Games café plays its final hand

The game’s not quite over yet for the owners of one of Cork’s quirkiest businesses who announced its closure this week.

Tabletop on Castle Street, Ireland’s very first board game café, had been closed for more than 100 days due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Opened in January 2018, Tabletop offered customers a quiet and comfortable place where they could enjoy a wide range of board games, as well as teas, coffees, wines, craft beers, food and cakes.

In a message posted on social media, the owners said that the business would continue to trade online but would not be reopening its premises on Castle Street.

“This has not by any means been an easy decision. At the end of the day, while social distancing remains one of the best ways for us to guard against this virus, and with the level of uncertainty around how to best reopen safely, we had to make a call. This is sad news, but it is not forever news,” the message read.

However, a second premises in Bantry, Tabletop West, will be reopening for business shortly.

From today, Thursday 25 June until Saturday 27 June, the premises on Castle Street will open its doors again for a sale on all of the ex-library board games.