Indianapolis is getting a place called "Doughnuts & Dragons," and we're already jealous
Aux Features DoughnutsDoughnuts. Beer. Dragons.
Are you still with us? Probably so, because who on this steadily decaying planet isn’t into some combination of those three things? Blake Dollive of Indianapolis appears to have cracked the code, and is opening a chill spot called Doughnuts & Dragons which will sell locally crafted beer and specialized doughnuts while offering some board and role-playing card games for people to enjoy.
And what did it take for the word to spread like wildfire? A “coming soon” sign and the excited tweet of a person who clearly knows a cool thing when they see it. Nearly 3000 retweets and 16,000-plus likes solidify that yes, this is a winning business plan:
“I didn’t even post anything about the business,” Dollive told the IndyStar.
“Yesterday is the first time I posted on Twitter. A friend from high school texted me and told me people were talking about it…and showed me the tweet.” Dollive would like to open Doughnuts & Dragons sometime before Gen Con, the largest tabletop gaming convention in North America. Should things fall into place in time, the internet is already providing the best word of mouth anyone could ask for.
So if you’d like to maintain the momentum of opening smart businesses for the easily entertained adult, can we suggest Wine & Wizards, for the drinker who likes to debate Harry Potter theory? Just putting that out there.
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Dungeons and Drinking
Never drink and delve. Brought to you by Mindflayers Against Drunk Delving.
Can’t get your Int drained if you’re blackout drunk *pointing at head*.
Some GURPS supplement had drinking rules where drunk characters had penalties to most stats, but bonuses against mind control. I wanted to have an adventure where everyone got super drunk to fight a vampire or psionic monster; they’d barely be able to control their bodies, but the monsters couldn’t control their minds.
It’s not that the Illithids can’t handle the drunks, it’s just that they get a horrible hangover from second-hand psionic buzz.
I actually make initiative rolls better after a couple of brews.
Halflings & Half Sandwich and Cup of Soup Lunch Special
They would never leave.
“Can I get the tieflinguini without the capers?”
Every time a fresh batch gets made, the employees have to announce the flavour followed by a “…the first of it’s name.”
No, that’s Krispy Kreme’s job. And you can bet they’ll be waiting for this to happen so they can show everybody how it’s done.
I want the Pawnee franchise.
Start drooling, fatties!
Scones of Dunshire?
It could do well here. The Indianapolis market is absolutely saturated with game stores currently, but having beer on hand could certainly be helpful. This location will be right between two others game stores within a pretty short distance, though.
Will be curious to see how much of it is *game store* vs. *gaming space*. Books & Brews is very gamer-friendly, but it’s BYOG, and I’d say the food is just OK. Game Preserve does have that small back room behind the store, although I’ve never played there. Game Time has an absolute ton of play space and a decently sized store, but very poor marketing; I wonder how well the store does. But I’m pretty excited to have this place opening up so nearby!
Game Time, at least in the times I’ve been in there, is just the trashiest looking stereotype of a game store.
I’ve always wondered about monetizing gaming space, and how the model can work. By including drinks and food, it’s definitely more plausible, but I’m still not convinced it’s really a fantastic business model. I wish the owner’s all the best, but I’m dubious.
I’ve only been into Game Time once, just stopped in to see what it was all about, and they were hosting a M:tG tournament. So it’s like it was cosplaying “a trashy game store” in the middle of a trashy game store, LOL; that was probably the worst possible time to visit.Did you ever go to The Arsenal (or “The Arse,” as we called it), down in Fountain Square? It illustrated the failure of a gamespace-focused business model with a store and “food service” stapled on the back. We really liked the owners, they are good folks, but it was never gonna work. There was no table fee model, they seemed to rely on food sales only. The food was OK until the owner’s wife stopped working there, and then it was just sandwiches made by gamer dudes. Once I ordered a sandwich and they made it with the bread loaf’s heels. THE HEELS. (We laughed.)I’m hopeful that the drinks and food at this new spot are worth repeat visits, and that they can figure out a decent table usage model.
I think I stopped in there once, but never substantially. I’ve honestly never really understood gaming in public spaces; I’ve always just played games at people’s houses or apartments. But I get that not everyone can accommodate that.
For the last several years I’ve tended towards the Game Preserve, which may or may not be because I’m an occasional employee.
Also, unrelated, but I imagine there’s about a 50% chance you and I have at the very least met.
Ha, probably so, it’s not that big a town. Between Gen Con and Who’s Yer Con, I feel like a lot of the local gaming crowd gets to mingle a bit.
And at the most…?
Some kind of blood pact, I suspect.
Pork and Orks
Are you talking about the food or the patrons?
Neither. The wait staff are Orks.
So… Meat is back on the menu?…
Occasionally an ork works himself to death.
Yes.
That’s name seems to stray too far into the ‘Porn Parody’ territory.
Swords & Suds
Flails & AlesSpears and Beers
*Orcs(I’m a D&D truther)
Well, if we’re being all pedantic about it, it’s really Orch, Yrch for more than one.
I’m going with the AD&D (1e) original spelling, since I’m old and I’m only being partially pedantic about it.
Luncheons & Flagons.
Don’t be too jealous, it is in Indiana after all.
Haha, yeah, shit on other people! Fuck those guys! They live in a PLACE!
nounjoke ˈjōk
Definition of
(Entry 1 of 2)1a: something said or done to provoke laughterespecially : a brief oral narrative with a climactic humorous twistb(1): the humorous or ridiculous element in something(2): an instance of jesting : KIDDINGcan’t take a joke
Crap. Indiana was literally the last thing that was still safe to joke about. I guess nothing lasts forever. Humor had a really nice run.
Nah – you’re still good.
We’ll always have Idaho.
You forgetting Iowa? Like seriously Iowa? What the fuck?
What, Kentucky’s not up for grabs? Dammit…
i laughed at both your jokes. I regret nothing.
Indianapolis is home of Gencon, the world biggest gaming convention. To be fair it started in Wisconsin and only moved to Indy because the teamsters scared them away from Chicago
Yeah, the rumor was they only moved because Indiana is a right-to-Orc state.
Are you okay? I’m worried you dislocated your shoulder with that reach.
I appreciate your concern. All this punning can take a troll on a body.
Don’t forget Castle Law and the fact that our former governor (now VP) is basically Cardinal Richlieu. Plus, you can drive 10-15 minutes out of 465 in almost any direction and hit medieval/dark ages 3rd world squalor. It really is ideal.
It’s also a fact that Indiana is one of the nerdiest states in the country (as weird as it is considering it’s a Red state, we actually diversified our economy early with a lot of engineering and computer science jobs, bolstered by IU having the first Computer Science degree in the nation. So you have a shit load of DnD/video game nerds in the big cities (Indy, Fort Wayne, whatever the third largest is) which means a lot of nerd money potential (just as a real life example, in Fort Wayne (where I live) we have over 10 LGS dedicated to Magic: The Gathering in a city of only 266,000 people. Most have been in business for over a decade and do well. that level of market saturation for LGS is bonkers.
From what I’ve seen, it’s mostly a red state, but Indy is normally a blue blog in the middle.
all the big cities are blue strongholds (as well as Lake County) during most elections the spread has been around 60/40 by votes with rare exception (the obama flip in 2008 was a surprise) once you get out of the cities though it quickly turns to hill people territory that really hammers home why Indiana is called “The South of the North”.
Demographically, if you cut out everything inside 465 and remove its stats from the rest of the state, Indiana under-performs against Mississippi in EVERY metric.
At least one coffee blend has to be called “Roll for Initiative”.
The 6-pack of double espresso is called Mass Haste
That sounds more like a coffee/baked good combo.
Talk about putting the “die” back in “diabetes.”
roll for initiative was the secret password to enter my last orgy.
No. They should have a pastry called “Jelly Roll for Initiative”
Agreed. Roll a D4:1) Crit Fail, you get a plain glazed at the filled doughnut price2) Strawberry filled3) Custard filled4) Crit success: Apple filled with cinnamon sugar coating
This better be within reasonable walking distance from Gencon.
That’s a nope. Maybe near one of the cheaper not downtown hotels though
kinda glad it’s not, place would be way over capacity.
As a long-time fan of doughnuts, beer, and D&D, I can assure you I have a very specific concept of what “reasonable” means when paired with “walking distance.”
You can take the No. 19 bus (or take an Uber/Lyft or rent a BlueIndy electric car) from downtown to the retail area called Castleton where the donut shop will be located.
So it’s a quest.
Still can’t believe this blew up like it did. Blake had posted a picture of that sign on Facebook maybe a week before that tweet, had maybe 30 people like it. Then the tweet happened, and within a day, the Indianapolis Star was reaching out for an interview.
D&D and junk food!? Yeah, good luck with that idea.
Exactly why I’m opening up my RPG store/gym called Leveling Up. House rule is that during character creation everyone has to max out their strength attribute, bro.
Ugh. A gym full of dudes with a 6 Charisma.
So a gym.
3/5 of my D&D crew are personal trainers, one is scary big
Eff that. I’ll stick with Astro Doughnuts in DC. Home to not only the best doughnuts in DC but also the best fried chicken.
I’m picturing the tables at my local game store, only dusted with powered sugar and cinnamon, with maybe a few spots of jelly and creme here and there. Let’s play!
So, a standard table at a standard local game store then. 😉 😀
I have seen a few of these open then crash. I think you need to have good food and not take things too seriously. There was a restaurant opened by a bunch of rennies near me and the food was awful. They also took themselves way to seriously and creeped people out.
Makes me smile to see how mainstream D&D, and video games have gotten over the years.. It still blows my mind logging onto Twitch and seeing so many thousands of people are just watching others, especially seeing celebrities who are genuinely passionate about it. Really looking forward to seeing Relics and Rarities
I’m not touching those dice.
Instead of ID checks at the door, you have to answer a geek/nerdlore question:Bouncer: So you say you’re an old school gamer huh? What’s THAC0 mean?
This place is going to have lines around the corner during Gencon!
Maybe, maybe not. They’re something like 11 some miles from the convention center. Not sure a whole lot of the con goers are willing to get out that far. Then again, it only takes a few.
Yeah I did not realize how far it was from downtown. Probably won’t be for the folks that stay in walking distance but for those who get hotels out of the city center may take a ride over. Especially if it’s not as busy as the downtown restaurants and bars get
Oh yeah, there’s both a Gen Con housing block Sheraton and Marriott right nearby, both just about a mile away according to Google maps. Unfortunately there’s no straight shot – both hotels are separated from the place by the White River, and Marriott guests will also have to go around that subdivision’s artificial lake. But that shop will be right there, real close. According to Google maps, it’d be an easy stop on the way out to or back from the convention if they take the easternmost exit off the I-465 loop (Allisonville Rd.) instead of the other one (N. Keystone Ave).
Looks like it’s wedgie time.
I’ve been very underwhelmed with most hyped up donut shops. With very few exceptions, they all fail to make a decent donut. Just a bunch of toppings that end up being too much. Yes, I’m talking about Voodoo Donuts in particular, but many of the famous ones are not great. This seems risky as its gimmick does not focus on the donuts.
There was a “fancy” donut place in Melbourne (until it closed down due to horrendous business practices, including just not paying the staff), and that was always my experience: a bunch of toppings that never cohered into something that tasted appetising. I’m also of the opinion that most donuts are too sweet; the base donut should taste bready and slightly savoury, and then you add your sugar or cinnamon or icing for sweetness.
The owners of this planned new restaurant in Indianapolis were interviewed by the local newspaper and they said they plan to sell a variety of savory donuts (to go with the craft beer), along with sweeter ones.
Yeah, if you want a good doughnut in Portland, you’re really looking for Blue Star.
‘Doughnuts and Dragons’ makes me imagine a procedural show about a bunch of lazy, ineffective cops in a fantasy setting.“Ma’am, we can’t help you with your gelatinous cube problem. Yes, I know it absorbed your cat, and I’m sorry, but gelatinous cubes, slimes and oozes are public waste issues, not police. You need to contact the Sanitation Department.”
Not So Bright
Ogre glad we’re opening soon? You’ll be goblin down our doughnuts and dragon your friends in to succubus our beers! And Ki-Rin is always on special!
It’ll do better than Beet Juice and Boot Hill
See Doughnuts & Dragons is a riff on Dungeons & Dragons, because of the similar names. Wine & Wizards is a riff on nothing. Now if you wanted to call it Harry Pinot and the Half-Off Price you might be getting somewhere.
Because there’s nothing that DnD/RPG/nerd types, myself included, like batter than doing those things in public front of a crowd, on a whim.Yeah, I doubt this will catch on.Empty gimmick #1,389,580,007 – reviewed.I mean, when was the last time that something that got hyped solely because of an overexcited twittered got overexcited, panned out?Wait…ahhhhshit, you guys didnt tell me it had the word dragons actually in the name! Well in that case…
How sad is it that I had to read about this online to find out that this place is just a few blocks away from where I work.
Lame. So what. Who cares? There’s a bagel place opening up in Wichita, Kansas called Axes & Oh’s or Axes & HoHos (or whatever pun or play-on-words you can try to be clever about). Or a place in New York city opening up called Swords & Loxs. Etc…