You can visit Gamerz Café in Montreal’s West Island over 100 times and still never play the same game.
“We have an entire wall of board games and I consider our collection to be a small one,” said Nik Bakhshalian, co-owner of the store, which has been located in Pierrefonds since 2018.
The family friendly café allows you to play Monopoly, Sorry, Jenga, and Connect Four all in one visit — something that Bakhshalian has always wanted to make possible in the West Island.
“It’s been a dream of mine,” he said. “To be able to come, sit, play the game, and not necessarily have to purchase a $50 to $60 board game that (customers) weren’t sure they were going to like.”
“My first experience at Gamerz Café was like I’ve already been there a thousand times before,” said Darcy Deegan, a Gamerz customer who also calls herself a “connaisseur of cafés.”
“I was greeted so warmly and was welcomed immediately.”
Dario Camerino, Gamerz Café’s retail manager, is one of the employees who welcomes customers. He sees this as an interesting experience since he once used to be a customer himself.
“I was nervous and excited. It felt surreal,” said Camerino, reminiscing about his first day working for Gamerz.
Beecher Pinet, another Gamerz customer, considers the shop to be “super comfortable.”
“The staff is friendly and helpful,” said Pinet. “There’s a lot to love about (it). The food is amazing, especially the milkshakes.”
From salted caramel pretzel milkshakes to their “Monopoly Bowl,” the café is known for its original menu. However, their delights are off limits since their kitchen is closed due to decreased sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“COVID came at a really bad time,” said Bakhshalian. “December, January, February, we had our best months…It took two years to build then as soon as we were good it kind of all came crashing down.”
Camerino agrees that the health crisis been difficult on the store.
“We’re doing the best we can to make a positive and safe experience for our community and customers,” he said.
After the months-long closure due to the pandemic, Deegan visited Gamerz when customers were allowed back in the summer.
“I’m impressed with the measures the staff has taken to ensure their customers safety,” she said. “(They’re) still making it a comfortable place to be.”
Those measures include hand sanitizing, wearing a mask, keeping a two-metre distance between tables, and cleaning the board games after every use.
Bakhshalian explained that his team created a board game rental service for people who don’t feel comfortable playing at the café.
“They can take the game home then bring it back after a week,” he said.
Finding a way to connect
“I’m sharing my passion with people,” said Bakhshalian.
His personal favourite is called “War of the Ring,” a Lord of the Rings based strategy game for two players.
“It takes about four hours to play,” he said. “I don’t get the opportunity to play that often because…you have to find someone who is as crazy as you to sit down and play it.”
Interacting with other players is something that the pair both enjoy.
“Whether it is a simple card game or a complex hour’s long game, there is always a new strategy to learn while interacting with other players,” said Camerino.
Bakhshalian agrees. He believes that everyone thinks differently in a controlled environment.
“One of the funnest things about board games is seeing different personalities interact,” he said.
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Words that Bakhshalian hates to hear are: “Oh, I’m not a big fan of board games.”
“The people that say that have only played Monopoly,” he said. “They don’t know the vast majority of board games that exist out there.”
For Camerino, he has a passion for tabletop games and forging relationships with clients.
“I love teaching these games and interacting with the community,” said Camerino.
Though not as many customers have been visiting Gamerz Café due to the pandemic, Bakhshalian believes that the situation has brought a “boom” to the board game industry in general.
“What I would suggest is pick up a couple of board games and play at home,” he said. “It’s a great way for a family to connect and I thinks that’s kind of what we all need right now.”
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