This is not a joke: Cards Against Humanity has plans to open a Chicago Board Game Cafe early next year in Logan Square.
Located inside the Margie’s Candies building at 1965 N. Milwaukee Ave., the cafe will feature a full restaurant and bar with board games, a shop and an escape room in the basement. But don't worry, organizers said, Margie's "isn't going anywhere."
“We’ve been making games for almost 10 years now, and we’ve seen that games, food, and theater have an incredible capacity to bring people together and create community,” Cards Against Humanity co-creator Max Temkin said in a statement. “It has been our dream for a long time to do a really ambitious version of a game cafe and share it with people. We hope it doesn’t fail in an embarrassing fashion.”
The cafe will feature a "bank vault" that has been converted into a library with more than 300 game options for guests to check out, including the ever-popular Cards Against Humanity. "Game teachers" will "help guests find the right game to fit their experience level and interests, and help them learn how to play," according to the cafe.
“The gaming scene isn’t necessarily known for being the most welcoming or inclusive community, but we really want to turn that on its head,” Eric Garneau, the cafe’s director of games and retail, said in a statement. “We think that games are for everyone, and we’re really excited to teach people their first board game, or run their first D&D campaign.”
At 14,000 square feet, the cafe dubbed itself the city's first "full-service board game cafe."
Reservations opened Wednesday and escape rooms are already booking reservations for January through March of next year.
Local
“I think part of the reason board games are having a renaissance right now is that people are really atomized and alienated and lonely,” Temkin said. “I remember when I moved to Chicago after college how hard it was to connect with a community and find my people, and my dream is to make that easier for people in the future.”
Perhaps it will be a good place to host a "disappointing birthday party."
