Board game cafes hope to do more than entertain
In a world focused on technology and obtaining the latest gadgets, we find ourselves immersed in a society that lacks social interaction. With phones and other smart devices now serving as personal extensions of ourselves, a Calgary café reverts back to basics when games weren’t on screens but boards.
Dorota Ulkowska and Pascal Espinosa are the owners of Metal Galaxy Bistro, a popular board game cafe that recently opened its doors a second time after relocating
to 4624 Macleod Trail S.W. With a combination of corporate and retail skills, the duo realized Calgary lacked a niche board game cafe market, which has seen success in other Canadian cities, like Toronto, over the past decade. After extensive research that included travelling to Toronto to visit several extremely popular board game cafes, they decided to roll the dice and put into motion the idea of owning a board game cafe while also promoting interpersonal collaboration — a shared passion of theirs.
“I think in general, society has just gone so far away from direct interaction and we need it and we don’t realize it,” says Espinosa. “But I think that people start to reconnect and start playing a board game it’s almost like they’re coming out of their caves and all of a sudden it’s sunlight, right, they are re-emerging and finding out that this is actually really cool, they just forgot about it.”
Ulkowska echoes this observation with firsthand experience watching her kids utilize technology.
Metal Galaxy Bistro isn’t the only board game cafe gaining popularity in Calgary. One may speculate where this resurgence in “simple,” technology-free entertainment comes from, but Espinosa believes that it’s derived from a subconscious human need to socialize.
“I think it’s just a sign that we really need this, and the thing that’s made a big difference is that a lot of the board games that have come out are designed to really promote social interaction, diplomacy, they are not as competitive as they used to be,” says Espinosa. “It’s not as cutthroat like how Monopoly used to be for instance, so it makes it easier for people to have social interactions around the game instead of just focusing on the game. The game is sort of like the tool that gets people together.”
Jeremy and Tara Rose have been frequenting the cafe at both its old and new locations, often bringing their young daughter Ella with them. They believe that another reason the popularity for board games is increasing is because of their affordability.
“It’s a less expensive community that you can get involved with that you don’t have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to do,” says Tara. “It’s a social thing, so it gets you out of your house so you’re not looking at a computer screen 24/7.”
But Espinosa still receives questions about the cafe’s potential because the economy has been hard on other family-run businesses.
“I think we’re a great option for this economy,” he explains. “You know, movies are expensive, going out is expensive and I think we have the more affordable option and I think that we can actually feed on the economy not doing so well because people can come in and play for two to three hours and only pay 10 bucks.”
And he’s right. Metal Galaxy Bistro has been busy since it opened, and after seeing the new space it’s easy to understand why.
The open concept space is colourful. The walls feature punches of orange and red that are contrasted by grey wooden floors and stainless steel finishes. Well-organized board games line the walls beside glass displays that feature popular game figurines. The roar of laughter and chatter erupts from people of all ages as they shuffle decks and strategize their next move. And the staff is friendly when answering questions from patrons, a skill learned from Espinosa.
And with Ulkowska’s mother behind the cafe counter taking orders while Pascal chats with his regulars, the environment shows why people have followed this business to its new location.
Along with affordability, the cafe also features several unique factors. These include Magic: The Gathering custom decks that Espinosa creates himself; alongside a full retail store and board game library that allows patrons to order any game on the market.
But Tyler McIntyre, another longtime patron of Metal Galaxy Bistro, says the real reason the cafe stands apart is because of Pascal.
Ulkowska hopes all patrons leave the cafe feeling better than when they came in and they created memorable new experiences.
“I want them to remember the experience that they had playing a particular game, laughing like mad, or learning something about the other person, the experience, that’s what I want them to remember.”
Thumbnail image by Kate Holowaty
The editor responsible for this article is Jodi Brak, jbrak@cjournal.ca