In a world full of digital entertainment—movies, music, games, and more—some folks still appreciate the nostalgic feeling of playing cards and board games. Coming together with friends, family, or even strangers around a table to play a game can feel like somewhat of a pastime, but at
The Gaming Cantina, it’s nearly an everyday occurrence.
The new downtown Mt. Pleasant gaming store opened just six months ago in January 2025 at 217 S. Main Street.
Owner Brian "Bossman" Dempsey has been in the industry for over a decade, sharing his passion for gaming with Michigan residents at his other Gaming Cantina location in East Lansing, a seasonal spot in Jackson, and his previous storefront in Charlotte (of which he moved to Mt. Pleasant).
“We had a lot of customers that would come down from central Michigan to our store for tournaments,” shares Dempsey of his other Gaming Cantina storefront. “They expressed a lack of variety of stores in the area. I believe there is one other store in town. We carry some of the same games, but we carry a lot of games they don't carry, too. After talking with them, it made sense since we had opened up right off of MSU’s campus to keep the same business model of reaching out towards the college town areas and bringing some of the games we carry at our other locations to the Mt. Pleasant area.”
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Courtney Jerome / Epicenter Mt. Pleasant“To be able to have people sit down at the same table in the same room, bond over games, and talk face-to-face, I almost feel like it’s a lost art,” says Dempsey.
The gaming store sells a wide variety of games including playing cards, collectible card games such as Pokemon and Magic Gathering, roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, miniature painting supplies, miscellaneous gaming accessories, and a wide variety of board games—totalling thousands in stock.
Throughout The Gaming Cantina, character replicas are scattered around, from lifesize statues to role-playing figures in the storefront’s window. The building’s retro wood plank walls are adorned with Dungeons & Dragons character mounts as well, helping to create a tavern-like roleplaying atmosphere, along with Harry Potter floating light fixtures and refreshments available to purchase during playing.
“The general goal is to provide a fun space where people can come in, hang out, socialize and play,” Dempsey says. “We plan on hosting tournaments as we get more settled in, and to have events going on almost every day.”
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Courtney Jerome / Epicenter Mt. PleasantThe Gaming Cantina anticipates hosting future gaming tournaments as well as “speed dating” style gaming where individuals can come in and 1v1 against an opponent and try several games during each event.Since opening about six months ago, Dempsey says the local community response to the
new store has been positive.
“We don’t really do much traditional advertising, so a lot of it has relied on word-of-mouth,” he says. “People that have found us have told their friends who have told their friends. We do have some people that obviously would wish that we had more people coming in for some of the games that hadn’t been played in that area. We’re kind of building up players for that. The tournaments aren’t quite as large to start, but we’re growing every week. Hopefully by this fall, we’ll have a steady full house for each game night.”
Another goal Dempsey has for the business is to hire staff as the storefront grows.
“As long as the community is accepting and wanting more space, we have a few options we’ve looked into. We are willing to grow within the Mt. Pleasant area if the demand is there,” he says.
Although The Gaming Cantina doesn’t sell video games, they’re seriously considering hosting video game tournaments like Mario Kart Racing, Super Smash Bros., Guitar Hero, and family-friendly karaoke nights.
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Courtney Jerome / Epicenter Mt. PleasantThe Gaming Cantina in Mt. Pleasant has open tables with demo games, welcoming guests to come in to learn and try new games before purchasing.
This store owner says the favorite part about his job is the joy he gets from seeing people connect again.
“So many times, people get disconnected—both family and friends—because of digital media and video games,” he shares. “To be able to have people sit down at the same table in the same room, bond over games, and talk face-to-face, I almost feel like it’s a lost art.”
Dempsey has seen the positive impact these games can especially have on young people, including better grades in school, more confidence in peer-to-peer socialization, and participating in activities such as debate club, amongst others.
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Courtney Jerome / Epicenter Mt. PleasantWhile approaching The Gaming Cantina’s downtown storefront on S. Main Street, subtle gaming music (including familiar Disney tunes) can be heard from the sidewalk.
“We’ve been doing this for over 10 years, and I’ve got a lot of customers that have come in and said that being able to sit down at a table with people they don’t know, introduce themselves, and feel welcome to play has even helped them be more confident at job interviews,” Dempsey adds.
Gaming Cantina is open Thursday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., with extended hours anticipated in the fall.