Inside Offline Board Game Cafe. (Image: Cherise Letson/ Huddle Today)
A board game cafe that opened about a year ago in uptown Saint John is closing due to the economic fallout of COVID-19.
Offline Board Game Cafe announced Thursday via its Facebook page that it would be closing for good.
The cafe opened in July 2019 at 98 Prince William Street after many roadblocks, including securing financing, extensive renovations and a fire upstairs. Owner Susan Pass said in the Facebook post that just before the pandemic hit, the business finally reached a secure point.
“Then March happened,” the post reads. “We had finally reached a point where I felt like our heads were above water again and the future looked certain and bright. We had many events booked and a deck planned for the record-breaking cruise season. We had enough schools for our lunch program to carry us through after the summer and the promise of many holiday events. We had reached a point of momentum that would secure us.”
“We have reached the inevitable an unwavering conclusion that we are unable to continue to wait out a turn-around. This is not a decision I take lightly nor is it one I didn’t fight tooth and nail to avoid.”
RELATED: Offline Board Game Cafe Opens New Uptown Location
Pass said they will announce plans in the coming days and weeks about the sale of any stock and fixtures. Any outstanding gift cards are redeemable for retail online until July 10th. She said members will receive details of compensation.
“I appreciate and love the hell out the community and encourage you to support local as much as you possibly can during this time and always,” the post concluded.
Read the full post below:
Hello friends.For over 3 1/2 years Offline has been a massive chunk of my heart and my life. When faced with the…
Posted by Offline Board Game Cafe on Thursday, June 25, 2020
Fans of the cafe and members of the Saint John business community expressed their sadness about the closure in the post’s comments.
“You should be incredibly proud of your work, and also of the results, even though this is such a heartbreaking ending,” commenting Dan Culberson. “You made something incredibly unique and brought a load of joy and built a true community in this stinky little city. Go boldly into your next adventure, whenever it reveals itself.”
“So sorry to hear the news, Susan,” wrote David Alston, owner of Timber Top Adventures. “I know these decisions are not easy as you built up such a great community of friends around your business. We are here if you need any help or support.”
This story was originally published in Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
