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A game store with a focus on fantasy and role-playing has opened in the downtown Belfast space that hosted a similar business — All About Games — for almost 30 years until it closed in mid-February.
After a decades-long career as a software engineer, Jack Lawson recently decided to launch the business, called White Rabbit Emporium, to turn his longstanding gaming hobby into his next chapter. Since his teenage years, he has been an avid collector and player of dice, cards and other games, including Dungeons & Dragons, and he recently decided it was time to make a change in his life.
Moving into the former All About Games building at 78 Main St., which he is leasing for now, felt like the right thing to do.
“I wanted to do real things for real people,” he said. “I saw the opportunity and I thought, ‘Maybe it’s time for a career change, to do something really enjoyable.’ I’ve been playing board games my entire life; I’ve been playing D&D forever.”
The name of the new store is a reference to the white rabbit in “Alice in Wonderland,” which Alice follows down a hole and into a new world, and Lawson plans to make more references to the classic story in the setup of his store.
Lawson held a soft opening for the White Rabbit Emporium about a month ago and is now building up its inventory, decor and staff. He said he plans to officially open the store once he has purchased the building and put up permanent signs.
Lawson said there’s already been strong interest among both customers and potential workers.
“There is nowhere to get this, unless you drive to Bangor or Portland,” Lawson said. “The closest place you can go is either Amazon or some online marketplace. I’ve had 12 applications in two weeks from people that used to come here, work here, shop here and say, ‘I really want to make this place happen,’ which really has reinforced the fact that people are looking for these kinds of things. I was hoping to provide that to the community.”
Lawson said he also aims to create a gaming space in the back of the store that’s inspired by The Game Loft, an after-school program that had operated out of the same building as All About Games before they both closed around the same time. For now, he plans to host events at the store with a local all-ages gathering called Boardgame Cafe that meets Wednesday evenings in Belfast.
Another group called Phoenix Knights Gaming has also tried to continue the mission of The Game Loft at other locations in Belfast, but Lawson said he has no concrete plans to partner with them.
Lawson’s business goal is twofold: he wants to offer entertainment to area residents and visitors, and to promote the unique work of independent game developers who might otherwise go unnoticed.
He carries trading card games including Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon, as well Dungeon & Dragons-themed games and others that are more like board games. Aside from the independent games he’ll sell, he also plans to carry a smaller selection of classic games, such as Monopoly and Scrabble that are changed out seasonally.
“It’s crazy how quickly I’ve gotten regulars,” Lawson said, referring to the steady stream of customers of various ages parading through his doors. “I have people in here all the time.”
Among those regulars are Oslo Ting and Silas Ociepka, both 14, who dropped in twice on Thursday afternoon in search of Magic cards.
“I’ve been here, probably at least six times now, maybe more,” said Oslo. Silas, who previously attended The Game Loft weekly, now stops by about twice a week.
“It’s extremely rewarding,” Lawson said. “Seeing the delight on a kid’s face when they come in, their grandparent buys them a fun game that they can play together, and knowing that they’re going to take these games and play them, and create memories for their family … I feel good about what I’m doing.”
