Photo: Janet Penny
by Janet Penny
Over 900 board games and the Candy Land platter are two of the most compelling reasons to visit Monopolatte, Ottawa’s first board game café.
Located at 40 Somerset Street W., and open seven days a week, this Centretown business is bringing old-fashioned board games back to the table.
Owner David Narbaitz left a government job as a mechanical engineer to start this small business. “People want to have fun, and we provide that,” says Narbaitz.
He and his 10 part-time staff know the rules for up to 700 board games. “We try to match a game to the personality,” assessing whether competitive, cooperate, team building or communication games are the best fit for the players.
Number of players and time constraints are two more factors to consider when choosing a game.
Monopolatte is attracting people of all ages from across the city who want to spend an afternoon or evening playing. Larger groups come to celebrate birthdays, work events and as team building exercises.
A group of seniors are bussed in once a week from a local residence, with some members making use of the wheelchair accessibility.
Evolution in games selection is achieved by staying updated on the latest releases listed on the website BoardGameGeek.com.
An annual board game award competition is another way to learn about new games on the market.
Comfort foods to snack on include grilled cheese (try the the extra cheesy Parcheesei), a hummus platter, panini, vegan and gluten-free options, as well as drinks and desserts. Ten different types of beer, as well as a “new-to-the-market, always local” mystery beer, are ready to be served.
Running a small enterprise on a limited budget requires doing things yourself. Narbaitz says, “You need to be at almost a professional level for things you take on.” That includes menu development and management. He does his own bookkeeping after “taking a few accounting classes.” Trial and error is the only way to find out how to move the business forward.
After only two years in business, marketing is fine-tuned. A solid following on Facebook and the use of Twitter are effective tools, but “only for social media followers” warns Narbaitz. The limited effects and expense of paid advertising make it inaccessible to most small businesses. Promotion of Monopolatte is primarily by word of mouth .
Being self-employed is “fantastic . . . I love that people leave happy,” states the owner. He believes that his business is noticeably improving the community. The biggest difficulty in opening and running the enterprise has been communicating with different government agencies when responses are not always clear or timely. As well, the sheer amount of things needing to be done can be daunting.
At Monopolatte, there is a board game for everyone. A five dollar cover charge is all it takes to get in the door, where shelf after shelf of games are waiting to be played.