A much anticipated new cafe offering games, coffee and a New Orleans theme will soft-open Sunday, October 6 at 200 West 84th Street (between Amsterdam and Broadway).
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Chaotic Good has transformed the space once occupied by Spiga into a cozy cafe that feels like a friend’s apartment. That is, a newly renovated apartment and a friend who makes pour over coffee and has more than 420 board games. (The space was originally slated to become Long Play Record Bar, a vinyl-playing cocktail lounge that never fully materialized.)
“I had 300 games in my bedroom,” owner Andrew Panos told ILTUWS when we stopped by Friday afternoon, speaking about the 15-month long process of planning Chaotic Good. “My wife was very happy.”
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Panos is a former analytics and insight professional at YouTube who loves board game cafes. The concept for the cafe began loosely forming during the pandemic and became a serious endeavor in August 2023. In the three months that followed, Panos found space, signed a lease and created an LLC. The next step was to stock up on games.
“I bought more than 100 games right after we got the LLC,” Panos said. “I found out what the max cart size is on Amazon.”
The back corner of the cafe is lined with games stacked almost to the ceiling. Outside of Panos’ personal collection and the games he purchased, Chaotic Good’s offerings are sourced from donations, including from one sizable contribution from a Brooklynite who Panos said wanted only to be paid in Levain cookies.
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Available games range from Scrabble and Monopoly to Dungeons and Dragons and more unique offerings like Azul, Blood on the Clocktower and Crokinole. Panos says he has most of the top ten as ranked on BoardGameGeek. He’s also hired two game leads, John Luca and Sawyer, in addition to Mik, who is in charge of role playing games.
The cafe will soon launch a website feature to help organize and schedule Dungeons and Dragons gatherings. In the meantime, those interested can reach out at coffeeandgames@
The only thing that Panos takes more seriously than games is coffee. A lead barista has helped source a variety of coffees from specialty suppliers and small businesses like Rêve, a Louisiana-based roaster that makes chicory coffee which Panos plans to use for café au lait. The cafe will also serve pour-over, a variety of international coffee drinks, as well as specialty beverages like Skittles Milk and the New York Frappe–a Chaotic Good invention one staff member jokingly called “the hottest cold drink in the city.”
As for bites, Panos has sourced stroopwafel from Dutch Waffle Company and plans to have more classic pastries to accompany the coffee offerings. Limited beer and wine options will also be served. Chaotic Good does not have a kitchen but is working towards allowing delivery from its neighbor El Gallo Taqueria. Panos would also like to offer late-night sweets from nearby Barachou.
The cafe is planning a number of events during its first week including Crokinole & Klask Learn to Play on Thursday afternoon, a Dungeon Master Meetup Thursday evening, and an After-School Learn to Play on Friday. Panos has designed Chaotic Good to be kid- and family-friendly, but his goal is to make all ages feel welcome. “Family mornings” will be offered on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
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“This is a diverse area in terms of age. I want to make sure we’re supporting the people around the neighborhood,” Panos said. During our visit, he offered free pour-over coffee to four people who curiously walked through the front door. There is also a “positivity pillar” where guests can leave friendly messages on Post-its.
Chaotic Good will be open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. More information is available on the cafe’s website and Instagram page.
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Bingo? ( old school ) game night prizes ?
Rummy Q?
Looks like a blast. No booze?
Will Bingo be on the game menu at the store with prizes?
Will there be Rummy Q?
Is this sponsored content? Reads like it.
Is the coffee any good?
There’s a boardgame room at the Fort Hamilton Distillery in Brooklyn, where one can also buy+sample bourbon & rye in the barroom.
I went for whiskey — don’t think boardgames are a draw for a coffee or whiskey place.
No. Our sponsored articles are labeled ‘sponsored.’
Jay is the Master Troll. You don’t need to defend yourself.
Ish,
I’m a troll because I post comments you don’t like?
This looks a lot like sponsored content.
no pics of the gaming area? CMON MAN
Can the article be edited to give an indication of pricing? I love hex and co but would love to find somewhere I can play games for cheaper, particularly if I’m buying food
No menu available on the cafe’s website