'Board Game Cafe' Opens On Park Slope's Fifth Avenue

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A new kind of cafe on Park Slope's Fifth Avenue will serve up more than coffee — 200 board games more.

Sip & Play, the neighborhood's only board game cafe, officially opened its doors at 471 Fifth Ave. on Thursday.

The coffee shop-turned-gamer's-paradise will let customers rent out time to play board games while sipping on drinks and snacking on its menu. Gamers can choose from the cafe's library of 200 board games — which owner Jonathan Li says is still growing — or bring their own games from home.

"It's just a great way to socialize with friends and have a great time over a board game," Li said. "I've been going to board game cafes ever since high school."

The recent college graduate said that it has always been a dream of his to own his own restaurant or food establishment. He has worked in restaurants throughout the city for the past few years.

So when the 471 Fifth Ave. storefront, which was once a laundromat, opened up, it seemed like the perfect fit to diverge two of his passions, food and gaming, Li said.

He spent the last few months completely revamping the space inside, adding large tables for optimal game play and building out a menu he says offers more than many board game cafes he's frequented.

"I really wanted to revamp what a board game cafe can look like," he said.

Sip & Play will serve espresso-based drinks, sandwiches, hot and cold snacks and bubble tea, he said. The cafe officially opened on Thursday and will be offering a free drink to customers with each game session until Jan. 9.

Li said it will be open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. to start, but might increase its hours on the weekends if there is more of a demand.

The 200-game catalogue of board games available to borrow might also grow, he said. Customers are welcome to make suggestions about games they'd like to see him add.

"We just started so it's still expanding," Li said. "We're always open to new things."

As for how it feels to be in charge of his own place at such a young age, Li said he hopes to be an inspiration to others who might doubt whether they can achieve their dream.

"It's never too early to start something," he said. "It's insane that it's actually tangible and I'm really directing everything. It's a great feeling."