Today we’d like to introduce you to George Caceres.
Hi George, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have had a love for gaming (Board games, Video Games, Sports) since I was 10 years old. I have always wanted to open up a game store and when my wife saw the building across the street from her shop become available … we decided to open a board game cafe!
When my wife and I would travel we would head to local game stores and we visited a few that combined food and gaming. We loved the atmosphere the stores created and wanted to do our own version of a board game cafe. We set out to give our customers an inclusive, welcoming and fun experience and that is what we try and do each and every day.
We had no restaurant experience and have had the good fortune to have great employees over the past 3 years who helped us while we learned the restaurant business, Today, I feel the store is an amazing space to meet new friends, connect through boardgames and enjoy the food and drinks 🙂
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, definitely not. The learning curve was pretty steep with aspect to the cafe side. There are sooo many hurdles and regulations to follow, to this day, it is still daunting. Labor is always the biggest struggle and we have learned to be more efficient and understand how to staff properly…though it will most likely always be a struggle.
Cash flow is a struggle and keeping a balanced approach with inventory has been a way to help in that area.
There are always unexpected challenges that pop up…For example, having a huge leak in the foundation of the building during some heavy storms , or having machines break down during our busiest days. There is always a challenge waiting to test you.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Game n’ Grounds?
I would say we are more of a Third space than anything else. We strive to make people feel welcomed and comfortable while providing a space to connect though board gaming and food.
We hold many community events, such as, Open Mic night, Trivia Night, Paint and Sip, Game design nights and many more. While we are a business and need to earn income to continue our business model…we start by thinking of our community first and ask for their involvement when planning and holding events.
We are very proud of close relationships that have blossomed over the years…with all of our team members and customers at Game n’ Grounds
We have a wide selection of board games and we can teach you how to play them! We have a great food menu that is very tasty, as well as, delicious coffee.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I would say that risk is in every decision you make during your life. Each choice can seem scary when weighing the consequences and even the rewards of a choice, but I believe that whatever choice you make is simply a choice you have made. Worrying about if it was a good one or bad one doesn’t make sense…the choice was made….now it would be up to you to learn from that choice (positive or negative) and improve upon that choice to align with your goals.
You may lose something in choosing, but most of time you will, or are able to, get back that thing you might have lost…ie money, or a decline in friendships
Just make the choice to the best of your ability and figure out how to continue to make better choices as you move along
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gamengrounds.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gamengrounds/
