Unique Pub Brings Tabletop Gaming to Orlando in April

ORLANDO, Fla. - Oct. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- A University of Central Florida alumna and her husband are hoping to share their passion for tabletop gaming and geek culture with Orlando when The Cloak & Blaster opens its doors in East Orlando this spring. The self-professed “geek venue” launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in order to raise the remaining $15,000 to complete the project and reached their initial goal in just 36 hours, due to an overwhelming response from the local and regional geek community.

Now, they hope to continue funding their dream through stretch goals and backer incentives. The Kickstarter campaign, which runs for 30 days, and is available at www.fundgamers.com, will raise money to pay for licensing for weekly movie nights, upgraded game systems, a larger game library, and creative lighting treatments for the pub. Stretch goals include beer-specific glassware, a broader bottle selection, upgraded consoles and televisions, as well as the purchase of free-to-use miniatures terrain. The venue is designed in the style of a medieval tavern and The Lord of the Rings.

"Orlando’s geek community has grown steadily over the last few years thanks to bigger conventions and the Star Wars additions at Disney World,” said Andrea C. Zimmerman, owner and ‘chief redhead’ for the pub. “But the city is really lacking in an adult venue for tabletop gamers, a hobby that is gaining popularity every day because of celebrity gamers and massive exposure, such as Wil Wheaton’s ‘Tabletop’ series on YouTube. It’s isn’t just about Monopoly with your siblings anymore; tabletop gaming has transformed ‘Game Night’ with better, bigger games that appeal to fans of fantasy, science fiction and every other genre in between.

There’s a game out there for everyone and at our pub, everyone knows your game.”

Mrs. Zimmerman, along with her husband Markus Zimmerman, plans to open the pub in April near the Waterford Lakes/UCF area of East Orlando and is currently negotiating a lease. The venue will provide an extensive craft beer selection, along with ciders, meads and wines. It will host most aspects of gaming – board games, card games, miniatures, and even a separate video game lounge with Playstation and Xbox consoles.

“There are places in the city where geeks can go, but there isn’t a place for an adult that’s ideal for tabletop gaming,” Mr. Zimmerman said. “Most places are too loud, too dark, or plastered with TV screens showing sports – it’s a not a very comfortable setting for a lot of people.”

The venue runs on one simple philosophy: a home for geeks who like to drink and have a gaming problem. Inspired by cozy corner pubs in the United Kingdom, The Cloak & Blaster will encompass the philosophy of community – forging new relationships and strengthening existing ones, while sharing new and long-time favorite tabletop games with patrons. Though the pub focuses on providing niche craft beers, The Cloak & Blaster will also have a small food menu, as well as non-alcoholic selections.

For more information on The Cloak & Blaster, visit www.cloakandblaster.com or call 321-362-4473.