A new board game shop, Snakes and Lattes, is coming to University Boulevard in August. Unlike other board game shops, this one has a bar.
Snakes and Lattes will have brunch, lunch and dinner options along with at least 12 taps for craft beer.
“We want to be open when the University of Arizona classes commence,” said Aaron Zack, current Snakes and Lattes employee.
Snakes and Lattes has a large library of games you can take back to your table to play, and if you want to know about them, you can talk to any of the “game gurus.”
“[Game gurus] are staff members trained specifically in teaching and recommending games,” Zack said. “We continually run education and training with our game gurus to ensure they are up to date on new titles in our library. With that said, we also employ a sticker system to help guests navigate the library.”
According to Zack, green stickers are for straightforward games that are easy to teach. Yellow stickers are used to denote games that are a little tougher to set up and may require the game gurus. Red stickers are used to signify games that have an advanced set up and help from the gurus is not promised given the time of day and how many people are in the building.
Snakes and Lattes will have large room events, trivia and even an event called Draft and Draught for people looking to play Magic the Gathering while exploring their exciting drink options.
“Expect exciting new takes on classics, including our famous Nutella Latte, alongside the ‘game-ification’ of our bar with things like our D20 shooter program, in which guests roll a D20 and end up with whatever shooter they land on,” Zack said.
Nathaniel Fields, operations manager and outreach coordinator for Amazing Discoveries, said there are a couple of benefits that local game shops have over big box retailers.
“Small stores like ourselves offer specialized insight so you can figure out if this is the right thing for you,” Fields said. “Even if we haven’t played the game ourselves, we know how to look for reviews and figure out if this the right game for you instead of just clicking on a button and hoping.”
According to Fields, board games are becoming more mainstream. There is a larger library unlike “20-30 years ago, [when] it was monopoly, chess and risk.”
Amazing Discoveries has a test wall with over 100 games people can come in and try any time. Local game stores have the ability to order board games through its distributors to get access to games people may have a hard time finding. They also host a space to play miniature-based games like Dungeons and Dragons or Warhammer 40K.
Adam Puckle, a contributor to the event Feed the Fun, which raises board game awareness, took a visit to Isles of Games to look for board games for his event at the Community Food Bank, 3003 S. Country Club Rd., on July 11.
“Shops like these are extremely important,” Puckle said. “We have lost a little trust in technology with Facebook and twitter being a little poisonous. People want to sit down and connect face to face.”
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