I'm opening a gaming store!

Here’s a few in progress pictures. It’ll be more exciting Monday when fixtures are up and product is going on shelves. New floor is going in today too:

@Vesper good luck with the new store! If I’m ever in the Denver area I’ll be sure to stop by and buy something.

Best of luck @Vesper . I wish I lived in the Denver area.
Looks like you’ve got a busy next 9 days!

Ah, yes. The beauty of owning a Brick and Mortar business is you get to clean the bathroom.

Good luck.

Good Luck @Vesper. It should be an interesting adventure, I hope you keep us updated on how it all goes. Like several others here, I toyed around with the idea of opening a game store back in the late '90s/early '00s.

Here in Seattle, it seems like the successful ones (meaning: shopes that have survived the advent of online stores) have transitioned to including a cafe portion as an additional revenue stream/draw- it’ll be interesting to see how you fare without that, seeing how it’s become practically standard around here. Meeples Games that was mentioned upthread, Cafe Mox/Mox Boarding House, Raygun Lounge, and a few others all follow this model.

The Mox stores are where I play and shop- they’re amazingly well organized, the staff is diverse (it seems like women are at least 50% in the retail side), clean, and friendly, and the food is passable, if a touch overpriced, something we’re willing to accept since we occupy the table for longer than a normal restaurant when we’re playing in there.

Speaking of that, I’m at the Bellevue location damn near every Tuesday from 5pm onward. We have a long-running group that’s also very friendly to newcomers. Most nights we start in the big open-play room, playing everything from complex euros (Root has been on the table the last few weeks) to lighter fare, and end most nights with a hand of Tichu in the bar. Anyone in the Settle/Bellevue area that wants to come by sometime, let me know! I’ll tell you what to look for to find me/us.

Not about a gaming store, but this thread about running a comic store gave some insight into the challenges of brick-and-mortar retail, way before Amazon has become as ubiquitous as it is now. An entertaining read.

@Vesper will you have an online/ebay sales presence storefront as well? Sales on Boardgamegeek Market too might help not only with sales, but in providing and spreading awareness of your physical presence. If you, for example, had an online storefront, you’'d certainly get my sales for new games.

Vesp if you don’t care, would you please keep sending pictures as you go? I recall my favorite gaming store was “Enterprise 1701” in Winter Park, Florida. I begged my mother to take me there when she could. You know it might still be there…

(sadly this was a while back)

They apparently changed their name to Sci Fi City, but they’re still there, but in a different location.

@Vesper so you have like 4 game stores within 1 to 2 miles of you. What’s your game plan for them?

BTW I think “Hubris Comics” in Boston has --uh – a full customer base.

Do you own any of them?

Yes, his account seems very, very recently created.

Nope I don’t own nor work in that industry. However, I live in Denver, close to that area. I have seen so many stores have opened then close in short order here in town in the last few years.

I am always happy to see new stores open, but always worry when they open so close to the foot prints of other stores. I am just curious what will set him apart is all. I don’t want him to fail at all. As another place to spend gaming dollars and play is great.

Your correct…I saw the grand opening event on Facebook and I got curious. I’ve never heard of The Gaming Goat franchise stores. I did a Google search and it led me here. I saw @Vesper was the new owner, so I am a curious gamer and wondering with so many options in the area what was his plan.

Look I am just honestly curious really. Nothing nefarious or underhanded.

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks!

I’m curious. Most cities don’t have that many game stores, let alone so many that close together. What kind of stores are the others? Card shops? Board games? More minis oriented?