A popular Winnipeg board café is doing okay - for now.

In the tough financial times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems no local business has escaped some form of struggle.

Olaf Pyttlik is one of the owners of Across The Board Game Café. Located in Winnipeg's Exchange District, the café is usually a bustling hub for board game enthusiasts and those looking for a unique social experience.

The business on Bannatyne Avenue offers visitors a café experience involving the typical coffee and handmade food, best enjoyed over one (or several) of the café's more than 1,600 board games.

d game is a german game called Kuh Andel, german for "cow trading.

"It's kind of a mixture of obnoxious and loud auctioning and smart card trading," Pyttlik says. "I love that game."

When it comes to more contemporary games, Pyttllik says he won't turn down a game of Ticket To Ride.

A few years ago, Pyttlik and Skibitzky decided to relocate to a larger building at the corner of Bannatyne and Main Street.

recently able to reopen, although it faced some difficulty in deciding when to do so within the provincial government's reopening plan. As a restaurant, Pyttlik says Across The Board could have opened its doors again to serve food indoors during phase two, which began on June 1, 2020.

They were not, however, allowed to let visitors play board games during this time. Pyttlik says they decided to wait until phase three to reopen, about three weeks ago.

The café, like every reopened location in the city, has some restrictions. Limited hours and less seating are some ways Across The Board have accommodated coronavirus restrictions.

"But we are back in operations and we're seeing people coming back and enjoying our games, enjoying the community spirit we're known for," Pyttlik says.