UK board game store Dice Box Café expanding to U.S. with South Bend location
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A local couple is bringing an international game store to the United States, and the very first store will be located in South Bend.
Daniel and Lisa Weimer, who have been lifelong residents in the region, jumped on the opportunity to turn their gaming passions into a business in partnership with Lisa’s best friend, Ruby Soho, and her husband, Angelo Parker, both of whom are professional wrestlers with All Elite Wrestling.
“Ruby’s agent got us in contact with The Dice Box and the relationship developed from there,” Lisa said. “We are trying to get a location Downtown South Bend, trying to bring a fresh breath of life to South Bend.”
After experiencing a board game cafe in Chicago, the Weimer’s were fascinated by the opportunity, especially with Daniel’s culinary background. The Dice Box Café franchise presented the perfect opportunity to pursue board gaming and cooking as business owners.
“We both play board games; it’s what we like to do for fun,” Lisa said. “Daniel’s from a culinary background so it’s kind of the perfect spot for us to open. Two passions come to life.”
In a largely isolated world, picking up board gaming as a hobby is one way Americans across the nation are creating a sense of belonging and community. While players appreciate the convenience provided by digital games, many continue to seek out physical connection opportunities.
“The board game community has taken off in the past 10 years. So there’s a whole world out there of newer board games that I would love to show and teach people,” Daniel said. “One thing about the board gaming hobby is you need people to hang out with and play with you. It’s tough to play by yourself, so the more the merrier.”
Daniel Weimer speaks about the rise in board gaming as a hobby.
After a 22-year career in real estate, University of Notre Dame Alum Mary Couzin started creating her own games and became an independent publisher. When her game, Hollywood’s Reel Scheel, was awarded one of the Top Five Games of the Year by the Chicago Tribune in 1994, Couzin leaned in. Since then, she has been creating connections between gamers and inventors and was the first person in North America to interview Klaus Teuber, the inventor of the board game Catan.
“I use the food industry as an analogy. Just as people have become foodies or at least more interested in trying new types of foods, it is the same in board games,” Couzin said. “What used to be called a hobby market is now a mass market to a measure.”
Daniel Weimer received training in French cuisine from Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas, Nevada, and currently works for a French bistro style restaurant. While the couple does not plan to serve French food at their new location, Daniel noted that the food will be shareable and passable.
“It’ll be more handheld finger foods, stuff you can grab and pass around to your friends as you’re playing a game,” Daniel said. “Nothing fancy, just kind of the stuff that everybody loves. Not quite bar food but appetizers, sandwiches, etc.”
Patrons can expect to find popular games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Jenga at the new cafe and newer hobby board games like Betrayal at the House on the Hill, Mysterium, Scythe, and Smallworld, among others.
Launched in 2018, The Dice Box currently has four locations in the United Kingdom, and the South Bend cafe will be its first international location. On their website, co-founders Stephanie Branch and Trevor Davies said they launched the business to promote offline socialization.
Once their first store is established, the Weimers have plans to expand out. With more than three board games stores in the region, the couple believes the Michiana area is primed for a new board game cafe. Following the UK stores template, the couple expects to charge patrons between $5 – $10 per hour.
“There’s also one very large college in the area and several other small colleges that hopefully we can get some of the college kids out for something that doesn’t involve a crazy bar night,” Daniel said. “There’s definitely a good market for it and it’ll be really nice for people to be able to get together and do something different.”
South Bend made board game history in the early 70s when Sarah Bird and her husband, Ken Peczkowski, opened Griffon Games and Bookstore, popularly touted as the second oldest game store in the nation. Since then, several have popped up across the region including Secret Door Games in Elkhart, Warehouse Comics, Card and Trading in Mishawaka, and Got Game in Plymouth.
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Players at Warehouse Comics, Card and Trading in Mishawaka (photo provided)
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Players at Warehouse Comics, Card and Trading in Mishawaka (photo provided)
The prevalence of these stores speak to continued demand for similar services in the area. Many of these spots also offer food options in addition to core gaming services. Slice and Dice Game Cafe in South Bend, for example, serves pizzas and paninis to patrons in the multiverse of Magic: The Gathering and warriors in Warhammer Killteam’s far-flung worlds.
“Gaming in the area has been steady but it really blew up when COVID happened. Since 2020, the needle just keeps pointing upwards and we’re just getting busier and busier, it’s crazy,” Daniel In, a partner at Warehouse Comics, Card and Trading, said. “We have a crowd of almost 80 players every weekend from the Mishawaka-South Bend area, Elkhart, LaPorte, Kokomo, Benton Harbor and Niles, Michigan.”
In has been in the gaming business for over a decade and first got fascinated by the community when his friends became a part of it. Seeing his friends have a good time at Fantasy Games in South Bend, gave In the idea to go into the gaming business. The addition of the Dice Box Cafe to the region confirms In’s bet on the board game industry.
“Players go where they feel welcome, that’s the most important part so there’s always room for more,” In said. “My advantage is that I treat everyone the same, with respect and love. I just love to see people enjoy themselves.”
Couzin, who is the founder of Chicago Toy & Game Group, attributes the rise in popularity of board game cafes to pioneers like Toronto-based Snakes and Lattes providing a template for others to adopt, the relatively cheap cost of playing and the possibility of brewing romance.
“Board game cafes foster a sense of community and they encourage people to try new games they had not heard of before,” Couzin added. “I know people who have met their spouses at board game cafes. You are able to get to know what someone is about when you see how they ‘play with others’.”
Through her company, Couzin convenes the Chicago Toy & Game Fair and Inventor Events, featuring game inventor pitches, a young inventor challenge and the opportunity for players and inventors to mingle. Now in its 24th year, CHITAG will be held Nov. 9-10.
With the search for a possible location underway, the Weimers anticipate launching the business within the next 12 months.
“We want everybody to be comfortable, it’s going to be super family friendly,” Lisa said. “We want it to be a safe spot for everybody and just a place where somebody can go and play a game and eat some good food and just spend time with people that you love.”