Board Bard Games will open at 7960 SE Stark Street this Friday, offering a communal space for tabletop game enthusiasts. The 2,200 square foot retail and gameplay location sits between Tinker Tavern and Hungry Heart Bakery, where their patrons can rent from the new store’s 100-game library. Shoppers will find over 500 games and 250 miniatures suitable for a wide age range.
Liz and Scott Sanford recently relocated to Portland, intending to open this board game shop. They enlisted the help of Scott’s longtime friend Curtis Andersen to manage the store with them, fulfilling a shared dream among the friends that began in 1989. All three have a passion for the in-person gaming experience, and the store seeks to offer more to the community than just a place to buy a product. The team dedicated over half the storefront to gameplay tables that guests can use by paying $5 for a game pass. That fee is refunded if someone purchases something of greater value or pays the $5 game rental fee. The shop features a secluded game room for groups looking for a private gaming space that they reserve in advance.
The shop sells classic board and role-playing games, including Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, and Warhammer. However, they also offer many educational games with a keen eye towards the needs of homeschooled students. Liz Sanford has a history with that educational path and knows the value of gameplay in the curriculum. For the team, variety and inclusion is their core value. “We are able to serve just about every niche gamer here in Portland,” said Scott Sanford. “We want to start with a wide breadth of games to see what the community needs and wants, then grow around the community.”
Offering a family-friendly selection is just part of the shop’s youth-oriented initiatives. They plan to provide after-school and summertime activities to entertain kids with stimulating activities not based on screen time. Some game stores skew towards older gamers or only focus on younger children. Board Bard Games wants to be the place for all gamers and nurture that interest as they grow older. “We want to help breed the next generation of gamers,” explained Andersen.
The shop has an assortment of snacks and drinks for people to grab while playing. People can also bring food from area restaurants to keep their energy up during gameplay. They have restrooms for customers because they expect some games to last for hours, and they look forward to regular gaming groups forming within the space. The concept of in-store enjoyment even influenced the naming of the shop. “Because we’re giant D&D players, we wanted to work in a D&D [character] class. The Bard is the entertainer, and we wanted to make sure the board game part was in there,” explained Scott Sanford.
To celebrate the grand opening, Board Bard Games is offering specials throughout the Halloween weekend. Starting on the 27th, they are open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sundays, staff open the doors at Noon and lockup at 7 p.m. People can also come by from 10 a.m. through 8 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The shop is closed on Tuesdays.
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.