The Uncommons Llc
The Uncommons is Manhattan's first board game cafe, operating a single Greenwich Village storefront with seating for 65 and a 1,000+ title game library. It serves casual gamers, Magic: The Gathering players, NYU students, and corporate/private event clients through per-person gameplay fees, event hosting, and retail.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Uncommons Llc does
The Uncommons LLC operates Manhattan's first board game cafe, located at 230 Thompson Street in Greenwich Village on the NYU campus. Founded in 2013 via a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign and occupying the former home of the Village Chess Shop, the business combines a 65-seat cafe, a library of over 1,000 board games for in-store play, a Magic: The Gathering retail and organized-play program as a Wizards Advanced Store, and food and beverage service (including 30+ rotating beer selections and house wines). The cafe is open 363 days per year and operates with a 1-10 person team.
Revenue is generated through four primary streams: a flat per-person gameplay fee ($15 general admission, $10 student discount Mon-Thurs), private and group event reservations ($17/person for groups up to 12; $100-$350/hour private room for groups up to 24), retail sales of board games and MTG products (including authorized Cards Against Humanity distribution), and food/beverage plus gift card sales. Go-to-market is community-led, anchored by recurring MTG tournaments (Friday Night Magic, Commander, Standard, Drafts, GPTs, PPTQs, Pre-Releases), indie designer demos, Tabletop Day events, and earned media coverage from outlets including the New York Times, The New Yorker, and WNYC. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the single physical storefront with online reservation and Square gift card channels.
The business serves a fragmented consumer base including casual gamers, MTG competitive players, NYU students, corporate team-building clients, and birthday party hosts. Strategic partnerships with Wizards of the Coast, Cards Against Humanity, and indie Kickstarter creators differentiate the inventory and event programming. The company has no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or disclosed AI/ML capabilities; it operates as a single-location hospitality and retail concept.
The Uncommons Llc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Uncommons Llc
- Legal name
- The Uncommons
- Website
- https://uncommonsnyc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Uncommons is Manhattan's first board game cafe, operating a single Greenwich Village storefront with seating for 65 and a 1,000+ title game library. It serves casual gamers, Magic: The Gathering players, NYU students, and corporate/private event clients through per-person gameplay fees, event hosting, and retail.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Uncommons Llc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Board Game Cafe / Tabletop Gaming Hospitality
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gaming Café/Bar Hybrid Venues (Food & Beverage + Competitive Play) (MPAFALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Internet Cafes & Gaming Cafes (THAFADAI), Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers (CRALALAA), Family/Party Board Games Retail (CRALALAB)
Keywords
Where The Uncommons Llc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Uncommons Llc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Gameplay/Entry Fees: Flat per-person fee for access to 1000+ game library, three-hour gameplay sessions during peak periods. General admission $15/person; student discount $10/person Mon-Thurs.
- Event Reservations: Private room bookings for groups up to 24 people at $100-$350/hour including gaming fees. Group reservations for up to 12 people at $17/person.
- Game and Card Sales: One of Manhattan's largest game stores selling board games, Magic: The Gathering products, puzzles, and exclusives. Authorized Cards Against Humanity dealer with Kickstarter indie successes. Wizards Advanced store supporting MTG events.
- Food and Beverage: 30+ rotating bottles of beer including lambic, cider, ginger beer, ales, lagers, porters, stouts, IPAs. House wine (red, rose, white) by the glass, prosecco. Corkage fee for outside beverages.
- Gift Cards: Physical gift cards sold in-store and electronic gift cards via Square.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Entry - $15/person |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Student Discount - $10/person |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Group Reservations - $17/person |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Private Room - $100-$350/hour |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Corkage Fee - $10 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Cake Cutting Fee - $1/person |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Uncommons Llc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Uncommons operates Manhattan's first board game cafe at 230 Thompson Street in Greenwich Village, offering a 1,000+ title game library available for in-store play at a flat per-person fee, Magic: The Gathering tournaments and card sales, a food and beverage program featuring 30+ rotating beers, and private event and party hosting. The concept combines a 65-seat cafe with a retail game store and organized play space.
Product overview
The Uncommons is Manhattan's First Board Game Cafe, operating as a unified hospitality and retail concept that combines a café with seating for 65, an extensive board game library with over 1,000 titles for in-store play, Magic: The Gathering products and organized events, and board game retail sales. The core offering centers on the board game library & play service ($15 per person, $10 for students Mon-Thurs), supported by food & beverage, Magic: The Gathering products & events, board game retail, and private party/event hosting. The business occupies a historic Greenwich Village location and hosts various tournaments and casual gaming events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Board Game Library & In-Store Play Access to a library of over 1,000 board games available for in-store play for a flat per-person fee, covering classics, party games, Euro games, strategy, family-friendly, co-operative, and indie titles. Designed for casual gamers, families, friend groups, and visitors seeking social entertainment in Manhattan.
- Magic: The Gathering Products & Organized Play Sale of Magic: The Gathering cards, sets, and accessories plus hosted organized play events including Friday Night Magic, Tuesday Standard, Thursday Commander, Monday Drafts, GPTs, PPTQs, and Pre-Releases. Serves dedicated MTG players as a Wizards Advanced Store venue.
- Cafe Food and Beverage Service On-site cafe offering coffee, beer, wine, prosecco, and food options. Features 30+ rotating bottles including lambic, cider, ales, lagers, porters, stouts, and IPAs, plus house wine and prosecco by the glass, with a corkage fee for outside beverages.
- Board Game Retail In-store retail sale of board games, puzzles, collectible card games, and exclusive titles, including authorized Cards Against Humanity products and Kickstarter indie successes. Targets gamers and gift buyers in Manhattan.
- Private Event and Party Hosting Event hosting for birthday parties, corporate team building, and private gatherings with a private room accommodating up to 24 guests ($100-$350/hour including gaming fees), group reservations up to 12 at $17/person, and whole-venue bookings for larger groups (up to 72 standing or 60 seated for corporate events).
- Gift Cards Physical and electronic gift cards redeemable at The Uncommons, available for purchase in-store or online through Square.
Companies that use The Uncommons Llc
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Uncommons Llc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Uncommons Llc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wizards of the CoastcoreAuthorized Wizards Advanced Store supporting a wide range of Magic: The Gathering events including PPTQs, GPTs, Pre-releases, and Game Days. Carries current block sets and select out-of-print sets from 2013 and newer. Does not sell singles.
- Cards Against HumanitycoreAuthorized Cards Against Humanity dealer, one of the few retailers carrying this product.
- Kickstarter CreatorsminorPartners with indie game designers and Kickstarter campaigns. Offers exclusive Kickstarter indie successes and shelf space for indie games. Welcomes playtests and demos.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Uncommons Llc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Snakes & Lattes: Founded in Toronto, Snakes & Lattes is the most visible board game cafe chain in North America, operating venues where customers pay a cover fee to access a large board game library combined with food and beverage. Direct overlap with The Uncommons on the core "cafe + 1000+ game library + beer/wine" formula, and the most cited comparable concept in the category.
- Mox Boarding House: Bellevue/Seattle-area board game cafe with a 1000+ game library, full restaurant and bar, and a large retail storefront. Comparable in scale, scope, and the combination of library + F&B + retail, and a benchmark for how a board game cafe concept can be operated at fuller amenity level than The Uncommons.
- The Brooklyn Strategist: Brooklyn-based board game cafe offering a curated board game library, food and beer service, and private event hosting. Directly comparable to The Uncommons in NYC market, with very similar pricing model ($10-$20 per person gameplay fees) and target audience of casual to enthusiast gamers.
- Thirsty Dice: Greenville, SC board game bar/cafe combining a curated game library with a beer-forward beverage program and food. Directly mirrors The Uncommons' cafe + bar + library positioning, with similar target customer of social gamers and group event bookings.
- Hex & Company: NYC board game cafe offering a large board game library with food and beverage service, plus private events. Direct neighborhood competitor to The Uncommons, operating the same hybrid library/cafe model in Manhattan and competing for the same casual gamer, family, and corporate event segments.
- Knight Time Gaming Cafe: Multi-location board game cafe concept offering library access, food and beverage, and private event bookings on a per-person cover-fee basis. Closely comparable in operating model to The Uncommons, especially on group/corporate event revenue per hour.
- Castles & Crowns: Board game cafe concept combining a multi-hundred title library with full bar and casual food service. Operates with a comparable per-cover-fee gameplay model targeting adult social gamers and private events, directly comparable to The Uncommons' approach.
- Critical Hit Cafe: Board game cafe operating a paid game library entry model with food, drinks, and retail in a regional U.S. market. Same core playbook as The Uncommons: per-person gameplay fee, library access, F&B, and event hosting — making it a useful benchmark for unit economics in non-Manhattan metros.
Regional players
- The Portal Gaming Cafe / Quest Tavern: Multi-region board game bar/cafe operators (Reno, AZ, and similar markets) running the same gameplay-fee + library + bar + private events model as The Uncommons. Comparable on revenue mix and unit economics even though they do not compete in Manhattan.
Broad incumbents
- Barnes & Noble: National bookstore chain that has invested heavily in in-store cafes, game/puzzle sections, and curated lifestyle events. While not a board game cafe, it competes with The Uncommons for "third-place" leisure spend and the puzzle/hobby retail basket, and its events calendar is increasingly oriented around board gaming and pop culture.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Uncommons Llc social profiles
Digital presenceThe Uncommons Llc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Uncommons Llc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Uncommons Llc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Uncommons Llc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Uncommons Llc
What does The Uncommons Llc do?
The Uncommons operates Manhattan's first board game cafe at 230 Thompson Street in Greenwich Village, offering a 1,000+ title game library available for in-store play at a flat per-person fee, Magic: The Gathering tournaments and card sales, a food and beverage program featuring 30+ rotating beers, and private event and party hosting. The concept combines a 65-seat cafe with a retail game store and organized play space.
Is The Uncommons Llc a public or private company?
The Uncommons Llc is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Uncommons Llc founded?
The Uncommons Llc was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Uncommons Llc based?
The Uncommons Llc is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Uncommons Llc make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Gameplay/Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Reservations, game and Card Sales, food and Beverage and gift Cards.
Who are The Uncommons Llc's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Snakes & Lattes, Mox Boarding House, The Brooklyn Strategist, Thirsty Dice, Hex & Company, Knight Time Gaming Cafe, Castles & Crowns and Critical Hit Cafe. The Portal Gaming Cafe / Quest Tavern is listed as a regional player. Barnes & Noble is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Uncommons Llc have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Uncommons Llc.
What industry is The Uncommons Llc in?
The Uncommons Llc's product category is Board Game Cafe / Tabletop Gaming Hospitality. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFALAD, Gaming Café/Bar Hybrid Venues (Food & Beverage + Competitive Play), with a secondary code of THAFADAI, Internet Cafes & Gaming Cafes. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.