Benevolent Badger is the board game cafe you didn't know you needed
Its owners want a space where everyone is welcome to eat, drink coffee and play board games into the evening.
When Jordan Simm, Melissa Wieland and Lacy Masters started Benevolent Badger, they had an idea for the kind of place that otherwise doesn’t exist.
There are board game bars in other cities, and there are coffee shops and cafes that might cater to a day-time crowd.
But a cafe focused on great food, board games and that stays open late? That’s unique to the Wausau area.
Simm, Wieland and Masters did just that when they opened Benevolent Badger in May.
The cafe is located in the Schofield business park near the intersection of Schofield Avenue and Bus. 51, right next to Odin Games and Hobby. That was a total coincidence, Simm told The Wausonian. But it’s one that worked out well, since board game events are one of the business’s specialties.
Simm said he doesn’t drink, and says it’s hard to find a place to hang out in the later hours that doesn’t involve alcohol. The cafe is the solution to that, and it’s filling a niche for people of all ages.
Besides a corner filled with board games for people to play - old classics such as Monopoly next to more complex games such as Ticket to Ride or even a Stardew Valley board game version - there is a corner with a giant Connect Four game (fun for adults and kids, Simm adds).
There are three areas I would say set Benevolent Badger apart:
The first are the specialty rooms. One is called The Library, and it’s meant to be a quiet study room. “Some nights it can get pretty rowdy in here,” Simm tells The Wausonian. “Like last night we had a Dungeons and Dragons group, and it can get kind of loud. So there is a room where other people can go and decompress. Others are rooms that people can reserve for special events or game nights.
The second are all the game nights Benevolent Badger hosts. They host everything from Dungeons and Dragons nights to Pokémon to monthly board game competitions. And with a hefty library of board games in the back, it can be a good place to try out some board games before you buy them, to see if you like them.
And while you play, there’s not only a coffee shop but also a cafe. The menu is filled with the kinds of food you can eat while playing games. Foods such as specialty pizzas, energy drinks and coffee adorn the menu. They like unique names for the food as well. My personal favorite: Buffy the Chicken Slayer. Also, there are healthy options. “I think we might have the most sugar-free and diabetic options available of anyone in the area,” Simm says.
I asked if they thought the cafe would be busier in the winter when people are cooped up and looking for more indoor activities such as playing board games. But they attracted plenty of customers in the summer months already, they said.
“A lot of our traffic was people traveling, and we would get late-night people saying, ‘Oh my gosh, Starbucks and Dunkin are closed, but you guys are open. And we need a drink because we have two hours to get home,’” Wieland told The Wausonian.
That pairs with the owners’ attitude toward customers - Wieland says they also say hello and goodbye to every customer. That type of thing usually helps lead to a positive impression.
Speaking of the name, Simm said The Lord of the Rings was an inspiration. He wanted a name that sounded similar to the alliteration in tavern names Tolkien would use, and Benevolent Badger fits that scheme while also paying homage to the state’s official mascot.
And benevolent also signals the welcome they intend to convey - that everyone is welcome at the BB. Everyone from a crafting group for seniors to LGBTQ groups to hardcore gamers has been taking to Benevolent Badger. Board games bring people together.
Thanks for subscribing to The Wausonian! If you haven’t subscribed yet, check out the free and paid options below to help support local journalism: