If you are ever in Massachusetts, you have to go to "The Castle" in Beverly. Great food and drinks, nice space, wonderful game selection, and amazing staff!
One of my favorite movie musicals is very goofy but I love it. It's called The History of Future Folk. The premise is that aliens come to destroy Earth until hearing music makes them change their mind.
Strongly recommend “well played” in Asheville NC. Fantastic selection, good food and drink options and events. Every time we visit, we love going to this cafe.
my favorite Board Game Cafe was Emerald Tavern in Austin TX. To me they nailed the right amount of space for gaming, selling games, and the food was good enough that there were times we would just order for pickup.
Little Shop of Horrors would be on musical list. On the board game cafe topic, I wonder if folks have tried the maker-space model to create game-spaces. i.e. Something like you pay monthly dues to get a key for access to a communal space. The communal space would have tables/chairs, maybe some sofas, maybe a library, maybe some game-adjacent tools/things (workbenches, paint stations (no consumables), cricuts, lasercutters, 3d printers, etc...).
Cover charges are tough. A large group can often flat out buy a new game for the same price they are paying to sometimes only play 1-2 games they are even less excited by. I love the idea of board game cafes, but it feels like they work so much better for dates and non gamers to me.
There is a fantastic one in Manassas Virginia called crossroads tabletop tavern that I visit as much as I can but usually during birthdays or other celebrations
Geeky Teas in Burbank, CA seems to be the exception to the board game cafe problem. They charge a $5 cover fee but they are highly successful and have even recently upgraded to a larger space. The atmosphere is amazingly thematic and super welcoming. However I use the word "cafe" extremely loosely here because they only serve packaged snacks like chips and cookies, bottled water and canned coffee. They sell tea leaves for making tea at home but you can't actually drink it in the store. Yet somehow this place thrives! My favorite gaming store hands down!
When I taught high school English in Clark County School District (fifth-largest district in the US), our rule of thumb was that if students could read at a fourth-grade level in ninth grade, they were put in an honours/extension class. I’m not familiar with the statistic from the Popped game, but even under the most generous methods of measuring, the literacy situation in the United States is surprisingly grim. (Or was a little over a decade ago.)
My local board game cafe in UK has gone the other direction and are really good at teaching you games and will also serve you coffee and cake. You're free to order take-out and bring in your own alcohol but they charge you a couple of pounds to do so
I saw The Greatest Showman with some family members and after it was over my aunt goes "I didn't like it, there was too much singing." And I was just like, it's a musical. What did you expect?
You need to come out to Crossroads Tabletop Tavern in Manassas, VA! Full restaurant and bar, a huge game library, and it's managed to stay open for at least 6 years so far.
We’ve got a fantastic game cafe in Richmond, VA- Unplugged Games Cafe! We travel across town for date nights there and it’s such a fun place! Knowledgeable staff, delicious food, and an amazing selection of games. Highly recommended!
I agree, has to be a restaurant first, I don't think you could make it by just being a gaming space. I'm waiting for a Cannabis friendly gaming cafe, you might have something there.
We have in my hometown in Indiana a friendly local game store called Full Moon games that is also a Pizza place called Footers. It seems to do alright as far as i know. They get lots of people that aren't gamers using the pizza part with lots of takeout and delivery orders. Subsidizes the cost of having the building I'd guess, like you guys were talking about.
Koons also did "The Bean" in Chicago. He's like the 1990's version of Andy Warhol, complete with the Factory-like production line of his art. It does not surprise me he partnered with a board game company to promote his stuff... even though giant metal balloon animals, famously, cannot pop.
What if the board game Cafe was also a store and if you decided to buy something when your time is up your cover charge comes off the price of the game?
I was thinking about starting a board game cafe after my time in Korea also (I think Tom and I were there at the same time. The original Snakes and Lattes is in Koreatown, so I often think they were inspired by Korea room culture as well. Also I think, the board games at Snakes an Lattes is alright but not amazing. Their menu is simple. But I think they make money as being a distributor of certain board games in Canada or something similar but honestly I dont have much proof of that. Its definately one of the better board game cafes. Bubble tea places often have a board game selection, I think their rent is low and bubble tea is cheap to make but they charge a lot for the drinks.
Jeff Koons is also a strange artist in that he doesn't actually build the art pieces... he just comes up with the concept and then hires people to make them. Very bizarre. EDIT: Another art tidbit... Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World is the painting Tom was thinking of with the woman lying in the field looking to a farm house.
These need to be mentioned!
1. Newsies
2. Wicked
3. Sound of Music
If you are ever in Massachusetts, you have to go to "The Castle" in Beverly. Great food and drinks, nice space, wonderful game selection, and amazing staff!
One of my favorite movie musicals is very goofy but I love it. It's called The History of Future Folk. The premise is that aliens come to destroy Earth until hearing music makes them change their mind.
Strongly recommend “well played” in Asheville NC. Fantastic selection, good food and drink options and events. Every time we visit, we love going to this cafe.
The fact that Zee knew the ACTUAL game of Mahj just made me love him even more ❤
my favorite Board Game Cafe was Emerald Tavern in Austin TX. To me they nailed the right amount of space for gaming, selling games, and the food was good enough that there were times we would just order for pickup.
Little Shop of Horrors would be on musical list.
On the board game cafe topic, I wonder if folks have tried the maker-space model to create game-spaces. i.e. Something like you pay monthly dues to get a key for access to a communal space. The communal space would have tables/chairs, maybe some sofas, maybe a library, maybe some game-adjacent tools/things (workbenches, paint stations (no consumables), cricuts, lasercutters, 3d printers, etc...).
Cover charges are tough. A large group can often flat out buy a new game for the same price they are paying to sometimes only play 1-2 games they are even less excited by. I love the idea of board game cafes, but it feels like they work so much better for dates and non gamers to me.
There is a fantastic one in Manassas Virginia called crossroads tabletop tavern that I visit as much as I can but usually during birthdays or other celebrations
The way Tom pronounced 'The Rest of Row E' at first just makes Zee's stint as boring unboxer last week so much better...
Geeky Teas in Burbank, CA seems to be the exception to the board game cafe problem. They charge a $5 cover fee but they are highly successful and have even recently upgraded to a larger space. The atmosphere is amazingly thematic and super welcoming. However I use the word "cafe" extremely loosely here because they only serve packaged snacks like chips and cookies, bottled water and canned coffee. They sell tea leaves for making tea at home but you can't actually drink it in the store. Yet somehow this place thrives! My favorite gaming store hands down!
So does that make them a store rather than a cafe then?
30:55 It was mentioned you played Ito live. Is this watchable somewhere? I can't find it.
When I taught high school English in Clark County School District (fifth-largest district in the US), our rule of thumb was that if students could read at a fourth-grade level in ninth grade, they were put in an honours/extension class. I’m not familiar with the statistic from the Popped game, but even under the most generous methods of measuring, the literacy situation in the United States is surprisingly grim. (Or was a little over a decade ago.)
As a product of the Clark County School District, thank you for putting in your years there. It's a rough district on teachers. -Chris
My local board game cafe in UK has gone the other direction and are really good at teaching you games and will also serve you coffee and cake. You're free to order take-out and bring in your own alcohol but they charge you a couple of pounds to do so
I saw The Greatest Showman with some family members and after it was over my aunt goes "I didn't like it, there was too much singing." And I was just like, it's a musical. What did you expect?
Snakes and lattes is indeed a great place. Toronto welcomes you anytime
Chicago has one and it's great
You need to come out to Crossroads Tabletop Tavern in Manassas, VA! Full restaurant and bar, a huge game library, and it's managed to stay open for at least 6 years so far.
We’ve got a fantastic game cafe in Richmond, VA- Unplugged Games Cafe! We travel across town for date nights there and it’s such a fun place! Knowledgeable staff, delicious food, and an amazing selection of games. Highly recommended!
Would be great if we could always have pictures with the top 3 😊
I agree, has to be a restaurant first, I don't think you could make it by just being a gaming space. I'm waiting for a Cannabis friendly gaming cafe, you might have something there.
Greatest showman is fantastic
We have in my hometown in Indiana a friendly local game store called Full Moon games that is also a Pizza place called Footers. It seems to do alright as far as i know. They get lots of people that aren't gamers using the pizza part with lots of takeout and delivery orders. Subsidizes the cost of having the building I'd guess, like you guys were talking about.
1. Singing in the Rain
2. Hairspray
3. Les Miserables
Top 3 Musicals:
1. Chess
2. Avenue Q
3. The Rocky Horror Show (or the Rocky Horror Picture Show)
Koons also did "The Bean" in Chicago. He's like the 1990's version of Andy Warhol, complete with the Factory-like production line of his art. It does not surprise me he partnered with a board game company to promote his stuff... even though giant metal balloon animals, famously, cannot pop.
I have the X Files Circle the Wagons. It’s pretty cool.
I'll go with Meet Me in St. Louis, Love Me Tonight, and An American in Paris.
Munchkin Shadowrun…. The right set of advanced rules and that could be a fun time….
My top 3 musicals:
1: Hamilton
2: Wicked
3: In the Heights
What if the board game Cafe was also a store and if you decided to buy something when your time is up your cover charge comes off the price of the game?
I was thinking about starting a board game cafe after my time in Korea also (I think Tom and I were there at the same time. The original Snakes and Lattes is in Koreatown, so I often think they were inspired by Korea room culture as well. Also I think, the board games at Snakes an Lattes is alright but not amazing. Their menu is simple. But I think they make money as being a distributor of certain board games in Canada or something similar but honestly I dont have much proof of that. Its definately one of the better board game cafes. Bubble tea places often have a board game selection, I think their rent is low and bubble tea is cheap to make but they charge a lot for the drinks.
Snakes USED to have an online games store with free shipping in Canada, but they have since phased that out. You can buy games in store though.
Jeff Koons is also a strange artist in that he doesn't actually build the art pieces... he just comes up with the concept and then hires people to make them. Very bizarre.
EDIT: Another art tidbit... Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World is the painting Tom was thinking of with the woman lying in the field looking to a farm house.
Avenue Q, Little Shop of Horrors, and Lion King are top 3 for me
Are you a fan, Tom, of the opera?
3. Book of Mormon
2. The Producers
1. Wicked
TtR Japan had TWO maps (Japan and Italy 😅 )
I've never heard anyone, anywhere sing any song from The Greatest Showman.
Wizard of Oz = YES!
Singing in the Rain
Greatest Showman
Willy Wonka
You are all too young. Busby Berkely had the best musicals back in the day. The Gang's All Here is a personal favorite (Carmen Miranda).
I spoke too soon. Great #1 choice, Tom!!!!
Oooof…. Maybe
3. The Lion King
2. Phantom of the Opera
1. Into the Woods
Hamilton would be in the top 5… Greatest Showman would be top 10 for me.
Joey's on crack. Nobody's gonna pay $10-$20 to sit in a store and play games