Balance Patch Will Give Allston Gamers a Place to Eat and Play

Games and food will come together once again in Boston, courtesy of a new cafe slated to open in Allston this spring. Balance Patch will be a spot for customers to play video games, eat snacks, and drink coffee, and it will open along Commonwealth Avenue near the Paradise Rock Club, according to Boston Magazine.

The space formerly housed a recording studio, and a full renovation of the 6,300-square-foot space is underway. The cafe will feature booths outfitted with consoles where gamers can bring their own controllers and games to play, or they can choose from a stock of games within the cafe, founder Peter Lind told Boston Magazine. There will eventually be competitions and tournaments and possible partnerships with local schools’ gaming clubs.

The cafe itself will have a selection of pre-set and customizable sandwiches, coffee (including cold brew) and more. There is no charge to get inside, and time in the gaming booths can be purchased by amount of time, with one-hour blocks going for $6.50, according to the website.

“Our goal is to create a fun, unique environment for video game and e-sport enthusiasts to hang out with people who share similar passions. Our primary focus is to create a place people can come to play on our high end PCs and other gaming devices. We want to provide a unique setting where people can come to meet and learn from others in a welcoming environment,” the site reads.

Balance Patch is targeting a May opening date.

For those who prefer arcade-style gaming, Roxy’s Central/A4cade debuted in Cambridge earlier this year, preceded by Salem’s Bit Bar in June 2016. The Boston area is also welcoming to those who want to eat and drink while playing board games: Knight Moves opened in Brookline in late 2013 and expanded to Somerville in 2016. A “medieval-style” video gaming spot called Portal Game Bar & Lounge was previously in the works, but the project seems to have come to a halt following a failed Kickstarter campaign in late 2015.

• Balance Patch Boots Up in Allston [BM]
• Balance Patch [Official Site]