Roti closed in September.
Reporting error: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Ben Epstein’s place of residence. He is from Baltimore. The article has been updated to reflect this change.
Like other college alumni who lived in university housing, Brian McClimens and Ben Epstein remember fun nights with their friends hanging out on the sixth floor of Ellicott Hall.
But those nights weren’t all filled with raucous partying — instead, all they needed was a board game.
“We play plenty of computer games ourselves, but board games face-to-face offers something that those don’t,” said Epstein, a 34-year-old from Baltimore. “When you sit down and play a board game, you can play when talking about life.”
So when they open their new board game coffeehouse under The Varsity this spring, McClimens and Epstein hope to foster that old-school human interaction through something as simple as a rowdy game of Cards Against Humanity or a Monopoly tournament. Last week, the two signed their lease to construct The Board and Brew in the former site of both Roti Mediterranean Grill and YoLove Frozen Yogurt.
The concept is simple: Patrons will walk into the venue and browse bookcases filled with 500 to 1,000 different board games. Then they can play with friends for as long as they want, paying a $2.50 hourly fee for the first three hours — it’s free after that — and order specialty coffees, teas and small entrees if they choose.
The concept is similar to a Washington bar called the Board Room, except The Board and Brew will be set up like a coffeehouse and will be open in the early morning for breakfast. The owners hope it will be a place for students and residents to come at any time of day for the games and their “American fusion” soups, panini, salads and more.
Though families will be welcome — McClimens and Epstein plan to have games such as Hungry Hungry Hippos and games geared toward an older crowd — the owners’ primary targets are college students and people in their 20s and 30s. The venue will serve beer and wine, but the owners hope it will serve as an alternative to bars.
The two university alumni had been talking about opening the venue to fill a vacancy in the College Park entertainment scene, McClimens said. A former city venue called The College Park located up Route 1 used to hold open mic nights and other lower-key entertainment, and when it closed, it “left a bit of a hole in College Park for the arts and music scene,” Epstein said.
The Board and Brew’s owners hope to fill that niche, holding weekly open mic events and trivia nights. They also plan to hold occasional tournaments for games such as chess or Settlers of Catan. On special occasions, they might bring in live entertainment. On weekdays, The Board and Brew will open at 7 a.m., and they’ll open at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The establishment will stay open until 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
McClimens and Epstein said they plan to open The Board and Brew in two stages. They aim to open the first half in the former site of Roti in late January and the second half a few months later. It will take them a while to knock down the middle wall and reconstruct the side that formerly housed YoLove, Epstein said. But eventually, they want to build a back room on that side that groups can rent for a night.
Part of the reason for having a larger venue is to accommodate people staying longer than they would at a typical restaurant or coffeehouse, the owners said. They’re in the process of buying games from warehouses and collecting donations.
“I think part of the reason we came out with what we did is there are plenty of places that are gaming shops … but they’re really just a game store that has some people come in and play games,” Epstein said.
Instead, the owners want to the venue to develop a community-like feel, Epstein said, with events such as a singles’ night.
College Park Economic Development Coordinator Michael Stiefvater said he thought the restaurant could do well because of its placement near Looney’s Pub and its different atmosphere from the Route 1 bars. He expects it to draw families and professionals in addition to the college crowd.
“If I lived in College Park, I would go,” Stiefvater said. “The Board Room in D.C. draws a merry crowd; I think it’s something adults could go to. During the day, you can bring kids, have lunch and play board games.”
Junior geographical sciences major Nyana Quashie said she liked the concept but was skeptical about its popularity among students.
“It’s a good idea; it’s a fun alternative place to go to if you’re interested in hanging out with friends and having a game night, a fun night,” Quashie said. “But I don’t see how that’s much different from hanging out in an apartment or something like that, besides for the food.”
She said the prices — $7.50 a person for three hours or more — were cheaper than the movies but recommended the venue offer specials such as free games if customers bought food or drinks.
For the owners, coming to College Park is a homecoming and their first startup venture. It’s the kind of place they said they would have wanted to visit when they were in school.
“We have board games that last half an hour, others that last three hours,” McClimens said. “Even if you don’t consider yourself a gamer, if you don’t know what kind of game you’d like, there’s something there for everyone.”
