The Uncommons
Board game cafe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Uncommons is a board game café in New York City established in 2013, located at 230 Thompson Street in Greenwich Village. It has claimed to be the first board game café in Manhattan,[1] and the largest board game library on the East Coast.[2]
| |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment/Restaurant |
| Founded | August 2013 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Greg May (CEO) |
| Website | www |
Visitors pay a $10 cover charge to access the cafe's lending library of games for 3 hours,[2] and can be served coffee, tea, beer and wine. Despite this, the venues are promoted as a less alcoholic "bar alternative" for New York nightlife.[3][1]
The cafe caters to high school students, hipsters, elderly people, and tourists. It has previously provided space for Bronies NYC and school chess clubs, and hosts regular events for role-playing games as well as tournaments for Magic: The Gathering.[1][3]
History
Opened in 2013 by founders Greg May, Jeff Cassin, and Henry Chang,[4] and inspired by Canadian chain Snakes and Lattes,[2] The Uncommons occupied the space of the former Village Chess Shop.[1][5] It was funded in part by a successful Kickstarter campaign.[1][6] Upon its opening, visitors could pay $5 per hour to stay and play games as long as they like. In August 2014, the café held more than 475 games.[1]
By September 2022, the cafe's business model had changed to a cover charge of $10 for three hours of access to the venue's alleged library of over 1000 games. However, many of these games were on a "semi-permanent loan" to Hex & Co., another board game café in Manhattan co-owned by Greg May.[2]
In November 2023, workers at The Uncommons unionized, joining Tabletop Workers United within Workers United NY/NJ of SEIU. The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee provided organizing support.[7]
The Uncommons has been featured on television shows, including NickMom and Take Me to Your Mother.[citation needed]