The popular Centretown board game café Monopolatte will officially close its doors this Friday.
Owner David Narbaitz explained that, even though his business was not losing money, he couldn’t keep the business running the way it was.
“We were paying (the employees) basically minimum wage,” said Narbaitz to the Ottawa Citizen. “And if we couldn’t provide, not only our employees who are working so hard and ourselves with a living wage, it wasn’t really a business model that was working out.”
When it opened in 2013, Monopolatte was the only board game café in Ottawa. Since then, cafés with a similar concept opened, including The Loft near the Byward Market and Games for All in Westboro. But three years later, the popular place located on Somerset St. is already living its last days.
The news was announced on the café’s Facebook page last week. Some regular clients wrote they were surprised to learn that the business is closing, arguing that the place is usually quite packed, especially on weekends. Many customers took to share their sadness and wrote thankful messages under the post.
I had one of my first dates with my now wife here,” wrote John Lim on their Facebook page. “We’ll be back one last time before you guys close!”
Those wishing to enjoy a coffee in Centretown while playing one of the hundreds of board games available, should do so before Monopolatte shuts its doors on Sep. 30.