If you've ever wished your favourite board game café had just a little more room for one more game, then this is some very welcome news!
A popular board game café in Chesterfield is getting ready for its biggest move yet, swapping its current home for a much larger venue that promises more games, more events, and an even better food and drink menu.
Outgrowing the old space
Board & Bean first opened its doors in December 2024, transforming the former Vintage Tearooms on New Beetwell Street into a cosy hub for board gamers, families, and café lovers alike. Since then, the response from the local community has been so strong that the team has simply run out of room!
Now they're relocating to the former Soulville Steakhouse building on South Street, giving them the extra space they've been looking for after around 18 months of steady growth.
Speaking about the move, the team explained that they've reached the limit of what they can fit into the current venue, especially when it comes to their ever expanding board game collection.
And honestly, that's a pretty good problem to have!
A much bigger games library
One of the biggest changes players can look forward to is a significantly larger games library.
According to the team, the collection could grow to around three times its current size, with the new building finally providing enough room to store and display everything properly.
Better food and drink too!
The move isn't just about board games.
The new venue comes with a much larger kitchen, reportedly around seven times bigger than the current one. That gives the team much more freedom to improve both the quality and variety of the food on offer.
They're also planning to expand their drinks selection, including adding a couple of real ales on hand pull.
It sounds like they're aiming to make Board & Bean even more of an all day destination, whether you're settling in for a heavyweight strategy game or just popping by for a coffee and a quick card game.
More room for events
Anyone who's visited a busy board game café knows that events can quickly fill every available table.
The larger venue should make life much easier, allowing multiple activities to run at the same time without everyone competing for the same space.
Popular events like the café's "Rooms and a Boom" sessions, which can attract around 30 players, should have plenty more breathing room. Murder mystery nights are also expected to benefit from the expanded layout.
Perhaps the most exciting idea still being explored is a regular movie night. The team hopes to create a flexible event space where tables can be moved aside to screen suitably nerdy films once a week.
Nothing has been confirmed just yet, but it's certainly a fun idea that fits the café's community focused atmosphere!
Private spaces for roleplayers
The new Board & Bean building is also being redesigned with dedicated gaming spaces in mind.
Plans include three private booths, one of which will be fully accessible on the ground floor. These enclosed areas are intended for games like Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop RPGs, giving groups a quieter, more immersive place to play.
Upstairs, there's set to be even more event space, with hopes of expanding that area further if planning permission is approved.
The team have already started work on transforming the building, removing walls, stripping out the old bar, and reshaping the venue to better suit board gaming rather than restaurant dining.
A great sign for local gaming
The new venue is currently aiming to open around the beginning of September, so Chesterfield gamers hopefully won't have too long to wait before checking out the expanded space for themselves!
