Eater-tainment: Andrew Coppolino explores board game dining

It's the "eatertainment" industry.

Not a typical restaurant, these businesses pair food with entertainment ranging from sports to movies, music to board games.

The concept has become popular in Waterloo region and Wellington County the last few yearsand the formula is simple: You visit the caf, buy a pass to stay or play a board game for a few dollars, and have a bite to eat and a drink.

Board game cafs blossomed in Korea and soon became popular in Canada. Snakes and Lattes, with its witty moniker, opened about a decade ago in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood. It was the first in North America and the concept has continued to grow, according to Ryan Leandres who, with Kate Cox, owns Kitchener's Adventurer's Guild Board Game Caf and Tavern.

"It's huge. Board games are a veritable sub-culture unto themselves right now and going strong," Leandres said.

Their cafhasabout 1,000 board games and retro video games.

"The idea is that you come in, you pay $5 and you have access to basically everything we have in the store. You can play all day, any amount of games. That $5 is basically your 'day pass,'" he said.

Creative menus

That's the process at board game cafs in general, but you can't ignore the food. Much of it is themed to board game culture.

Ithas to be simple fare and it's often created in the absence of a full commercial kitchen.

So with a sandwich press, toaster-oven and slow cookeryou'll find panini, wraps and sandwiches like pulled pork grilled cheese.

Inventiveness trumps culinary equipment dish names include"The Unicorn Hug" (drink), "The Leaky Cauldron" (soup)or "The Tri-Force of Courage" (spicy chicken).

Inspired by games

Felix Obrascovs atThe Roundtable in Guelph saidthe business is divided into a licensed board-game restaurant seating 50 people and a retail store. It costs $5 to play, but if you spend $10 on food or drink, the game cover charge is waived.

Tapas-style dishes have been inspired by games, films and stories on a themed menu, and busy nights will see a majority of customers buy a full dinner and beverage, Obrascovssaid.

"We have appetizers and finger foods as well as sandwiches, wraps and pizza. All the menu items have some sort of pop culture reference. Many are made in a way that's easy to eat and aren't greasy," he said.

The Boardroom in Guelph boasts a sandwich called "Sweet Elvis" that is peanut butter, banana, bacon and honey.

With its epigrammatic wit, the Watchtower Restaurant near the University of Waterloo has a larger commercial kitchen serving fries and burgers with names like "Druid" and "Cleric," and a dessert called "Rowena Ravenclaw's Skillet Cookie."

Located on King Street North near University Avenue in Waterloo, The Crossroads Board Game Cafalso serves food, including sweet deserts, teas and coffees.

Ready, set, snack

Snack foods are a hit and board game players, apparently, like their sweet snacks,Leandressaid. It's why they have a candy plate on their menu so people can snack and play easily.

But whatever it is, the food is key to the success of the business. Leandres calculates revenues as about one-thirdeach from game cover charges, food and beverages.

Games on Tap Board Game Cafin Waterloo sums up the experience at the top of their website with food as the first priority: "Eat. Drink. Play." Sean Wilson, who co-owns the businesswith JeanetteMenezes, estimatesabout 80 per cent of their customers will buy something to eat.

"It's very important," Wilson said.

"We have longer sitting times than a regular restaurant, so a lot of people tend to be here for three hours or more. It's important to generate some sales during that time. Ideally, we hope that people have something to eat and drink."

While dishes must be inexpensive and quick to prepare, stability and neatness is important. The food can't be too fussy and can't drip onto the games; beverages might come in heavy-based vessels so they aren't easily tipped over. And space is at a premium: the table is set with board game paraphernalia, and the food sits on the periphery.

Form can match function.The ingenious physical menu created by Leandres at Adventurer's Guild is a triptych that sits on the table for Dungeons and Dragons (see photo above).

On the inside are rules and any details that the dungeon master needs to conceal, and on the outside the menu advertises the food for the other players to see.

"While the Dungeon Master has the screen up that he has to refer to, the players see the menu splayed out in front of them in all its glory," Leandressaid.