Geek Retreat

Geek Retreat is a chain of franchised combined shops and board game cafés in the United Kingdom. The venues offer food, drink, and have various items for sale, while also providing a space to play board games, console games and trading card games. The venues also hold regular events.

History
The company opened its first venue in Glasgow in 2013. Its second venue opened the following year in Newcastle upon Tyne. It joined the British Franchise Association in 2021. In June 2021, it had 27 venues. In late 2022, as part of a program of streamlining the corporate entities within Geek Retreat Group, one of the sub companies within the group was put into liquidation. This process had no effect on trading or the wider group.

In June 2022, the Attack of the 50ft Nerds Podcast began to perform their shows monthly out of the Warrington venue, with one show in the Liverpool venue taking place in November 2022.

Business model
The individual venues are franchised. Entry is free and guests are asked to purchase food and drink.

Open Locations

 * Addlestone, opened July 2023.
 * Aberdeen, opened February 2022
 * Bedford, opened August 2021
 * Blackburn, opened June 2021


 * Burton upon Trent, opened February 2022
 * Bury, opened December 2020
 * Cardiff, opened November 2021
 * Chelmsford, opened August 2020
 * Coventry, opened March 2022
 * Dudley, opened June 2022
 * Glasgow, opened May 2013
 * Harlow, opened December 2022
 * Harrogate
 * Hartlepool, opened April 2023
 * Ipswich, opened October 2021
 * Kettering, opened February 2022
 * Kidderminster, opened 2021
 * Liverpool, opened April 2021
 * Newcastle upon Tyne, opened 2014
 * Newport, opened April 2022
 * Stevenage, opened June 2022
 * Stoke-on-Trent opened December 2021
 * Sunderland, opened April 2021
 * Truro, opened May 2021
 * Warrington, opened April 2022

Closed Locations

 * Bangor, opened October 2022 (closed 9 July 2023)
 * Barnsley, opened July 2022, closed 11 August 2023
 * Bristol, opened May 2022
 * Bournemouth, opened October 2020
 * Bradford, opened 2019
 * Bridgend, opened April 2022, closed November 2023
 * Chester, opened April 2022 closed January 2024
 * Cwmbran, opened June 2022, announced closure 31/08/2023
 * Daventry, opened October 2021
 * Dumfries, opened July 2021
 * Edinburgh
 * Exeter, opened May 2021
 * Galashiels
 * Greenock, opened April 2022, closed 30 June 2023
 * Halifax, opened April 2022, closed June 2024
 * Hereford, opened 2021, closed 18 April 2023
 * Lancaster, opened October 2022 (closed 6 March 2023)
 * Leicester, opened April 2021 (closed October 2023)
 * Leeds, opened April 2018, closed 3rd June 2024
 * Lincoln, opened August 2021
 * Lisburn, (Northern Ireland) opened 24 March 2021 (closed 10 July 2022, reopened under new management 1 October 2022, closed 18 April 2023)
 * Llandudno, opened March 2021 (closed 5 May 2023)
 * London Camberwell
 * London Holloway, closed 15 September 2023
 * London Sutton Opened January 2022 closed 28 March 2023
 * Loughborough, opened February 2022 (closed April 2022)
 * Middlesbrough, opened January 2020
 * Milton Keynes, opened 2021, closed 2022
 * Motherwell, opened November 2019, closing 20th June 2024
 * Northampton, opened October 2020
 * Northwich, opened August 2021, closed 12 August 2023


 * Nottingham, opened November 2020
 * Oxford, opened August 2021
 * Portsmouth, opened July 2021
 * Reigate, opened March 2022
 * Rotherham, opened Dec 2021, closed 24 May 2023
 * Southampton, opened 2021, closed 7 August 2023
 * Stafford, opened November 2021, closed 21 June 2023
 * St Helens, opened October 2021
 * Solihull
 * Southampton, opened 2021 (closed 7 August 2023)
 * Torquay, opened March 2022. Changed ownership December 2022, Closed July 2023
 * Wakefield, opened April 2021, closed 3rd June 2024
 * Wirral, opened 2019
 * York, CLOSED DEC 2023