Geek Retreat is a chain of franchised combined shops and game cafés in the United Kingdom. The venues offer food, drink, and have various items for sale, while also providing a space to play board games, console games and trading card games. The venues also hold regular events.
History
The company opened its first venue in Glasgow in 2013 (now closed). Its second venue opened the following year in Newcastle upon Tyne. (also closed) It joined the British Franchise Association in 2021. In June 2021, it had 27 venues, in October 2022 the network had grown to 57 but now down to 18 . In late 2022, as part of a program of streamlining the corporate entities within Geek Retreat Group, one of the sub companies within the group was put into liquidation.
Business model Most of the individual venues are franchised. The initial investment for franchisees as of September 2024 is approximately £75,000 and franchisees are expected to pay a monthly franchise fee of 8% gross and a marketing fee of 1%.
Open Locations Birmingham Blackburn, opened June 2021 Burton upon Trent, opened February 2022 Bury, opened December 2020 Cardiff, opened November 2021 Chelmsford, opened August 2020 Chester, opened April 2022 closed January 2024, reopened in Hobbycraft Dudley, opened June 2022 Harlow, opened December 2022 Harrogate Hartlepool, opened April 2023 Kettering, opened February 2022 Northampton, reopened October 2025 in Hobbycraft Stevenage, opened June 2022 Sunderland, opened April 2021 Warrington, opened April 2022
Closed Locations Aberdeen, opened February 2022, closed December 2025 Addlestone, opened July 2023. Left the franchise March 2024. Bangor, opened October 2022 (closed 9 July 2023) Barnsley, opened July 2022, closed 11 August 2023 Bedford, opened Aug 2021, closed Sept 2025 Bournemouth, opened October 2020 Bradford, opened 2019 Bridgend, opened April 2022, closed November 2023 Bristol Re-Opened July 2024, closed April 2025 Coventry, opened March 2022 closed 6th Feb 2025 Cwmbran, opened June 2022, announced closure 31/08/2023 Daventry, opened October 2021 Dumfries, opened July 2021 Edinburgh Exeter, opened May 2021 Galashiels Glasgow, opened May 2013, closed September 2025 Greenock, opened April 2022, closed 30 June 2023 Halifax, opened April 2022, closed June 2024 Hereford, opened 2021, closed 18 April 2023 Ipswich, opened October 2021, closed July 2026 Kidderminster, opened 2021, closed 2026 Lancaster, opened October 2022 (closed 6 March 2023) Leicester, opened April 2021(closed October 2023) Leeds, opened April 2018, closed 3 June 2024 Lincoln, opened August 2021 Lisburn, (Northern Ireland) opened 24 March 2021 (closed 10 July 2022, reopened under new management 1 October 2022, closed 18 April 2023) Liverpool, opened April 2021 (closed 22 July 2024) Llandudno, opened March 2021 (closed 5 May 2023) London Camberwell London Holloway, closed 15 September 2023 London Sutton Opened January 2022 closed 28 March 2023 Loughborough, opened February 2022 (closed April 2022) Middlesbrough, opened January 2020 Milton Keynes, opened 2021, closed 2022 Motherwell, opened November 2019, closing 20 June 2024 Newport, opened April 2022, closed May 2025 Newcastle upon Tyne, opened 2014, closed October 2025
Northwich, opened August 2021, closed 12 August 2023 Nottingham, opened November 2020 Oxford, opened August 2021 Portsmouth, opened July 2021 Reigate, opened March 2022 Rotherham, opened Dec 2021, closed 24 May 2023 Southampton, opened 2021, closed 7 August 2023 Stafford, opened November 2021, closed 21 June 2023 St Helens, opened October 2021 Solihull Southampton, opened 2021 (closed 7 August 2023) Stoke-on-Trent, opened December 2021, closing October 2024 Torquay, opened March 2022. Changed ownership December 2022, Closed July 2023 Truro, opened May 2021, closed June 14 2026 Wakefield, opened April 2021, closed 3 June 2024 Wirral, opened 2019 York, CLOSED DEC 2023
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