Jason Gardner grew up playing board games at every opportunity.
“I’m a board gamer at heart,” Gardner said, “I’ve been playing board games since I was a kid. I was always that kid in the neighborhood grabbing other kids to come play board games.”
And in 2019, he decided to turn his lifelong passion into a business and opened Omni Board Game Parlor in Euclid.
Located in the former Euclid Brewing Company space at 21950 Lakeshore Blvd., Omni has shelves full of tabletop game options for players of all kinds to pick from, whether they are seeking an old classic or a newfound favorite.
Gardner, who grew up in Euclid, said he wanted to offer the members of his community some more fun activities in their own neighborhood, since there are not many board game parlors on the east side of Cleveland.
While growing up, he recalled, kids essentially only had the park, roller skating or going to the movies as options — and those activities were mainly enjoyed during the summer months. Gardner said he wanted to create another outlet that could be enjoyed year round.
“I really wanted to do something unique and different to kind of bring other people in,” he said.
Gardner explained that while the newer generations can sometimes gravitate more toward technology or digital gaming, there is also a push for “retro” entertainment to make a comeback, which means the board game parlor business has the capacity for growth.
“It’s a growing industry and it’s grown even more since people have been at home for a year, so now it’s open for them,” Gardner said.
Omni is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and Gardner said anyone is welcome to stop in, regardless of how much tabletop game knowledge they have. For $5 patrons can have access to Omni’s entire library of games for the evening, and Gardner, who knows how to play all of them, said he will help newcomers learn as they go.
He added he is happy to help give game recommendations based off of patrons’ interests, set up boards, or settle any disputes that may pop up over the rules.
“I have people come in and they just want to sit down and play chess, so I’ll explain chess rules,” he said, “Even if you’re new to something, you can still learn how to play and be a part of that experience. That’s really what I’m trying to give out to the community — it’s here for a reason.
“It’s not just for the geeks or the table top gamers, it’s for everyone.”
Patrons can also purchase snacks and drinks along with their games, and if they are looking to bring a big group in for a celebration, Gardner said they also host board game parties.
He said he needs about a week’s notice to prepare for a party, but he will help select the best games and coordinate with a caterer to bring in food for the guests.
Of course, video gamers are not being left out of the Omni equation. Gardner said he tries to host a video game tournament at least once a month so players can show off their skills in classic competitive games like Nintendo’s “Super Smash Bros.,” “Street Fighter” or “Mario Kart.”
For those more inclined to fantasy, Gardner said the parlor also hosts sessions three times a week for Dungeons & Dragons, the popular tabletop roleplaying game. He said they initially only started off with two groups, but it was so popular they now have two groups of advanced players, which meet on Thursdays and Saturdays, and one for beginners that meets on Tuesdays each week.
Gardner said that he admires Dungeons & Dragons as one of the original table top games to have a storyline to it — it is much more complex than rolling the dice and simply moving your piece on a board.
“It was the first game that kind of had a story behind it, so I give homage to it, and I love that fact, and I love the community around it,” he said.
Over the next several years Gardner hopes to expand his board game parlor to an even bigger space with more room for tournaments, groups and parties, while staying true to Omni’s roots with plenty of board games.
