Snakes and Lattes Tempe opens in Arizona

Around the corner from downtown Tempe’s Mill Avenue and across the street from Arizona State University on Sixth Street, a new board-game cafe recently moved in: Snakes and Lattes. Snakes and Lattes is a board-game cafe chain from Toronto, Ontario, in Canada, and it has opened its first U.S. location in Arizona.

Snakes and Lattes Tempe had a soft opening last Friday, and the place was already buzzing. The cafe is in the old Z’Tejas building, for locals who remember that restaurant, but the inside has been completely gutted and renovated into a space that chic, modern, functional and inviting for board gamers of all kinds. There are lots of large tables for bigger groups, square tables that can be easily joined and separated, comfy booths, and a bar to sit at.

The cafe offers about 3,500 square feet of seating, and occupancy is at about 200 people. There are also two large patios that seat about 25 people, and, in typical Arizona fashion, the patios have misters and heaters to accommodate the desert weather.

Currently, the game library is at about 700 games, eventually growing to about 1,000 games. The library is color-coded, too, so that people can quickly pick out a game based on group size and skill level.

“If you’re brand new and see a wall of board games, it can be overwhelming,” said Susan Lawver, game curator for Snakes and Lattes Tempe. Lawver has been instrumental in helping shape the cafe and picking out the games for the library. “We’re always looking for game suggestions,” she said.

Lawver has been training the Game Gurus, who are staff members who can help cafe patrons pick a game and teach it. Game Gurus are supposed to to be able to teach about 200 games and help out with questions. She also plans to designate a game shelf for local publishers and create events such as game design nights, when publishers and game designers can bring in their game for playtesting, tweaking and getting feedback.

Snakes and Lattes Tempe is also a full-fledged restaurant. The menu is diverse, with appetizers, burgers and sandwiches, salads, naan pizza and an entire category on poutine, as an homage to the cafe’s Canadian roots. Currently, the poutine options include: Classic Poutine, Loaded Poutine, Vegan Disco Fries, Chicken Bite Poutine, Korean Fire Chicken Poutine and All Day Breakfast Poutine.

“The menu is unexpected for a board-game cafe,” Lawver said. “We did a lot of specialty items, and we brought in a chef from Toronto and a local chef to carry the menu.”

And let’s not forget about the drinks. Snakes and Lattes Tempe offers about a dozen craft beers on tap as well as a large selection of wine, canned and bottled beer, cocktails and a full coffee bar.

It’s been a busy few months for cafe owner Ben Castanie, from first getting the keys to completely renovating the space to the soft opening.

“We wanted to spend the time and not rush our opening because it’s our first location in the U.S.,” Castanie said. “We want to show the best of what we have to offer and put a lot of thought into what we did, the games, the food, and the alcohol, and we’re not going to stop there. We’re going to do a lot more.”

Castanie said they have plans to sign a lease in Charlotte, N.C., and are also looking into another locations in Arizona and possibly Colorado. By the end of the year, he said, they’ll have more good news about future locations.

Snakes and Lattes Tempe will have an official, splashier grand opening in November. Lawver said they decided to go with a soft opening as to not overwhelm the staff and ensure that gamers have a great experience.

The cafe aims to draw the attention of ASU students nearby as well as families and gamers alike.

“I think Millennials are looking for more experiences instead of watching more screens. This’ll be a great place to take a date,” she said.

If you go

Snakes and Lattes Tempe is open Tuesday-Sunday and is located at 20 W. Sixth St. in Tempe, Arizona. It’s $5 to play games, or free if you’re just eating. There is metered parking on the street and parking garages nearby. The cafe is also a few blocks from the light-rail stop. To get more information, visit their website, or find them on Twitter and Facebook.