Gaming Store Outgrows Space In A Year

Hobby Smith, a store that specializes in tabletop games such as 
Warhammer: 40k and Bolt Action, relocated to a larger shop after just a year in operation in Colorado Springs. Jessica and Rafael Rodriguez moved to the larger space in response to an enthusiastic community response.

The new location is a little over a mile away from the original spot. It has more than double the space than before, with about 2,500 square feet for shopping, gaming, and painting, Jessica said. The store was closed for four days during the move. Hobby Smith previously offered limited space for gamers to build, paint, and tweak their units, with three tables set up for gaming sessions. Given the store’s popularity, the 
Rodríguezes found themselves longing for more space.

“Everyone has been super supportive. We’ve grown way faster than we thought we would in the first year, which has been awesome,” Jessica said.

The larger new location means the store can carry even more games and may allow it to expand into other hobbies, like plastic models. The two have coordinated with the Japan-based giant Tamiya to bring its products, including paint, tools, glue, and model kits, to their store. Even with limited space at the old location, Rafael and Jessica continued to introduce new brands and games as their customer base grew.
“Over the last year, we’ve brought in different brands that we didn’t have before. We have Star Wars Legion, and now we have Monument Hobbies paints and Magic: The Gathering and lots more,” Rafael said.