Former teacher Nick McCoy throws the dice to launch a new ‘board game cafe’ in Liverpool city region. Andrew Brown reports
Southport’s first ever board game cafe, and one of the first in the North West, is now open.
HARP Coffee and Games has opened inside a double unit on King Street in Southport town centre. It’s located in Southport Market Quarter, which has seen several new local independent businesses opening their doors.
This area has enjoyed an uplift since the market underwent a £1.4m conversion into a new food, drink and events space in 2021.
Former local teacher and dad-of-four Nick McCoy has opened HARP Coffee and Games. He wanted to create something new and very different for his home town.
Nick was born and bred in Southport and studied at Shoreside Primary School in Ainsdale and Ainsdale High School. He taught at Holy Trinity Primary School and Ainsdale St John’s Primary School in Southport before opening the new venture.
It is welcoming people of all ages to come enjoy a wide variety of different board games, whether it’s their firm favourite, or they want to try something new. There are around 70 board games available at the moment, with that number due to double soon.
Nick is in the process of being able to sell board games at the premises too. He said: “Our first few days since opening have been fantastic. We’ve had a brilliant response.
“We are really keen to hear what people think. What opening hours do they want? Are there any groups who want to come in for regular events?
“There is nowhere else locally like this. There is one venue in Liverpool, Sugar & Dice; another in Preston, The Dice Box.
“One customer from Burscough came in this week and said he and his friends had been travelling to a similar cafe all the way to Bolton. He is made up that we have opened in Southport.
“HARP Coffee and Games is a cosy coffee house which celebrates having fun by enjoying the simpler things in life.
“We want to help visitors to be able to unplug and entertain themselves with some of the many games we have to offer, from classics to the newest in tabletop gaming, whilst you sip on one of our delicious barista crafted drinks.
“We are very proud of our coffee. It’s sourced from Mr Duffin’s and is roasted in The Lake District. It’s fantastic. We have tea, milkshakes, cold drinks, cakes, cookies and muffins.
“Our cakes are made by Sam Lee from Icing Queen Cakes in Southport. They’re exceptional. Soon we’ll be able to offer food such as burritos, calzones, nachos, that people can eat while they’re playing.
“This is a relaxed venue. We want people to feel like they can call in and enjoy some coffee and cake. Or come in and play a board game. We just want people to call in and feel very welcome.”
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Nick offers multiple board games that people can play for free such as chess, draughts, Labyrinth, card games, backgammon and Screwball Scramble. There is a choice of others that people can hire for just £3 each, and then use for as long as they want.
He added: “We’re speaking with different societies and groups such as the Southport Board Games Group and the Ormskirk Board Games Society, and also with local schools about creating some regular events.”
At the moment, our opening hours are 9am to 4pm Monday and Tuesday; closed Wednesday; 9am to 8pm / 9pm Thursday and Friday; 9am to 6pm Saturday and 11am to 4pm Sunday.”