# 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 October 2022 the network had grown to 57. 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.

## Business model

Most of the individual venues are franchised. The initial investment for franchisees as of September 2024 is approximately £75,000 and franchisees are expected to pay a monthly franchise fee of 8% gross and a marketing fee of 1%.

## Open Locations

* Aberdeen, opened February 2022
* Bedford, opened August 2021
* Blackburn, opened June 2021
Bristol Re-Opened July 2024
* Burton upon Trent, opened February 2022
* Bury, opened December 2020
* Cardiff, opened November 2021
* Chelmsford, opened August 2020
* 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
* Newcastle upon Tyne, opened 2014
* Newport, opened April 2022
* Stevenage, opened June 2022
* Sunderland, opened April 2021
* Truro, opened May 2021
* Warrington, opened April 2022

## Closed Locations

* Addlestone, opened July 2023. Left the franchise March 2024.
* Bangor, opened October 2022 (closed 9 July 2023)
* Barnsley, opened July 2022, closed 11 August 2023
* Bournemouth, opened October 2020
* Bradford, opened 2019
* Bridgend, opened April 2022, closed November 2023
* Chester, opened April 2022 closed January 2024
* Coventry, opened March 2022 closed 6th Feb 2025
* 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)
* Liverpool, opened April 2021 (closed 22 July 2024)
* 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)
* Stoke-on-Trent, opened December 2021, closing October 2024
* 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