August 3, 2020 11.20 am This story is over 42 months old

Lincoln board games cafe closing due to COVID-19

Lockdown and restrictions are making the business unviable

A board games cafe offering over 300 titles for people to play on Lincoln High Street will close this autumn due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

Red Panda Gaming Cafe, which is opposite Fever & Boutique, opened in Autumn 2018. Owner Alex Kirk-Bellamy is finding it difficult to continue the business during lockdown and decided the venue will close on Saturday, October 17.

Red Panda was included in The Lincolnite’s Hidden Gem series last year and Alex said he hopes to stay friends with the amazing people he’s met along the way when the cafe’s doors finally close.

Red Panda Gaming Café is something of a hidden gem in Lincoln. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

An announcement on the cafe’s Facebook page said: “This has not been an easy decision but due to the current situation I am finding it difficult to continue the business, and the option to close has become the most favourable.

“I’d like to say sorry to the community that we’ve built up over the past two years, you’re all fantastic and I’ve met some amazing people who I hope to stay friends with when our doors finally close.

“Red Panda was never just a place to play games, but a place to meet people, laugh and be safe, and I hope we achieved that in one way or another.”

Red Panda Gaming Café has over 300 titles to try. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Schemes such as Play & Buy will be introduced in which customers can purchase games from the cafe’s library with discounts when renting a table.