Dombivli gets a new cafe teeming with board games

The downside of spending every day in the city is that one occasionally misses out on something interesting in the quiet extended suburbs The buzz of a new board game haunt in our neighbourhood of Dombivli surprised and delighted us in equal measure We decided to pay it a visit over the weekend to check out this new hangoutBright and cosy the Mind Games cafe is located in a mall right opposite KV Pendharkar College Surrounded by massive signboards for a fast food chain itrsquos easy to miss the cafe on your first outing But the milling college crowd around the entrance of the mall is happy to guide usA variety of games are lined up on the shelves for gamers to pick fromThe cafe is a recent addition to the square having opened in November 2022 At an affordable hourly rate of Rs 80 on the weekdays and Rs 100 on the weekends it is perfect for collegians looking for a place to spend their bunking hours at The kitchen albeit small serves handy bitesized treats and nonalcoholic beverages The menu is filled with finger foods from garlic breads to burgers making for easy gaming sessions We opted for a tangy Mexican pizza Rs 240 and iced tea Rs 70 to go with our game of MonopolyTokens from a strategy gameStarted by former Borivali resident Pratik Sohani the cafe is a lockdown brainchild Hailing from a family of board gaming enthusiasts he found the neighbourhood perfect for its vibe and affordability In the lockdown the Sohanis moved into the suburb to get away from the city crowds While the initial idea was to sell their house in the neighbourhood they noticed a potential and decided to stay backldquoWe liked the vibe of the neighbourhood We scouted a few locations before finding this space in Novemberrdquo the 33yearold shares Currently the cafe offers 150 games from Catan and Pandemic to Game of Thrones Wingspan and Shasn If you are a newbie Sohani is more than happy to suggest games to try according to skill A postgraduate in sports management he also keeps his eye on regulars to introduce them to new gamesThe board game PlanetThe space comfortably seats close to 30 members and also has a mezzanine floor Located away from the bustling road the cafe does feel like a quiet minimalistic oasis from the noise With gaming references on the frames mounted on their walls it certainly has the right atmosphere Patrons can choose to play their games on the floor seating on the mezzanine floor or take them back to the tablesWhile the location alludes that the customerbase would largely be 20yearolds Sohani remarks ldquoWe have noticed more families and corporate employees coming in to the cafe on weekendsrdquo The college crowd though has given the space the added advantage of free wordofmouth advertising on the circuitPratik SohaniThough the space is limited Sohani hopes to host board game tournaments in the near future ldquoThe neighbourhood is young and youngsters are now familiar with these gamesrdquo he says As we step out from the cafe the buzzing college crowd is a reminder of the change in the offing To tweak the Bob Dylan classic The suburbs they are a changinrsquoTime 11 am to 11 pm dailyAt Unit 10 1st Floor GNP Arcadia opposite Pendharkar College Dombivli EastCall 9653667298Log on to Mind Games Cafe on InstagramCost Rs 80 per hour weekdays Rs 100 per hour weekends