwindled over the years, adding that Brother Don’s and the Cloverleaf Sports Bar and Grill have become more adult-oriented and the recent closure of Bremerton Lanes eliminated another family spot.

“There really isn’t places different generations can go anymore,” she said. “We just wanted to make this more of a family community spot where people can come and feel relaxed.”

Tom Arnold, who was born and raised in Bremerton and graduated from West High School, is collecting photos and memorabilia for an East High/West High wall in one corner of the restaurant. On the other side, there are pool tables and video games for kids. TVs throughout the building play sports for the grown-ups.

Tom Arnold has worked in the insulation shop at the shipyard for more than 30 years and said there is no place for swing shift shipyard workers to eat before or after work, except Shari’s in East Bremerton.

“We’re just here to have a place that everybody can enjoy,” he said.

He also wants patrons from neighboring bars to come over to wait for a taxi or ride, or to eat some food before driving home.

“Even if they come in and have ice water, they can come in and wait for a taxi,” Lisa Arnold said.

The Arnolds envision Papa’s as a family destination, where people host parties and parents teach their children to play pool. Tom Arnold eventually wants to build a batting cage and mini golf course behind the building.

“I got high hopes,” he said. “Our goal is to serve the community where it’s more than just a bar.”

Williams, of The Insomniac Club, and his partner, T.J. Armitage, have a different aim. They want a safe place for teens to keep out of trouble and don’t plan to serve any alcohol. Because most businesses in town close by 10 p.m., they said, teens need an after-hours alternative. Their Sixth Street cafe offers close access for underage sailors, as well as access to the all-ages Callow Avenue rock club, the Charleston.

“What do kids do when things shut down? They get in trouble,” Armitage said.

Williams and Armitage worked together at the Clearwater Casino in Suquamish and had talked about opening a business together for a year. Williams, who was born and raised in Bremerton, wants to see teens do safer things than wander the streets.

“If you look around there’s nothing to do in Bremerton anymore,” Williams said. “I just see them walking around the streets all hours of the night.”

The Insomniac Club hosts pool tournaments at 8 p.m. Thursdays and Rock Band tournaments at 8 p.m. Mondays. Live music is in the works. The place has been largely empty so far, though some teens have come late at night to shoot pool. Armitage said business will pick up now that the holidays are over.

Tom Arnold is also undeterred by the early lack of late-night customers at Papa’s. He sees a slow increase in customers as the weeks go by and several returners.

“It’s been working like we planned,” he said.