LUDORATI
Nicholas J Higgins, managing director of the Nottingham board games café, discusses the growing popularity of mixing the tabletop with tea – and reveals the best dice and drink combinations
How and when did Ludorati come about?
Ludorati had been an idea for some time, since Snakes & Lattes opened in Toronto back in 2009. However, it started to become a serious proposition once I was able to create some free time from my main business and had set-up Ergo Sum Games to publish a number of games.
Ludorati took two years to develop as a business plan and put into operation.
Why did you decide to open a board games café?
A number of other cafes were opening in the UK, and so it seemed a good time to launch.
I’ve been a boardgamer for most of my life and always dreamed of having somewhere that people could play many games.
It was also a means of direct contact with our own published games, which we felt was important.
What were the key things you wanted to achieve with Ludorati?
One: a space where people could just come and enjoy themselves for hours playing board games and roleplaying games, as well as buying them, appealing to a wide audience.