When someone says gaming what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Play Station 3? New video game zone in the City? PC games that you need to download? Well, these are precisely the thoughts that Brew haha is trying to change. Started ten months ago, this conceptual cafe is the brainchild of Mansur Ahamed and Sreeram V. They have a familiar Bangalore story - young graduates from a respectable college, in this case IIM- Ahmedabad, take up mainstream jobs and finally decide to take a different career path. Mansur owned a game studio, TigerTail Studios and Sreeram was with Microsoft when they decided to set up an entertainment lounge of their own.
“In Bangalore, there isn’t much to do. When you go out with friends and family, you go for a movie, have dinner and then what? Some people head for a pub, but most don’t really have an alternative. Brew haha is a place where you can have lots of fun!”
In a time when board games seem to be outdated, Brew haha, from the time it has opened, has managed to create a fairly good fan following. So how did they manage that? Says Sreeram, “In India, there is a misconception that board games are chess and ludo. It’s considered boring compared to PC games. But actually in many countries , the board gaming culture is huge. Almost all the games in Brew haha are imported. We have almost 95 games with us.” You can be a group of two or twenty, the cafe has games. Mansur and Sreeram believe that it’s a great way to spend time with people.
It’s interesting when they point out the advantages of using board games. “Board games are all about interaction. They are fun but it’s more fun because of the people you play with. In computer games, even if it has multiple players, you get immersed in the game world. They are not conducive to talking as opposed to board games. We love hearing people screaming with joy or disappointment, having conversations - the games create a great atmosphere!” says Sreeram.
With no publicity, they have managed to keep going based on word of mouth publicity. “So many customers blog about their experiences here and it feels great because it means they liked the place enough to take time out to actually write about it. We have had many people come back with friends, ” says Sreeram. He had hardly completed the sentence, when a group next to us starts screaming in excitement; And that is definitely what sets this place apart - the ambience. Depending on what time you walk in (it’s open from 10 am to 10.30 pm) you can find a bunch of college kids engrossed in gossip, eating and playing a slow game or a family who’s come in to spend time together; couples and game enthusiasts! The place certainly has a great ambience, with a feeling of an actual community-driven entertainment space, and the floor seating option with cushions is definitely an added advantage!
They also organise group activities for corporates. The young owners are enthusiastic gamers themselves and foodies too. The cafe has multi-cuisine menu with short eats, coffees, teas, frappes and much more. The Calvin Brew is one of the highlights! The Poha, the Portafella Revenge sandwich and the Blueberry Cheesecake are worth a try. The food is reasonably priced and the games cost you Rs 20 per person per hour. Taboo, Modern Art, Bang and Quoridor... are some popular games. So if you want to spend time with friends, have fun while using your grey cells - Brew haha is the place to be! Brew haha is located at Koramangala 5th Block, next to the Jyoti Nivas College Main Gate.
