Toronto board game cafe shuts down one of its locations for good

It’s not all fun and games for one Toronto-based board game cafe chain, as they announce the closure of a major location in the city.

Founded in 2010, there are few names more ubiquitous with the board game cafe concept than Snakes & Lattes.

Upon the opening of their original location in Koreatown, the cafe, which later expanded to offer cocktails and a more well-rounded dining menu, was a near-instant hit in Toronto, offering up a perfect space for a casual date or a unique gettogether with friends, with a small cover fee allowing you unlimited access to the cafe’s enormous and varied inventory of games.

In the years that followed, the popularity only continued to mount, with the business expanding its footprint in the city with locations in Little Italy, Yonge and Eglinton, and, most recently, The Well’s Wellington Food Market and hordes of other cafes rolling the dice on opening their own board game-based ventures.

While, at least in my experience, a well-played game of Monopoly must always end in tears, whether you’re in public or not, something about the accompaniment of a steaming cup of hot chocolate or a boozy beverage just makes the whole experience feel more fun, and it seems, based on Snakes & Lattes’ popularity, that Toronto agrees.

Nowadays, the chain remains in its stride, operating eight locations across Canada and the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s impervious to the difficulties faced by plenty of businesses in the city — made clear by their recent announcement that Snakes & Lattes has officially pulled the plug on their Yonge and Eglinton Midtown location.

Reaching the end of their lease, the location, which has been a beacon for nearly seven years at the Yonge and Eglinton intersection despite a near-constant state of construction-induced chaos, is officially gone for good.

“Closing our Midtown location after 7 years is deeply bittersweet,” Snakes & Lattes’ Director of Marketing, Anaïs, tells blogTO.

“We are endlessly grateful to our loyal customers, dedicated staff and the vibrant Midtown community for making Snakes & Lattes a part of their lives.”

At the time of publication, Anaïs was unable to comment on the reasons behind the business’ decision to close the location, but reinforces that the chain’s Annex and College locations aren’t going anywhere.

“This chapter has come to an end, but our story continues,” she says.

“While we’re unable to share more details about the reason behind the closure, we hope our community will continue creating cherished memories at our Annex and College locations and stay tuned for what’s next.

Snakes & Lattes Midtown was located at 45 Eglinton East.