Game enthusiasts prepare to open urban-style cafe in downtown Easton - 69News WFMZ-TV

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EASTON, Pa. - Two Easton residents are turning their passion for playing board games into a business. 

Neighbors Mik Matiss and Barbara Vasconez will open Punch Out Games later this year at 161 Northampton St. That downtown spot was once the site of a Thai restaurant.

Their goal is to bring the big-city experience of the board-game cafe to Easton.

"We're going to have a lounge atmosphere," Matiss (pronounced Matisse, like the painter) said.

Initially, Punch Out will be a BYOB cafe, though the founders plan to get a liquor license. They will serve food, too, including snacks, sandwiches and more, but do not expect meals that do not mesh with the mechanics of games.

"We don't want to serve messy food because people are playing board games," and cards and game pieces need to stay clean, Matiss said.

Chips, popcorn, paninis, fried rice and macaroni and cheese are potential menu items. Foods that drip, such as pizza, are out.

Matiss and Vasconez have been holding pop-up game events since last year, but in a few months, they will have their own venue.

The cost will be $5 per person for the first two hours, and $5 per hour after that. That includes the use of hundreds of choices from a wall of games. 

Punch Out will carry some old standards: Risk, Uno, Clue, while others are a little more far out: Jaws (based on the movie), Forbidden Desert and Quacks of Quedlinburg.

The cafe also will sell games. Punch Out may add a few video games, but the focus will be on board games.

Matiss has a background in event planning, while Vasconez works in the film industry. They see Easton as a city that is changing, on the move, and they are investing in Punch Out to be part of that.

"This is an emotional and financial investment for us," Vasconez said.

The business partners say their goal is to bring the kind of urban game-playing cafe found in New York and Philadelphia to Easton. The city's population is growing, creating an opportunity for new venues for residents. 

"Easton is one of the best communities I've lived in," Matiss said. "Easton is on an upswing and as it changes, we want to add something that will be part of that."

Vasconez said the Greater Easton Development Partnership, a non-profit organization that promotes the economy and culture of the city, helped them find the right spot for Punch Out.

Within a few months, the founders can announce, "Let the games begin!"

They have some advice to players:

"Have fun and don't be a sore loser," Vasconez said.

"No cheating!" Matiss warned. "Unless you don't get caught."

Punch Out Games will have the capacity for about 100 people, with planned hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and perhaps later on weekends. There is no opening date yet, but the partners are shooting for early fall.

Game list, etc.

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