A Metro Vancouver gamer cafe has closed, citing costs, construction, and uncertainty.
The Raving Gamer in Langley announced its sudden closure on Tuesday, Jan. 21, citing "ever-increasing cost of business, economic uncertainty, and impending 48 months of SkyTrain construction."
The cafe is located at 5735 203 St. in Langley's downtown; the Langley City Centre Station is being built across the road at the intersection of Industrial Avenue and 203 Street.
"We want to thank you all for the years you have given us and we apologize for any inconvenience our sudden shutdown will cause you, but some of this is not our choice and we have to do what is necessary in the face of the situation," reads a social media post.
The Raving Gamer grew out of the Black Walnut Catering Co., which has also closed. The catering company started around 2016, while the gamer cafe opened in April of 2019.
Previous posts over the years from the company on social media noted issues that affected the state of things, including slow-moving permits prior to opening and food inflation costs.
"Over the past month we have seen a 30 per cent increase in [the cost of] our proteins, 20 per cent increase in [the cost of] vegetables and 20 per cent increase in [the cost of] dairy," reads a post from 2022.
Locals have expressed disappointment at the closure.
"Oh nooooo!!! 💔. You made something amazing and we will always have the family memories because of you. Thank you," reads a comment from Locality Brewing, a Langley beer maker.
"Gutted to read this. A favourite of many of us, run by really great people," reads another comment, from the Langley Chamber of Commerce.
"Oh my this is very unfortunate news indeed 😭. The board game community owes you all a great deal of gratitude for being such an incredible influence to countless patrons for as long as we can remember," reads a comment from Vancouver-based Eruptious Games.
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