With two locations now running in Prague, including its newer space in Palmovka, Bohemia Boards & Brews is entering a new phase focused less on expansion and more on building its role as a social hub.

This summer, the board game café is placing renewed focus on both venues and the role they play in the city’s social life. We spoke with founder Douglas Kaufman about how the concept has evolved and why it still resonates today.

Bohemia Boards & Brews combines a café, bar, and a library of hundreds of board games, built around the idea of a shared “third place” — somewhere outside home and work where people can meet and spend time together.

“The concept of the board game café was just catching on in the US and Canada, spearheaded by Snakes & Lattes in Toronto,” Kaufman says. “It offered a place with a cool vibe and friendly atmosphere, serving food and drinks while giving people a space to play games.”

Before this model existed in Prague, he recalls, options were limited and often improvised. “If you wanted to play games and didn’t want to go to someone’s house, you either went to a pub with your own games in tow or to a library or social club, usually tucked away in a basement without much atmosphere or proper refreshments.”

Prague, with its strong pub culture and interest in board games, seemed a natural fit, even if the concept was untested locally. “We were really gambling on our conviction that it would catch on,” he says.

Today, Kaufman describes BB&B as a “third place” that helps reduce the pressure of modern social life. “Anyone can come, connect with friends, and not feel the pressures of having to get drunk or fend off unwanted attention,” he says. “You don’t even need to deal with the pressure of being entertaining – the structured nature of games does that for you.”

He adds that games themselves are central to the experience. “The games are the catalyst for these real-world connections, and BB&B is the environment we’ve created to make that happen.”

Guests typically choose from a large library of games or are guided by staff known as Game Gurus. “They’ll even teach you something if you’d like,” he says. “Then you spend time with your friends playing, talking, and enjoying food and drinks while we take care of the rest.”

The business has had to adapt to wider economic and social shifts in recent years. “We’re a disposable-income business, so we’re generally among the first to be affected by societal changes,” Kaufman says. “I don’t think we’ve had a year since COVID that we weren’t adjusting to a new ‘new normal.’”

He describes a volatile period following the pandemic. “Immediately after the pandemic, we saw huge crowds as people craved going out again. Then inflation hit and suddenly all of our costs jumped by 25%, while customers had less disposable income.”

The Palmovka location builds on lessons from the original space in Vršovice, which had a strong atmosphere but also clear structural limits. “People really responded to the coziness of the original location. However, it has its drawbacks; a tiny kitchen where you can’t have a full menu, no foot traffic, no outdoor seating, no lunch trade, limited public transit.”

Palmovka, by contrast, offers more space and visibility. “It’s a much nicer space in a historic building with huge windows and tall ceilings,” he says. “With nearly double the floor space, we now have the capacity to focus more on events and community building.”

 

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The rollout has not been without challenges. A planned seasonal shift coincided with unexpected construction work. “We recently launched our ‘Summer in Palmovka’ campaign, temporarily hibernating Vršovice for the season and focusing on the new location,” he says. “The very next day, our landlord informed us there would be reconstruction work on the building, meaning no outdoor seating for several weeks.”

Looking ahead, Kaufman frames the project around social connection rather than expansion alone. “My hope is that BB&B continues to be a place where people put down their phones for a few hours and genuinely connect with each other,” he says.

“If we can help create more friendships, relationships, communities, and memorable evenings in Prague, I’d consider that a success.”

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