Fortuna Board Game Cafe in the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City to close at the end of January

Fortuna Board Sport Cafe is closing on the finish of January after greater than a yr in operation in downtown Iowa Metropolis.

The board recreation café, which supplied about 100 video games to select from on the time of its opening, made the announcement on social media Wednesday.

It should shut on Jan. 29.

Justin Ford, proprietor, informed the Iowa Metropolis Press-Citizen that whereas there was nice demand from a small group of individuals for the board recreation café, it wasn’t massive sufficient to warrant staying open.

Consider College of Iowa soccer recreation days or dangerous climate, and there have been much less clients on the café, Ford defined.

Fortuna supplied friends the possibility to play classics like Monopoly or Clue or attempt one thing new. Popcorn and occasional had been accessible for buy.

Ford, an Iowa Metropolis resident, defined that different board recreation cafés function extra like a restaurant.

For instance, Athena Board Sport Cafe in Chicago presents appetizers, sandwiches and milkshakes together with dozens of video games to play. Meepleville in Las Vegas presents pizza, frappuccinos, alcohol and objects to snack on.

Extra:Here is what you will discover at Fortuna, a family-friendly board recreation café opening in downtown Iowa Metropolis

It’s an choice that would have attracted extra friends, however wasn’t one thing Ford was trying to do.

However board recreation cafés aren’t in regards to the video games.

“What’s wonderful is you go in there, there’s 30 folks sitting there and no person’s on their telephone,” Ford mentioned. “They’re all interacting with one another. They’re all having an excellent time.”

Fortuna will promote some board video games over the past two weekends that it is open, based on its Fb put up.

Ford mentioned that if another person opens a board recreation café sooner or later, it will likely be a “easier factor to do” as a result of extra folks now perceive the idea, no matter whether or not they visited Fortuna.

“I nonetheless need one in every of these downtown,” he mentioned. “I simply can’t be the flagbearer right now anymore.”

Paris Barraza covers leisure, life-style and humanities on the Iowa Metropolis Press-Citizen. Attain her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or 319-519-9731. Observe her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.