Greensboro coffee shop has a theater and is a popular hangout for gamers

Source: Winston-Salem Journal, N.mini storageC.Aug. 21--At Geeksboro Coffeehouse Cinema, patrons are sipping coffee while staring at tablet screens, typing on laptops -- and in one case even reading a book. Downstairs, a group of kids are enjoying the movie "Toy Story."Later, they come upstairs and start playing "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" on a Nintendo game console set up next to a replica of the TARDIS, the time-traveling police call box from the British sci-fi series "Doctor Who." Across the room, two college-age customers are competing in "Injustice: Gods Among Us," a graphics-heavy video game that pits the Green Arrow against Batgirl.Shelves beside the coffee counter are stacked with board games that people can pull out and play, as well as merchandise, books and newspapers.Geeksboro, which opened last November on Lawndale Drive in Greensboro, is a combination coffee shop, theater and hangout joint for gamers."A lot of times, creativity is the child of constraints," said Joe Scott, the owner and founder. "I always wanted to build a movie theater. That was a lifelong dream. But it was too expensive to build."Scott, 32, studied film at UNC Greensboro before switching to become an English major and receiving a bachelor's degree. He worked for awhile as a freelance reporter at the News & Record in Greensboro while doing various side jobs. But he always wanted to go back to something that would play off his love of film.Since he was aiming for something smaller than a mainstream theater, he could aim toward more of a niche audience. And he had a love of geek culture, which draws together fans of comic books, video games, science fiction and more. Geeksboro doesn't sell comics, but it's just a few doors down from Acme Comics, one of Greensboro's most popular comic shops."A comic-book shop is alive with energy," Scott said. Though people can now buy comics digitally from the comfort of their own homes, they go out to comic shops to get together and talk about their fandom."It's a place to meet people who like the same things you do," Scott said. "I thought Geeksboro would serve that same energy."And he's been happy with the results. Geeksboro has gained a loyal following in less than a year."If there's something you want to do, and don't know how to do it, just start," he said.And why did he make it into a coffee shop?"I just really love coffee," Scott said. And he thought it was important to build a business that would still make money even on weeks when whatever movies were playing weren't doing big box office.He attended barista training and was "fortunate to hire baristas who know more about coffee than I do."One of them is Megan Hahn, 25, who also serves as Geeksboro's resident expert in Japanese anime and curates weekly screenings of old and new anime, every Monday at 9 p.m. for $6 admission, or $5 for college students."It's very positive," she said of the fan response to the scrself storageenings. Some people come to see shows they already like, but they want to see it in a group setting, while others come to try out shows they have heard about but haven't seen.Even the coffee counter has a geeky element, with rival tip jars set up so people can throw their tips toward one of two topics, such as Gryffindor or Slytherin, to cast their vote for which is their favorite. The topics change frequently."It's another way to instigate conversations," Scott said.The main floor of the shop is a roomy coffee house, with plenty of tables and couches, several TVs where people can gather to play video games, and a retractable screen, plus a meeting room in the back for private parties. Downstairs, there's a 45-seat theater with a 10-foot screen. Movie tickets are typically $8 or $6 for matinees, students and members of the military.In addition to the movies, there are video-game groups and tournaments, Friday night board game gatherings and weekly screenings of art-house movies from the prestigious Criterion Collection video label, and group screenings of popular shows such as "Breaking Bad" and "Doctor Who," where the programs are screened for free and customers support the shop with coffee and concession purchases. Those screenings often fill both the coffee shop and the movie theater, Scott said."The great part of watching a show with a group is you're surrounded by other fans," Scott said. "And afterward, you're surrounded by people you can talk to without worrying about spoiling it."One big draw on the main floor is the TARDIS replica, which was donated a high school theater director who didn't have room to keep it."He asked, did I want it," Scott said. "It was probably one of the easiest questions I've had in my life."People frequently stop and pose for photos in front of the TARDIS, and Scott has seen it turn up many times on Facebook.Ben Barnard, 38, of Greensboro, came with his two sons, ages 4 and 8, and two of their friends."It's awesome, and family-friendly," he said.Jess Titlebaum, 26, a student at UNCG, joined the shop's weekly Nintendo 3DS club with her boyfriend and has been coming since the shop opened, playing the handheld video game that syncs up with other gamers in the vicinity."We love this place," she said. "It's surprisingly social for geeks. We're generally an insular crowd.... I really like that gaming and geek culture have become more socially acceptable so kids aren't so alone."Tyler Cooper, who was playing "Injustice," also spoke of the social nature of the coffee shop. "Whether you like movies, playing video games or board games, everybody has something they can talk about," he said. "It's a very inviting environment."tclodfelter@wsjournal.com(336) 727-7371Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Winston-Salem Journal (Winston Salem, N.C.) Visit Winston-Salem Journal (Winston Salem, N.C.) at 2.journalnow.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉