By Joseph Weathered
The Milford Green will be home to a unique new business as Milford resident Ryan McConnell will launch Hawkwood Games in October. The board game cafe will be located at 50 Broad Street, across from the Colony Grill.
“The idea is to have a place where you can go with your family and children or your friends to actually spend some time and hang out where there is a focal point that isn’t food and drinks,” said McConnell of the new cafe.
The cafe will have roughly 250-300 games to start, with games ranging from the classic to the newly released. Along with games rotated in and out every day, McConnell also remarked that specific game nights will be included, with genres ranging from chess groups and backgammon leagues to Pokemon, Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons meet ups. Guests will pay a $5 fee per person upon entering and will get to play for as long as they wish. While McConnell refers to Hawkwood Games as an analog alternative to the modern day screens, the exception will be in the form of a partnership with Play Table, who has created a digital board game table in which the imagery will change as players progress in the game.
Hawkwood will offer coffee and non alcoholic drinks along with an array of snack foods and bakery items. McConnell also spoke of working with local bakeries and the neighboring Parklane Deli to have fresh sandwiches and snacks offered daily. While guests are invited to bring their own beer or wine to the cafe, McConnell specifies that it would take place after 7 P.M. and all guests bringing beer or wine would have to present identification.
With the cafe set to open in October, McConnell requests that people visit http://hawkwoodgames.com to follow the progress, along with their Facebook page for updates. As ar as being a new face in the downtown Milford community, McConnell is excited to be a part of the neighborhood: “It’s spectacular; the Downtown Milford Business Community has been so welcoming and so helpful. The Chamber of Commerce has walked me like a baby deer through the forest as i’ve gained my sea legs as far as what it takes to be a part of the business community.”