We were lucky to catch up with Madeline Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Madeline thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

In college, where we met, my husband and I went to an intensive, very conservative work-study school that required much of our time and had strict rules about how we could utilize our limited free-time. After we got married, we were one of the few in our friend group that had a home outside campus. This provided a much need reprieve from the pressures of school, while still following the guidelines set in place. Several times a week we would host game nights where we set up folding tables anywhere we could fit in our 800 square foot home. We loved hosting and cooking for our friends. Every month, we would try to have a new game to teach our group of friends. We spent those years learning that there was nothing more important to us than community and how it can be strengthened by good food and great games.

When we moved to KC, we spent months researching, working on our business plan, and visiting other game cafes. This allowed us to learn how to take our love of community and make it into a business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

It took us a very long time to find the right place that believed in us. We met with investors and banks to fund us and heard the same thing over and over: “We love the idea but are concerned about your age and lack of experience.” We continued to refine our business plan, take classes, work with industry professionals, and show our concept in action at pop-ups. After months and months and a little bit of serendipity, we crossed paths with TableTop Game & Hobby and shop owners – Phil and Lynn Kilgore. We all met and discussed our plans. They wanted someone to open a cafe, to run events, and have an event space, and we wanted a place our customers could buy and learn about games. It was PERFECT.

It took us almost three years to develop our model with TableTop, but we opened January 5th, 2021 to an amazing community and have been loving it!

The pandemic was a huge hurdle for both companies. We were slated to open in the summer of 2020, but right before we signed out the lease in February 2020, we started hearing about the pandemic and decided to take some time to see what happened. By March, we knew we had to wait. But the timing has been perfect and we’re glad to see our community supporting us through these crazy times.

What’s neat about our story is the very same thing happened to Phil and Lynn. They opened TableTop in 1994 with an angel investor at our age and get to pass on the legacy!

I am most proud of listening to my gut. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said “I know this will work, just trust me.” It’s a unique business model in every area, from the free game library to the uniquely crafted menu. I also knew I didn’t want a wait staff, which a lot of people balked at. But an experience based model does not work with tipped staff and high turnover rates. And now, post-pandemic, a lot of businesses are changing to the mobile order and pay. This also allows people to play games freely without feeling like they need to give their table up.

Whether you are new to tabletop games, a seasoned veteran, or simply looking for a delicious meal, you are welcome at Cardboard Corner.

We strive to bring you great food and great games, a business where community is celebrated and strengthened, and a place where strangers can sit down to game and leave as friends.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth! When people have a great time playing games and engaging in our community, they share their experience with friends and family. I knew we were successful when we saw generations visit us. We have families come in where the great-grandma down to the grand-babies are playing games with us. It’s one of the best feelings to walk around and hear laughter in the space we created.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of the biggest challenges has been equipment. We opened and operate on a small budget, especially for a restaurant. We sourced all of our equipment ourselves and learned how to use it ourselves. We found budget friendly solutions for an oven and espresso machine that saved us thousands. However, these pieces of equipment require a lot more maintenance and have unique knowledge bases. We’re learning as we grow and adjust to the increased business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cardboardcornerkc.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/cardboardcorner
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cardboardcorner
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CB_Corner
• Other: https://discord.com/invite/ctReCRueZb https://www.tiktok.com/@cardboard_corner_kc https://linktr.ee/cardboardcorner

Image Credits
Erin Lorene Photography