Games café a lift for Banbridge community
Two Banbridge pals have turned their passion for tabletop games into a popular local games café.
Aaron Bushby and Harry Singer established Roast & Roll in September 2022, after spotting a gap in the market for a board game themed café after visiting a similar café in England.
Harry said: “Roast and Roll is a tabletop gaming café that focuses on board games, card games, war games, and role-playing games. You can call in and enjoy a delicious bite to eat or cup of coffee and traybake as you get lost in the enjoyment of playing your favourite games.
Aaron continued: “I lived in England for a while and saw a variety of board game cafés, and when I moved back to Northern Ireland, Harry and I got chatting and we both agreed that there was a gap in the market for a similar venture in Northern Ireland.
“Being your own boss means you’re in control of all major business decisions and we can ensure the business is run exactly how we would like it. I suffer from a severe nut allergy, and so we’ve been able to work hard to ensure our café operates a nut-free policy, something we take a lot of pride in.”
Aaron and Harry launched Roast & Roll in after taking part in the Go For It programme through Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.
The Go For It programme is delivered free of charge by a team of experienced business mentors through Northern Ireland’s wide network of enterprise agencies. It provides entrepreneurs with expert advice and help to develop a business plan and turn their ideas into viable businesses.
Aaron commented: “Through the Go For It programme we had numerous meetings and the development of the business plan really helped us think about all aspects of the business that we needed to consider to make it a success. It helped us refine our ideas and focused our thinking by having all the figures and plans laid out in one document.”
