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The Freaky Wizard hopes to charm Barrie with good, clean fun

Board games have never been more popular than they are right now, says co-owner of new board game café and shop

Opening any new business requires a lot of gumption and a little bit of magic in order to succeed.

While Jamie Doran and Joem Figueroa may not have had the ability to cast any spells for success personally, the pair succeeded in opening their board game café and shop Freaky Wizard during a global pandemic.

Expanding on an idea

The Freaky Wizard, a coffee house and pop culture emporium located at 130 Bell Farm Rd., Unit 13A, opened in July 2020, and is an immersive magical atmosphere where people of all ages can share their love of geek culture.

“I like Harry Potter and that’s why the theme of this store is Harry Potter. Our initial plan was to actually open a toy store, but when we got this place it was so big we realized we needed to expand our idea a little bit more,” Figueroa told BarrieToday

The pair, which moved to Barrie two years ago from Guelph, ended up adding a cafe at the front of the shop, which includes tables where patrons can come, relax and enjoy a hot or cold drink, some snacks and even play one of the more than 250 board games currently available.

When planning the kind of atmosphere he wanted to create at the café, Doran pulled inspiration from a few “really great coffee shops” he knew of in Guelph.

“We’d noticed in Barrie there wasn’t a lot of fancy coffee shops. I thought, we could totally do that, because we are near the college,” he said, adding they partnered with local coffee supplier Beaver Rock roasters. “We also created our own private label so you can actually buy Freaky Wizard coffee. It’s super good coffee… so we had to learn how to run a coffee shop.”

A magical beginning

Despite being unable to run the business the way they’d initially planned due to COVID restrictions, Doran and Figueroa said the feedback they’ve received from patrons has been “awesome” and they couldn’t be happier with how things have been going.

“Usually when a business opens it takes about six months or so to ramp up, but we actually had our biggest month of sales last August. Then COVID hit hard for the last year, so it was a big challenge,” admitted Doran, adding because they were a new business, they didn’t initially qualify for any of the COVID relief funds being distributed by the government.

After reaching out to various local politicians, the pair was successful in appealing the decision, which ultimately led to funding approval to help them through the toughest of times.

Family fun time

Visitors to Freaky Wizard come in all ages, but Doran said the store does attract a lot of families looking to have some fun together. 

“They are either a Harry Potter fan or they’re interested in the fact that we have collectible toys. They just want to come to a place that immerses them in something that’s really different. That’s why we decorated this place very intricately,” he said. “When you come in you can feel like you’re at a special place and it has a magical feel to it. Kids love it in here and there’s lots for them to look at and do.”

Magical energy

Now that restrictions are easing, Doran and Figueroa are excited to have people at the tables.

“It makes a huge difference. It’s just great when people can sit down and play games and we are seeing more and more of that every day. We’ve had a few days where every table was full,” said Doran. 

“The energy here is different when you hear people laughing,” added Figueroa. “During shut down, it was pretty much just me all the time. People would come in, get their take out and leave … but now people are playing board games and laughing, and it really makes a big difference.”

For those seeking a more private experience, there is an area in the back of the store that is available for rent for birthday parties or simply a quieter spot to get together with friends.

Don’t call it a comeback 

Board games, said Doran, have never been more popular than they are right now.

“If you look at the total board game sales over time, it’s a line that just keeps going up. The reason is there are so many more types of games out there. Games for little kids, families, two-person games,” he said. “Back in the '70s and '80s, there were very few titles and most of them weren’t very good. They were for four to six players, no role playing, etc. Now, there is just this huge spectrum of games so almost anybody can find a game they like.”

It’s that variety that attracts people, he continued, and is something he and Figueroa always keep in mind when adding to their collection.

“We (have) mostly games for families, friends and kids, so they can come in and play for a couple of hours … they don’t have to be here all day playing Dungeons & Dragons,” he said. 

Guests are also able to bring in their own favourite game to play, said Figueroa.

“We had a group recently that brought in Terraforming Mars, which is a long and involved game, so they sat here for hours playing their game.”

Divining the future

With up to 4,500 square feet of space to take advantage of - 3,000 of which is already being utilized -  Doran and Figueroa are always thinking of how they can expand the space. An Escape Room is currently under construction in the back part of the store and as people start feeling more comfortable spending time inside, Doran and Figueroa are hoping the shop will quickly be full of activity, laughter and fun. 

“The place is way bigger than people think it is. They come in and are blown away with the fact that it just keeps going and going,” said Doran.

The space, he noted, is divided into four sections: The front features the board game area and café; the middle, which features an array of collectible and vintage toys; the “Great Hall” which is the rentable room; and the scary area which the pair is currently in the midst of completing.

“We built a cool business plan when we designed this place and we’d love to hit all those targets … so we can reinvest it. We get so many people asking if this is a franchise… so that’s kind of a clue to think maybe we are on to something and should maybe explore it a little bit,” said Doran.