A city centre community hub is said to be the perfect spot for geeks to “leave the outside world behind”.
On the surface, Geek Retreat, found on Church Street, is an inclusive gaming cafe which doubles up as a community events hub and a safe space. It specialises in "all things geeky" including comics, memorabilia and tabletop games and offers Marvel and WWE fans a room to talk about all the latest gossip.
However, Chris Rule, the Liverpool store’s general manager, tells the ECHO “it is actually much more than that”. The venue prides itself on being able to offer “such a venue to those who need it or those looking to share their hobbies and interests when they have nowhere or no one else to share them with”.
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Chris said: "It is a place for like-minded individuals to meet, hang out and of course, play games. It is also a community hub where people can forge friendships and find a place where they can leave the outside world behind and relax in an inclusive atmosphere.”
Throughout the week, the venue always has something for its guests to engage with. Whether it be “the tense excitement of a card tournament”, “the shouts and laughter of a game of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)” or “the hilarious chaos of Kids D&D”, the brightly coloured purple and yellow venue has a lot to offer.
The hub, which works closely with the National Autistic Society, caters for children and beginners with learn-to-play sessions through to casual tournaments for more experienced players of games like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Chris added: “There is a huge range of people who like to visit us. Everyone these days has something they like to ‘geek out’ over, but not everyone has someone close who they can share their geeky interests with so this is the perfect place for them to drop in and find someone to do that with. We have seen friendships blossom and customers build their confidence through meeting like-minded individuals in our stores.
“The atmosphere is unlike anything else when you walk in and it’s important that venues like us exist and are inclusive. People who are socially isolated or feel like they don’t belong need somewhere where they can feel safe, welcome and included. We want people to know that all are welcome at Geek Retreat and that they can feel at home when they visit us.”
One of the venue's biggest attractions is the “console corner” - where guests spend hours getting lost in playing retro games on a selection of gaming consoles. Those who are looking to get a dose of nostalgia can choose from the likes of Super Mario Bros, WWF Wrestlemania, Formula 1 and SIMs to indulge in.
Like many businesses, Geek Retreat was impacted by the pandemic and is now facing the issue of the ongoing cost of living crisis. Despite this, the company are in a “good position to further grow the business on the high street in Liverpool”.
Chris added: “Even though the cost of living crisis is affecting everyone at the moment, we are seeing some excellent growth since we opened the store in September.” The Liverpool store is just one of 57 across the UK - with locations such as the Wirral, Chester and Warrington also hosting their own version of the store.
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