Hello – I’m new here and I’m after advice and opinions. We have a shop, Happy Piranha, in Truro (Cornwall, UK) selling board games, gadgets and quirky gifts. What we really want to do is open a gaming cafe, somewhere cool to hang out with like-minded people.
This is a project for the future obviously, we are closed at the moment with the coronavirus situation. I wondered what people might want from a gaming cafe? And what they wouldn’t want? What sort of things would you want to see provided in the 'cafe' side of the business? Would you consider paying a membership fee or prefer to pay a small fee per visit?
All feedback greatly appreciated! Also, we are thinking of trying to fund it via Kickstarter. We have a much smaller campaign on Kickstarter at the mo, some D & D inspired scented candles (we make our own candles here above the shop) just to help us understand how it works. Has anyone done anything via Kickstarter? Did it work out well for you? Any pitfalls to avoid?
(Apologies if this is the wrong place to put this)
There is one in my area and it's a lot of fun. They have hundreds of games and the staff is knowledgeable about them. They can help teach new games. It's $5 to enter and you can stay and play as long as you want. They have normal bar food and drinks. They also have various events in a separate room for DND and other similar things.
I can tell you what I would love, a gaming area with one of those expensive monitor table. Call it the premium room, to game their you pay extra. Use the monitor to display maps and other stuff. It costs a grand or two, but I can see it being a HUGE draw. Why should a Sports bar be the only kind with a big TV?
Would you consider paying a membership fee or prefer to pay a small fee per visit?
I recommend doing market research first to ascertain whether there is a strong enough local demand to make your business plan viable. Since the concept is relatively novel, I would start with making a note of all the local arcades, karaoke, movie theaters, and similar businesses where customers spend a few hours on the premises for entertainment. I highly recommend visiting a few of those places in person yourself so you can check out what they look like inside, see what their prices and payment options are, how they operate in general, and so on. You also want to count how many customers visit each place per week to get an idea of how many potential customers you may see per day. I also would not discount adult entertainment oriented businesses like bars, hookah lounges, strip clubs, etc., and I recommend visiting a few of them as you may be able to gleam additional ideas and perspectives that visiting a family friendly business might not be able to provide. For example, a manager or owner of a bar have much more experience dealing with rowdy customers and other unfavorable situations, so having a chat with them may give you a better idea of how to handle things if an emergency comes up.
For the payment options themselves, I recommend having a variety of options at first to test out which revenue model works best for you. You also do not have to stick with only one option if multiple options work. I think membership and pay-per-visit are both worth trying out, and if both work, then keep both! For the pay-per-visit option, there are a variety of ways to go about it, such as paying per individual, group, room, table, hour, half-hour, etc., or some kind of combination of them. I personally prefer pay-per-visit, and I like paying per individual, room/table, half-hour, or a combination of them. For example, you can try charging a table for $15 per hour, which sounds pretty reasonable, or you can reduce the table rental price and maybe add a fee per person at the table to offset the lower rent price.
Due to the current pandemic, you may also want to consider renting out and delivering a package of minis, dies, and a gridded battle mat to people at home to play D&D and other tabletop RPGs, and it might be a good way for beginners to try TTRPGs out for the first time without committing to a high upfront cost. Minis, dies, and mats seems to be relatively easy to sanitize by spraying them with alcohol and wiping them down. I would also refer customers to print out D&D's System Reference Document at home or offer to print it out for them on request if they do not have a printer; if they have internet access, you can also recommend them to use D&D Beyond for convenience and to save on paper. If they really like the package, you can also tell them to notify you if they wish to buy the entire package during the rental period so you can avoid having to take the package back and reduce potential viral exposure.
I would also offer to have a weekly or monthly pickup Adventure League game where you can just reserve a spot an hour or so before and show up with an Adventure League approved character and just play. Some people would love to just show up when they have the time, but do not have the time for a weekly game.
There is one about 45 minutes from where I live that does what you’re talking about doing. Most of their customers play Magic but they have a large table that’s set up for D&D that’s used regularly. One thing that they do is they don’t charge a fee to the DM, which I think is a great idea.
The DMs at the similar store I play at are actually paid by the establishment. They get $30/session. Tables typically have 5-7 people at $10 each so the place still profits. Players also typically buy food or drinks.
I am familiar with a game cafe in Raleigh, NC. They have a huge library of games and staff that know the rules. Usually the staff member has played the game enough to understand some of the basic strategy of the game. My brother and his family go there, try out a game, and decide whether they might wish to buy it for themselves. I don't know if they have any tables for large groups to play D&D. I would think that would be better in a "private room" but as long as it is a large table and the noise isn't too high then it would be OK. I expect most D&D groups would have to be covered as a "room fee" and set up ahead of time. If three people in the group show up, then they pay for the table. This is where D&D is going to be risky to build your model. I hear that groups under normal conditions don't always meet so you're risking something. Market research is needed at least to understand the costs for rent, utilities, labor and usual business stuff, and then you have to figure out how much you need to get back per customer to make it float. It takes a lot more money and customers than you might think. Good luck.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
You might reach out to the folks at Spielbound in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. They have a gaming library of over 2000 games, and they run a cafe/bar. The cafe/bar is for profit, the library is a non profit. Customers pay $5(US) for a day pass to access the gaming library. Games are played onsite. Repeat customers can also buy month or yearly subscriptions. The for profit cafe supports the cost of the library and other projects of the non profit.
Last I knew, they were not open for in person gaming due to the pandemic. They were doing pickup coffee, etc. And they have a small game store so they were selling games that way. I really hope they make through the pandemic, as its a great place and our family takes mini-vacations there at least twice a year.
A place near me is a regular restaurant and bar, and they have tons of games for the patrons to play. Pick a game and play it. You can also buy games and puzzles as well as stuff like dice and minis. They survive on the food and drink-they don’t charge you to play or meet there. My group plays there once a week on Sundays. We’re regulars and sit in the same spot, etc. I think the DM eats free or at least with a hefty discount. I always try to order something, but if I just get a soda or something I try and buy something. Support the local game store thing. It’s a great concept, but I would echo others and say that you better research it or better yet find someone to work with that knows how to run an actual restaurant or you’ll never last. I’m hoping they survive the virus. They’re doing carry out but we’re all waiting to go back and play on site.
Hate to say it but a lot of places are going to be forced to have a 6ft rule between people for a while.
So your tables have to be set up so that there are barriers that can be removed eventually. Plexiglass is fine and.. well in my state we are asked to wear face masks. Which most do.
Don't open a shop until you can meet the requirements.
I'd consider reaching out to some local businesses and see if there's possibility for a partnership somewhere, even just as an informal consultant. I think a lot of the gaming cafes I've heard of were more of a cafe that offers games rather than a game store that expanded into a cafe. Not that it can't be done, but you will want someone with knowledge and experience of the local eateries. I think they could provide some valuable insight. Good luck! I have very much enjoyed the gaming cafes I have visited and I hope you can bring that experience to a new audience.
Hi, I think you should go for it. But I am no expert.
Like any business you will need to dedicate to a lot of time and effort but it seems to be a growing market.
We have one here in Ilfracombe. Mac and Carole will probably give you advice and warn you of risks but they've made it through the worst of this pandemic so it must be possible to succeed.
Resurrected thread, unfortunately HappyPiranha haven't been active on here since May last year. If anyone local sees this post though, then there is a café open called Geek Retreat in Truro. I can't recommend as I haven't managed to get there, but am definitely hoping I get the chance at some point.
As someone mentioned, gaming tables with monitors would be awesome. But just as nice would be large maps. My local Costco here in the US sells banners 3 foot by 6 foot banners for $36 each. And with all the official adventure maps available these days, making a good selection would be pretty easy.
Hi, I think you should go for it. But I am no expert.
Like any business you will need to dedicate to a lot of time and effort but it seems to be a growing market.
We have one here in Ilfracombe. Mac and Carole will probably give you advice and warn you of risks but they've made it through the worst of this pandemic so it must be possible to succeed.
Dice & a Slice was closed for some time, we were worried they wouldn't make it! with the covid restrictions they put in, you can do dnd in there now (though I suspect it would suck a bit as you'd have to shout over the screens!)
Hello – I’m new here and I’m after advice and opinions.
We have a shop, Happy Piranha, in Truro (Cornwall, UK) selling board games, gadgets and quirky gifts. What we really want to do is open a gaming cafe, somewhere cool to hang out with like-minded people.
This is a project for the future obviously, we are closed at the moment with the coronavirus situation. I wondered what people might want from a gaming cafe? And what they wouldn’t want? What sort of things would you want to see provided in the 'cafe' side of the business? Would you consider paying a membership fee or prefer to pay a small fee per visit?
All feedback greatly appreciated! Also, we are thinking of trying to fund it via Kickstarter. We have a much smaller campaign on Kickstarter at the mo, some D & D inspired scented candles (we make our own candles here above the shop) just to help us understand how it works. Has anyone done anything via Kickstarter? Did it work out well for you? Any pitfalls to avoid?
(Apologies if this is the wrong place to put this)
There is one in my area and it's a lot of fun. They have hundreds of games and the staff is knowledgeable about them. They can help teach new games. It's $5 to enter and you can stay and play as long as you want. They have normal bar food and drinks. They also have various events in a separate room for DND and other similar things.
I can tell you what I would love, a gaming area with one of those expensive monitor table. Call it the premium room, to game their you pay extra. Use the monitor to display maps and other stuff. It costs a grand or two, but I can see it being a HUGE draw. Why should a Sports bar be the only kind with a big TV?
I recommend doing market research first to ascertain whether there is a strong enough local demand to make your business plan viable. Since the concept is relatively novel, I would start with making a note of all the local arcades, karaoke, movie theaters, and similar businesses where customers spend a few hours on the premises for entertainment. I highly recommend visiting a few of those places in person yourself so you can check out what they look like inside, see what their prices and payment options are, how they operate in general, and so on. You also want to count how many customers visit each place per week to get an idea of how many potential customers you may see per day. I also would not discount adult entertainment oriented businesses like bars, hookah lounges, strip clubs, etc., and I recommend visiting a few of them as you may be able to gleam additional ideas and perspectives that visiting a family friendly business might not be able to provide. For example, a manager or owner of a bar have much more experience dealing with rowdy customers and other unfavorable situations, so having a chat with them may give you a better idea of how to handle things if an emergency comes up.
For the payment options themselves, I recommend having a variety of options at first to test out which revenue model works best for you. You also do not have to stick with only one option if multiple options work. I think membership and pay-per-visit are both worth trying out, and if both work, then keep both! For the pay-per-visit option, there are a variety of ways to go about it, such as paying per individual, group, room, table, hour, half-hour, etc., or some kind of combination of them. I personally prefer pay-per-visit, and I like paying per individual, room/table, half-hour, or a combination of them. For example, you can try charging a table for $15 per hour, which sounds pretty reasonable, or you can reduce the table rental price and maybe add a fee per person at the table to offset the lower rent price.
Due to the current pandemic, you may also want to consider renting out and delivering a package of minis, dies, and a gridded battle mat to people at home to play D&D and other tabletop RPGs, and it might be a good way for beginners to try TTRPGs out for the first time without committing to a high upfront cost. Minis, dies, and mats seems to be relatively easy to sanitize by spraying them with alcohol and wiping them down. I would also refer customers to print out D&D's System Reference Document at home or offer to print it out for them on request if they do not have a printer; if they have internet access, you can also recommend them to use D&D Beyond for convenience and to save on paper. If they really like the package, you can also tell them to notify you if they wish to buy the entire package during the rental period so you can avoid having to take the package back and reduce potential viral exposure.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
I would also offer to have a weekly or monthly pickup Adventure League game where you can just reserve a spot an hour or so before and show up with an Adventure League approved character and just play. Some people would love to just show up when they have the time, but do not have the time for a weekly game.
There is one about 45 minutes from where I live that does what you’re talking about doing. Most of their customers play Magic but they have a large table that’s set up for D&D that’s used regularly. One thing that they do is they don’t charge a fee to the DM, which I think is a great idea.
Professional computer geek
Tim is right, the DM chooses where to go, you want him to be happy to be there. Especially as he could just play from home.
The DMs at the similar store I play at are actually paid by the establishment. They get $30/session. Tables typically have 5-7 people at $10 each so the place still profits. Players also typically buy food or drinks.
I am familiar with a game cafe in Raleigh, NC. They have a huge library of games and staff that know the rules. Usually the staff member has played the game enough to understand some of the basic strategy of the game. My brother and his family go there, try out a game, and decide whether they might wish to buy it for themselves. I don't know if they have any tables for large groups to play D&D. I would think that would be better in a "private room" but as long as it is a large table and the noise isn't too high then it would be OK. I expect most D&D groups would have to be covered as a "room fee" and set up ahead of time. If three people in the group show up, then they pay for the table. This is where D&D is going to be risky to build your model. I hear that groups under normal conditions don't always meet so you're risking something. Market research is needed at least to understand the costs for rent, utilities, labor and usual business stuff, and then you have to figure out how much you need to get back per customer to make it float. It takes a lot more money and customers than you might think. Good luck.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Double-height tables. A place below for books and food and drink; an elevated part for the battlemats and minis.
You might reach out to the folks at Spielbound in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. They have a gaming library of over 2000 games, and they run a cafe/bar. The cafe/bar is for profit, the library is a non profit. Customers pay $5(US) for a day pass to access the gaming library. Games are played onsite. Repeat customers can also buy month or yearly subscriptions. The for profit cafe supports the cost of the library and other projects of the non profit.
Last I knew, they were not open for in person gaming due to the pandemic. They were doing pickup coffee, etc. And they have a small game store so they were selling games that way. I really hope they make through the pandemic, as its a great place and our family takes mini-vacations there at least twice a year.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
Check your entitlements here. | Support Ticket LInk
A place near me is a regular restaurant and bar, and they have tons of games for the patrons to play. Pick a game and play it. You can also buy games and puzzles as well as stuff like dice and minis. They survive on the food and drink-they don’t charge you to play or meet there. My group plays there once a week on Sundays. We’re regulars and sit in the same spot, etc. I think the DM eats free or at least with a hefty discount. I always try to order something, but if I just get a soda or something I try and buy something. Support the local game store thing. It’s a great concept, but I would echo others and say that you better research it or better yet find someone to work with that knows how to run an actual restaurant or you’ll never last. I’m hoping they survive the virus. They’re doing carry out but we’re all waiting to go back and play on site.
Hate to say it but a lot of places are going to be forced to have a 6ft rule between people for a while.
So your tables have to be set up so that there are barriers that can be removed eventually. Plexiglass is fine and.. well in my state we are asked to wear face masks. Which most do.
Don't open a shop until you can meet the requirements.
Lot of things to think about - thank you all for your feedback;-)
I'd consider reaching out to some local businesses and see if there's possibility for a partnership somewhere, even just as an informal consultant. I think a lot of the gaming cafes I've heard of were more of a cafe that offers games rather than a game store that expanded into a cafe. Not that it can't be done, but you will want someone with knowledge and experience of the local eateries. I think they could provide some valuable insight. Good luck! I have very much enjoyed the gaming cafes I have visited and I hope you can bring that experience to a new audience.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Hi, I think you should go for it. But I am no expert.
Like any business you will need to dedicate to a lot of time and effort but it seems to be a growing market.
We have one here in Ilfracombe. Mac and Carole will probably give you advice and warn you of risks but they've made it through the worst of this pandemic so it must be possible to succeed.
Resurrected thread, unfortunately HappyPiranha haven't been active on here since May last year. If anyone local sees this post though, then there is a café open called Geek Retreat in Truro. I can't recommend as I haven't managed to get there, but am definitely hoping I get the chance at some point.
As someone mentioned, gaming tables with monitors would be awesome. But just as nice would be large maps. My local Costco here in the US sells banners 3 foot by 6 foot banners for $36 each. And with all the official adventure maps available these days, making a good selection would be pretty easy.
Good luck!
Dice & a Slice was closed for some time, we were worried they wouldn't make it! with the covid restrictions they put in, you can do dnd in there now (though I suspect it would suck a bit as you'd have to shout over the screens!)
Also, awesome to see someone local one here!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: My Character is a Werewolf: balanced rules for Lycanthropy!
I have started discussing/reviewing 3rd party D&D content on Substack - stay tuned for semi-regular posts!