Look Sports Media – UK gaming cafe chain SideQuest has announced the permanent closure of three of its four locations, marking a significant contraction for the company. The Elephant & Castle, Coventry, and Canterbury venues will cease operations effective Sunday, November 30th, leaving only the Charing Cross location in central London, near Covent Garden, to continue serving gamers.
SideQuest initially launched as an esports cafe brand under the name Wanyoo, with the Charing Cross venue opening in January 2019 as its flagship UK outlet. The venue boasts high-performance gaming PCs, PlayStation 5s, Nintendo Switch consoles, and a bubble tea bar, creating a social hub for gamers. The SideQuest venues have served as social spaces and hosted esports boot camps and grassroots tournaments.
The Canterbury venue, which opened last year after SideQuest closed its Westfield location, did not survive long. SideQuest also closed a venue in Leicester in August of the previous year, eliminating the company’s presence in the Midlands.
Related Post
The company announced the closures on its Instagram page, stating, "These venues were never just gaming spaces. They were meeting points and memory-makers. Thank you for the incredible energy, the unwavering support, the late nights spent with us, and the amazing tournaments we shared." SideQuest has urged customers with existing bookings at the affected venues to contact customer service.
Earlier this year, SideQuest made changes to Sidekick, a gaming companion app and sister project, due to child safety concerns. The SideKick app has since rebranded and transitioned into a web3 trading platform, distancing itself from the SideQuest brand.
While no official reason has been provided for the closures, the social gaming space sector in the UK has faced significant challenges. Belong, a similar chain of gaming spaces associated with gaming retailer GAME, has largely shut down after operating approximately 23 venues across the UK before the COVID-19 pandemic. looksports.media understands that the current economic climate and changing consumer habits may have contributed to SideQuest’s decision to consolidate its operations.
Leave a Comment