The idea for Round Table began while sitting around a table eating good food, playing board games and laughing with friends and family. The heart of it was and still is that “it’s not about the game.” We exist to create a community where anyone and everyone: kids and adults, beginners and experts, friends and strangers gather and create new memories together. Because it’s all about the people with you sitting around the table.
I am Rosa Vela, co-founder of Round Table. I found my love for board games when my husband Matt and I were first married. I played a game with his family called ‘Bang!”. It wasn’t like any game that I had ever played before. When I had played games in the past, it was always pretty compteition-focused. This time, as we played we were laughing, talking and spending quality time together. To this day I love playing this game with them, mostly because we end up laughing so hard that we cry.
Over the years we have played and tried so many other games, too. Dominion is another one of my favorites, mostly because I win haha… just kidding. Dominion is a great game that starts out complex but feels simple once you get the hang of it. Those are just two of very many games that I truly enjoy.
Playing board games as a family has taught me that the beauty and joy of games is the connection, the laughter and the memories we make with every game. It’s not about just cards or pieces of plastic and cardboard with a set of rules. It’s really about who you are playing the game with.
So, why start a board game café? To offer what I have learned to treasure to others. To create an environment where people can play games with old friends as well as new friends, can laugh, make memories and spend some quality time together. Because… it’s not about the game.
My name is Matt Vela, co-founder of Round Table. If you haven’t seen my better half’s ‘About Me’, go there first! Without her none of this is possible.
I fell in love with board games early on in my childhood. I played games like Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, Risk, Phase 10, Cribbage and so many others. It was pretty firmly instilled in our game play that it is never about winning or losing.
In high school and college, I found myself in a group of friends that frequently gathered together with food and games like Settlers of Catan, Hero Quest and Dungeons & Dragons. The games were fun but it never mattered what we played. We just enjoyed being together. You might be seeing a theme.
Even now when I find myself surrounded by friends and/or family playing games, what matters is not what game we are playing but who we are with.
On Rosa’s ‘About’ page she states “It’s not about the game. It’s about who you are around the game with.” This is truly what we believe! A game is just paper and plastic. The people are the most import part of the game.
Our Future Plans
Round Table was an idea born out of a desire to create a community and a place where anyone and everyone is welcome to gather around a table, eat good food, play games, laugh and form lasting relationships.
Our plan to achieving that type of place and community are to host pop up board game events throughout 2023 and 2024 around Knoxville to create momentum to launching a physical board game cafe in 2025