Crooked T Gaming Tavern is a passion turned business from the mind of owner Benjamin Crook that was born during a difficult time in his life as he cared for his father battling cancer. Crook’s goal in the business is to successfully bring friends and family together over a shared love of discovering new adventures, all in the comfort of a cozy space while offering an inviting menu of food options and beverages. Located at 8900 Mentor Ave., Suite K, in Mentor, Crooked T Gaming Tavern is open Tuesdays through Fridays 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays 2 to 11 p.m. and Sundays 2 to 9 p.m. The restaurant opened in August. Crooked T Gaming Tavern in Mentor offers food and beverage and an array of classic games for patrons to enjoy while dining. (Courtesy of Crooked T Gaming Tavern) “I had thought about concept of starting a board game accessory business a few years back but never took initiative to take it further,” Crook said. “During the course of my father’s treatments and care, I had spent more time exploring the idea, but expanded the thought to include food and drinks (bar). My father had previously came up with a business plan of his own for a pizza delivery food truck that he spent years talking about. I took the base template from his business plan and he helped me make some appropriate changes or estimations.” Crook’s now deceased father was someone he greatly respected as a parent and a businessman as well. He had a master of business administration, and his whole career was based on optimization of business processes. “I would constantly run ideas by him throughout the process,” Crook said. “I would say the decision was based on a path that had been created while growing up. Having a business-oriented parent, as well as other friends and family members who currently own successful restaurants or businesses probably helped facilitate the idea of starting my own business.” Crooked T Gaming Tavern opened on Mentor Avenue in Mentor in Aug.. (Courtesy of Crooked T Gaming Tavern) Crook said because of everything going on with his father’s cancer treatment, he never played any board games with him. He had a copy of Wingspan that Crook intended to play with the family but never got around to it. “We did not play many board games growing up, but I did spend time with different friend groups having game nights,” Crook said. “Various game nights are how I got interested in tabletop gaming. This experience had then extended to RPGs like D&D.” Related Articles Restaurants Food and Drink | Recipe: This fast version of chicken soup is handy if you get a cold Restaurants Food and Drink | Brown Butter Farina Porridge is a warm breakfast for chilly mornings Restaurants Food and Drink | Five Northeast Ohio wineries collaborate on Turkey Trot Restaurants Food and Drink | Aprons can evoke memories and spark inspiration for the Thanksgiving cook Restaurants Food and Drink | Recipe: Fuyu persimmons make a tasty fruit compote to serve on ice cream The mix of gaming and food goes beyond simple bar fare. “We sell more flatbreads than anything else,” Crook said. “We started with three originally and now have six. The pizza cupcakes have been more popular as a shareable item among parties. We did recently added a couple salad options which we have received positive feedback on. We have also added some desserts to the menu which are made in-house. “Our menu will continue to expand in future months. We love trying out new dishes for specials.” Crook said he hasn’t had a lot of requests for games aside from some that the tavern doesn’t yet own. He will often give suggestions for games based on what the guests are looking to play. “I see most commonly played though would include popular titles like Splendor, Betrayal at House on the Hill, UNO, Ticket to Ride, Wingspan, Ultimate Werewolf, Blokus and generally party card games, often in the comedic genre,” Crook said. “To me the experience is more about the time spent connecting with the people around you. Enjoying the company or friends, family or people you just met. I want guests to come in and find enjoyment in the experience. Ultimately be happy when you leave our establishment. “My goal is to help facilitate happy, fun memories,” he added. “There is a different level of engagement with your peers while playing tabletop games versus sitting on your phone or video games. I think this type of connection among groups of individuals is still an essential part of living life.” Crook said they have an “interesting” cocktail list in which they try to make some fun/interesting drinks. “We change our cocktail specials every week based on the trivia theme for that week, which is on Tuesday,” Crook said. “We are also working on slowly expanding our liquor selection, as to have a bit of a wider selection than some may have. We like to come up with clever names and descriptions for the cocktails on the menu in hopes to give the guests something additional to smile about or get a little laugh. “We also have the two private rooms available to rent out for a more immersive game-play experience.” To view the menu or to see the available games, go to crookedtgaming.com.