Rachel Marwedel
Website Manager
If you’ve just moved to Pocatello, you might be surprised to find out it has a thriving gaming culture. From esports to anime stores to trading card tournaments, there’s a niche for everyone. Now joining the ranks is a brand new board game café, The Gamery.
Eight years ago, Sierra Bezdeka was looking for a new podcast to listen to during her commute. She was scrolling through the list when she saw a new show called Critical Role (Heard of it?). After listening to a few episodes, she called up her mom and said, “I think you’d really like this, too.”
“I was turned into a nerd because of that,” Dana told me while laughing. Dana Bezdeka is the owner and operator of The Gamery. “We would watch it long distance together. “
“Yeah, that totally made her into a nerd,” Sierra chimed in.
The mother-daughter duo are the force behind the new board game café. Dana’s other daughter, Casey, who runs the speech therapy clinic next door, wasn’t able to join us for the interview. However, she also played a crucial role in the café’s opening. So, how did becoming a nerd turn into opening a board game café?
“I had already… liked board games and that kind of thing, played board games all the time in college,” Sierra told me. “I spent the past year living in New Zealand, and board game cafés are already a thing there. I went to a few in Auckland, and then I went to one in Wellington…”
Eventually, “I was like, wow, this has become where I’m spending all of my time. All of the people I hang out with are at these things a few days a week. This is an amazing concept.” And just like the fateful conversation about Critical Role, Sierra got on the phone and told her mom about it.
“So, you know, eventually [my mom] came out to visit me, and she visited the cafés and was like, wow, these are great.” Sierra told me. And during Dana’s visit, she had an epiphany. “[I thought to myself] I bet this is what Pocatello needs.”
She explained her reasoning: In high school, she and her friends would get together and walk around Fred Meyer. Just to do something in the evening. “What do you do after 8 p.m. in Pocatello? You can’t even go on a walk in the mall anymore. You need a spot where you can go after school, or you can go in the evenings and just hang out and play games. And feel safe. And just be in a cozy space. Nothing fits the bill better than a board game café.”
But there was just one issue with Dana’s brilliant idea – every board café in New Zealand served alcohol. And there was no way that was going to happen in Pocatello. “I knew [the chances of] getting a license here would be slim to none.” Would people still come if she couldn’t serve alcohol?
So Dana began doing a bit of her own market research. “I’d hang out in game stores and Walmart and anywhere that they were selling board games and just listen to the people that were looking at games.” She’d go up to them and ask, “If there was a place to play games in Pocatello, would you like that idea?” To her surprise, almost everyone answered: “Yes, is there one?”
Dana laughed as she recounted her story, “I would just tell them, ‘Soon. It’s coming.’”
And soon it came. After a year of hard work renovating the interior of the space, Dana, Casey, and Sierra celebrated the grand opening of the café last month. “I’ve met so many nice people who are so enthusiastic… people have been so excited.”
As with any new business, it’s been a bit of a slow start. However, Dana’s hopeful it’ll pick up as time goes on and word gets passed around. “I didn’t do anything official [for marketing]. I probably didn’t do it business-wise correctly. But the demographic of people this is aimed towards tend to be interwoven with each other. Like you play board games with a group who plays board games with another group whose friends know a friend, who knows a buddy. They all share, and then you’re getting the people you want in here anyway.”
The café held its first event a few weeks ago – a jigsaw puzzle competition. “It was a huge success. We sold out… What an unexpected surprise to just have this place full of puzzlers. It was so cool to see all the seats filled and what the place could be. So that’s going to start being a monthly occurrence.”
In addition to puzzle competitions, Dana would eventually like to do something weekly. First, though, “I have to figure out what the people want!”
Both public and private events play a huge role in the café. Parties can rent out a table, a room, or even the entire café. If you’re thinking this a great place to hold Dungeons and Dragons sessions, you’d be right. There’s even a custom table made just for that.
It’s also a great place for work parties or team-building activities. “Nothing tests relationships like board games!” Dana joked.
The café is unique from other game stores in the area. “I didn’t want to compete with any of [the other stores].” Unlike popular game stores like Gate City Games or Nerd Church, the café isn’t retail. They’re not trading card-based, or Warhammer-based, or video games-based. “It’s very much its own little niche.”
The Gamery has a collection of around 150 games, with a fairly large variety. It hosts everything from the classics (Monopoly and Risk) to fan favorites (Settlers of Catan and Dominion) to up-and-comers. In fact, Dana was part of the Kickstarter for a New Zealand-made game and became one of the top 12 supporters. Dana also plans to acquire 2 to 3 new games a month, depending on suggestions.
The café serves mostly snacks and drinks, with a few specialty mocktails. If you read my other column, Mocktail Monday, you’ll know I was very excited to try her creations. I had a power potion, which is a sparkly blue concoction that comes in a potion bottle. Delicious and adorable!
Dana’s a retired public health nurse who works two days a week, giving her enough flexibility to run the café. The Gamery is open 5-10 p.m. on Thursday, 5-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 12-5 p.m. on Sunday. It’s located at 611 Wilson STE 3A, Pocatello. That’s in the Wilson Plaza building right next to Dollar Tree.
Day passes are $5 for adults, $4 for students, and $25 for a group of six. They also offer monthly and yearly memberships, as well as a 4-month semester pass for college students only. If you’re looking for something a bit more flexible (or a last-minute gift idea!), there is also the option of a 10-visit pass.
If you’ve never visited a board café before, no worries! There are signs everywhere explaining the process, and Dana is more than happy to show you around. There’s no limit on how long you can stay, so feel free to relax and enjoy a good game (or three).
While Dana was showing me around, she pulled out several games and exclaimed over one game with particularly beautiful art: “Oh my gosh! So beautiful! They’re fun, and they’re pretty, and they’re… Games are great!”
Walking into The Gamery warms you up the second you enter. It’s a great place to while away a chilly winter, or cozy up on a group date. If you’re looking for something to do in Pocatello, why not check out The Gamery? After all, Dana said it best: games are indeed great!
