By Kendrick Brown
By serving food and games, Benjamin Epstein and Brian McClimens have filled what they considered College Park’s entertainment void since 2014.
Located at 8150 Baltimore Ave., The Board and Brew is co-owned by University of Maryland alumni Epstein and McClimens alongside fellow alumnus Michael Chmar, who joined the business in 2017.
“From our experience going to school at UMD, we always felt that there were not enough places of community and places to get together that weren’t bars,” Epstein said.
Epstein and McClimens opened a cafe and separated it from the competition by offering games for their patrons to enjoy with their food and drink.
At The Board and Brew, customers can come in and play any game for $6.
According to Epstein, more than 900 games occupy a large shelf in the middle of the cafe; rows divide them by category, with the store’s variety ranging from deduction games — which test problem-solving skills — to deck-building games, which focus on assembling the best card combinations to defeat opponents.
“[We have] plenty of options for everyone to find something they will enjoy,” Epstein said.
If someone is having a hard time learning how to play a game, the cafe has staffers called “Game Gurus” ready to help.
These Game Gurus are an important piece of The Board and Brew experience, as they help limit many games’ barriers of entry and allow every player, from the casual to the experienced, to have fun during their stay.
Games are only one piece of the puzzle, as patrons come for the food and drinks as well.
Chmar, who has an extensive history in the food service industry, creates every recipe and menu for the cafe.
There’s an emphasis on their drink menu, which includes a variety of coffees and teas, but The Board and Brew also sells bottled soft drinks, milkshakes and a variety of alcoholic beverages.
The cafe also has breakfast, lunch and dinner and dessert menus.
Xavier Butler, a frequent customer, noted the atmosphere and the good food and drinks as the reasons he keeps coming back. Other customers, such as Lillian Hill, a freshman psychology major, agreed.
“I came here for the first time with some friends a couple of nights ago, and it was just really fun because I had never heard of the concept of games, but also while you’re eating, too,” Hill said.
General Manager Riley Windley said guests can feel the care put into every aspect of the business, whether it be the game selection, the food and drinks or even just the general service.
“Care makes such a big difference in everything,” Windley said.
Featured image: The sign at the entrance of the local Board and Brew cafe. Photo by Monique James.