Our Story
How Board N Brew Came To Be
The Ly family has always been close. As a family of five boys, the brothers shared in many activities and interests growing up, from family road trips to California, to playing hockey together, to watching (and participating in) wrestling. Despite an age gap of 15 years from the oldest brother to the youngest, the relationships among these boys grow stronger with fond memories and the making of new ones.
One thing that has brought the brothers even closer together now that they are older is board games.
It started back in the post-high school days, with Marius, the second-oldest Ly brother, and Simon, Marius’ best friend (forever). With his constant craving for durian bubble tea, Simon would convince Marius and their other friends to gather at a local bubble tea joint for bbt and games. BANG! was the first game they recalled playing. They then moved on to another classic, Sequence, and then the legendary Settlers of Catan. From there, the love of games snowballed.
Fast forward to six years ago. Before he knew it, Marius had amassed upwards of 250 board games, organized neatly in a bookshelf in his basement. After years of playing games with friends in the evening and on the weekends, the personal collection just grew and grew. Playing games was a quality way of spending time together and a shift from always being connected to technology and social media.
It didn’t take long for the other Ly brothers, Graeme, Arthur, and Jason to join in on the fun as well. Hanging out over board games brought people from their busy individual lives for a few friendly, competitive hours together.
For Marius, Graeme, Arthur, and Simon, this passion has led to their latest endeavor, the Board N Brew Cafe. The cafe, or BNB for short, will be the brand-spankiest, newest, shiniest place in Edmonton to fill an appetite for board games, brews (both coffee and beers), and food alike.
We can’t wait to see your face at BNB and watch as you and your crew conquer the real-estate market in Monopoly, build your legacy on the island of Catan, and embark on a cross-country train adventure with a ticket to ride.
Cheers from the partners of Board N Brew!