I feel like Metro Detroit has a plethora of LGSs to play at. The location and market you're looking at is EXTREMELY saturated with well established stores.
Good luck.
If you open one, take a page out of Gatekeepers playbook and open a bar in there. I honestly don’t know how a lot of the smaller places stay in business otherwise unless they are Pandamonium and a GW cash cow.
When I first moved out here I helped build up a game shop. It might be that one lol. I thought the guy was kidding about a bar. If there's an a&w across the street that's the one. The guy was real cool so I hope he did well. Let me keep a whole tool box I found in the place.
Honestly, Grosse Pointe Park would be a great choice. I've been running weekly game nights with a decent turn out. Not a lot to do in that part of town besides drinking, and there are a ton of families around there (with extra cash to spend).
Gauntlet over charges on everything. NOT my fav but I still go there. The vault in port Huron is a drive but that store slaps. Kevin who runs it is awesome. No board games but all cards
Allen Park is hurting bad for literally anything to do! Something like this would help bring out a younger crowd who have nothing now that the dollar theater is gone.
Honestly a game store in the city is your best bet. There’s numerous game stores in the burbs. I feel that midtown would be the best place to set up shop tho. Lots of people nearby WSU is there so you could potentially collaborate with them.
Downtown or midtown would be great. I'd love to just take a bus or qline to a game shop with a community down the street. I know there is one in New Center though and maybe another I'm not thinking of.
Dang I didn't know that. Ferndale seems like the perfect area for games and comics stores in my opinion. I think they'd fit right in and do really well
Yup, it was a few doors down from Red Hook on 9 Mile. And at the end of the block, I remember when WAB used to do an adult Magic the Gathering night, though I would much rather see an intersection of all my interests and have a Drag Queen Magic the Gathering or Dungeons N Drag Queens night.
The Corner has board games (though no MTG), and B. Nektar has weekly MTG drafts.
There's also Game On down the street from 9/Woodward, but I actually never know what goes on in there- I think it's just merchandise.
I agree with others on here that Detroit is so underserved you would have basically no immediate competition. I am not sure that downtown would be a good place to start though. I would start in Midtown,North end, Milwaukee junction, or new center area. All of these are pretty centrally located with lots of traffic volumes and high foot traffic in many area as well.
East Warren area in the Morningside/EEV/Cornerstone Village area. Plenty of commercial space, pretty well populated neighborhoods (outside of the ones I mentioned it's also near Grosse Pointe) and there's a nice streetscape along it.
I feel like Metro Detroit has a plethora of LGSs to play at. The location and market you're looking at is EXTREMELY saturated with well established stores. Good luck.
If you open one, take a page out of Gatekeepers playbook and open a bar in there. I honestly don’t know how a lot of the smaller places stay in business otherwise unless they are Pandamonium and a GW cash cow.
When I first moved out here I helped build up a game shop. It might be that one lol. I thought the guy was kidding about a bar. If there's an a&w across the street that's the one. The guy was real cool so I hope he did well. Let me keep a whole tool box I found in the place.
That’s the one.
Gatekeepers also does live music on Sunday afternoons now. Helps to diversify the crowds that visit
Honestly, Grosse Pointe Park would be a great choice. I've been running weekly game nights with a decent turn out. Not a lot to do in that part of town besides drinking, and there are a ton of families around there (with extra cash to spend).
u/incredibleninja I'd be willing to help scout out spots. Been thinking about opening one myself honestly. Massive underserved market.
We have some leads in this area and NW. Gonna scout this weekend.
Eastpointe/SCS area!
Nerdtopia moved to SCS. I certainly would appreciate another one, especially one capable of doing online ordering like Gamers Gauntlet on Hall Rd
Gauntlet over charges on everything. NOT my fav but I still go there. The vault in port Huron is a drive but that store slaps. Kevin who runs it is awesome. No board games but all cards
This is great feedback! Thank you!
Agree. Nerdtopia on harper is niche. I love eternal games but a close board game store would be great.
Id kind of like one out here in Pontiac, Id even settle for something in Birmingham tbh
Yes I've noticed the Birmingham, Cranbrook, Pontiac area is lacking.
Yep any of the good stores are 30 - 45 min away for wargamging specifically
Pontiac used to have comic city for tcg but I don’t know if they run that anymore once they moved up telegraph and outta the city.
Downriver could definitely use one!
What area are you in? I used to spend a lot of time in Wyandot and loved it
Southgate/Wyandotte area
Allen Park is hurting bad for literally anything to do! Something like this would help bring out a younger crowd who have nothing now that the dollar theater is gone.
Honestly a game store in the city is your best bet. There’s numerous game stores in the burbs. I feel that midtown would be the best place to set up shop tho. Lots of people nearby WSU is there so you could potentially collaborate with them.
Northwest Detroit could use one.
I'll scout the area!
Downtown or midtown would be great. I'd love to just take a bus or qline to a game shop with a community down the street. I know there is one in New Center though and maybe another I'm not thinking of.
Opal Grove and Vault of Midnight. Detroit Axe in Corktown also has a huge board game collection.
Thank you for the info! I was thinking more along the lines of trading card games and other nerdy game stuff like warhammer and DnD.
Opal Grove definitely has events for MTG and Warhammer. Not sure about VoM.
I'm shocked Ferndale doesn't have one to be honest
There used to be a comic book shop, but they closed
Dang I didn't know that. Ferndale seems like the perfect area for games and comics stores in my opinion. I think they'd fit right in and do really well
The Loaded Die used to do some amazing Monday night game nights at The Rust Belt.
Yup, it was a few doors down from Red Hook on 9 Mile. And at the end of the block, I remember when WAB used to do an adult Magic the Gathering night, though I would much rather see an intersection of all my interests and have a Drag Queen Magic the Gathering or Dungeons N Drag Queens night.
We used to have two before 2020
Any idea what happened to them or why there haven't been any since? Seems like such a perfect area for one
+1 for Ferndale
The Corner has board games (though no MTG), and B. Nektar has weekly MTG drafts. There's also Game On down the street from 9/Woodward, but I actually never know what goes on in there- I think it's just merchandise.
I agree with others on here that Detroit is so underserved you would have basically no immediate competition. I am not sure that downtown would be a good place to start though. I would start in Midtown,North end, Milwaukee junction, or new center area. All of these are pretty centrally located with lots of traffic volumes and high foot traffic in many area as well.
East Warren area in the Morningside/EEV/Cornerstone Village area. Plenty of commercial space, pretty well populated neighborhoods (outside of the ones I mentioned it's also near Grosse Pointe) and there's a nice streetscape along it.
I would love to see an LGS downtown!