Fostering community through board games, interactions, fun

Sue Grossardt

Contributor

July 29, 2024

GREEN BAY – Monopoly, Life, Risk, Sorry, Scrabble, Candy Land – most folks have, at one time or another, played all these board games.

Others, such as Wingspan, Dixit and Senjutsu: Battle for Japan, are favorites of some of the more advanced enthusiasts.

Regardless of the game, one local entrepreneur is taking the experience of playing to a new level in Green Bay at the Table Talk Board Game Cafe (100 S. Broadway).

“We are a welcoming space where individuals can gather to enjoy playing their favorite board games with loved ones or discover new games while connecting with others,” Manager Deion Xiong said. “We foster a sense of community and fun.”

Xiong said he has always loved playing board games – oftentimes, diving deep into the strategy and spirit of competition with his cousins.

The concept for the cafe, he said, originated in his uncle’s basement while he and his cousins were immersed in board games. 

“We play a lot of games, including Dungeons & Dragons (D&D),” he said.

Xiong said his uncle, Thavone Ly, owns the building Table Talk Board Game Cafe is housed in – and he manages The Eggroll Food Truck Restaurant located in the space next to it.

When his uncle offered the space to him to start the cafe, Xiong said he jumped at the opportunity.

The first step in launching the cafe, he said, was research – researching games, trends, playing styles, interests, etc.

Though Xiong has played board games for nearly his entire life, small business ownership was new for him.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in criminal justice, Xiong works as a deputy for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.

Business ownership is a learning process, Xiong said, and understanding customer segments is one part of it.

“(Business ownership) is new to me,” he said. “(It’s interesting) seeing different customers coming in, the type of people who play board games and which games they choose to play.  I enjoy seeing families with their kids. It’s a whole new thing for me running this board game cafe business. I never knew how many people play board games, how many people have board games in their homes or whether they are willing to come out and play.”

Ready to go

Table Talk opened earlier this summer, which Xiong said was perfect timing for visibility.

“The timing has been good with the increased foot traffic we see in the summer, along with people going to the farmers markets Wednesday and Saturday mornings,” he said. 

Xiong said the space, located at the corner of Broadway and Walnut streets, was previously occupied by Maria’s Mexican Restaurant and a pharmacy before that.

To give Table Talk Board Game Cafe a separate vibe from the neighboring restaurant, Xiong said they redesigned the walls and repainted the café. 

Black tablecloths cover the game tables, which he said gives them a professional look.

The café, Xiong said, serves nine flavors of boba tea, milk tea, fruit smoothies and fresh lemonade, as well as various snacks.

Patrons, he said, can also order egg rolls and beverages from The Egg Roll Food Truck side of the building and bring them to the cafe side.

“We’re getting a lot of younger folks and families who come play in groups of four or five, along with couples who stop by for date night,” he said. “They enjoy old-school classic games like Monopoly and Life.”

Xiong said the cafe has various board games that appeal to a wide range of ages and varied interest levels.

“We have the games separated by colored stickers, which represent the number of players and level of difficulty,” he said. “(We have) party games, two-player games, easy-to-learn/children’s games, experienced-gamer games and more advanced games.”

Xiong said he thinks one of the barriers to people playing board games is the time it can take to learn the game.

“That’s where we come in,” he said. “We serve as the game master, which is someone who knows how to play the game and can explain it to the players. This saves people time and maybe frustration so they don’t have to read through all of the directions.” 

Table Talk Board Game Cafe has more than 50 games currently on hand – including the classics like checkers, Monopoly and Clue, along with recent popular games like Pictionary Air Harry Potter, Wingspan, Dixit and Senjutsu: Battle for Japan.

The cost is $5 for three hours of play, with children 16 and under playing for free.

In addition to walk-in participation, Xiong said the cafe hosts special events, including Dungeons & Dragons 101.

“We teach customers what Dungeons & Dragons is all about,” he said. “We also have Disney Trivia Night, D&D One Shots and Bingo Night.” 

Xiong said the cafe is also working on having a game night for youth, where kids can hang out and play various board games – offering them a different experience.

Getting the word out

Xiong said much of the cafe’s advertising has come in the form of social media – Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok.

“Opening our business in the summer is an advantage, and I feel like this time of year is advantageous because kids are not in school and university students wander in,” he said.

Xiong said the foot traffic has served the cafe well as he considers its corner spot a prime location.

“(When potential patrons stop in), it gives us a chance to explain what we are all about,” he said.

Table Talk Board Game Cafe is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 11-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Xiong said the bar crowd tends to come in and hang out later.

Inspiring interaction

Xiong said the main reason he started the business was to have a place where people could interact with each other. 

“I feel like it’s better than being on your phone,” he said. “(We want to create a spot) where it’s nice to come and relax, learn while playing a board game, hang out and talk strategy.” 

Xiong said he envisions the cafe connecting with the business community down the road. 

“I would like to see businesses bring their staff here and hold employee events with the board games being the ‘ice breaker’ for team bonding,” he said.

Check out Table Talk Board Game Cafe on Facebook or Instagram for more information.