Grand Arena of Mind Expansion, Inc, Tampa

What services does your business offer and what makes your business stand out from the competition?

We are a social club where people can meet and talk, play games, compete with each other or work together to beat the game itself (called co-op games). We offer over 4700 square feet of space to gather and play games. We have a library of over 300 games, console games and movies which people can check out and we don’t mind if you bring in your favorite game.

One thing we are not is a retail store. We do not sell games. We are also not a cafe as we do not sell food or drinks. We are here to socialize and play games.

What was the inspiration to start or run this business?

We wanted some place where gamers would be comfortable, so we have conference room style tables and chairs, private rooms with whiteboards, a movie room where you can take a break. We also offer complimentary snacks and drinks to refresh yourself. We wanted it to be family friendly, so there is no drug, alcohol or tobacco use allowed. Over the past year, we’ve had nights where teens would come in and their parents were assured they would be safe and have a good time playing games.

What do you love most about your job?

Teaching a game well enough that the person has fun, or better yet that they come back with friends and teach them. Whether you are talking about dice games like “Dice Forge", card games like "Uno", board games like “Ticket to Ride”, coop games like “Pandemic” or RPGs (Roll-Playing Games) like “Dungeons and Dragons” or “Star Wars”, the idea is to have fun, to compete and to immerse yourself in the game's flavor. On any given day there is someone “playing the rail tycoon” or “exploring strange new worlds”; they are having fun. Won’t you join us?

What is the best reaction you've ever gotten from a customer?

Choosing a “best” reaction is like asking to pick a favorite child. I can only speak for my customers like Ben who said, “My first night there and I was FLOORED by this place! Michael Levin was there and he gave me a tour of the facility, and was incredibly friendly overall! I also met Teresa and Jim, and was introduced to some awesome Steve Jackson Games. It was the best fun playing games I have had in years, and I am definitely going to be coming there a lot more often! Not to mention, I'm going to be recommending this place to all my buds!” or Spencer who said, “I went with an expectation that I would be disappointed, I walked out with a smile on my face and new found hope for gaming in general. This is unlike any other gaming shop I've been to, its not focused on selling you something its not. This is a Social forum where you will meet new people, play games you've never heard of, and in general just enjoy being a gamer.”

Although, I think the best reaction came from an unidentified customer who was part of a team building event who said, “This is the latest I’ve ever stayed at a corporate event AND the most fun I’ve ever had at one of these without drinking!” The rest of his group laughed and agreed!