Game Time

Board game trend rolls out in Dallas-Fort Worth with new bar opening

There will be old-school games like Monopoly.

Bars featuring old-school board games have become a big national trend, and Dallas-Fort Worth is set to get a taste. A board-game lounge called Game Theory will open in late 2018 on South Main Street in Fort Worth, with a collection of more than 500 games — from classics like Scrabble and Monopoly to some of the hot new games that are being designed today.

Co-owner Patrick Lai is a former exec with Yum Brands who's opening the concept with his wife, Erika Ramos, brother Tim Lai, and friend Adam Hoang. Patrick was inspired after seeing the massive popularity of similar concepts in Toronto.

"Some of the places there have lines out the door," he says. "I think it makes a lot of sense given the way things are going these days. You see people in restaurants who can't put their phones down. If you go to a board game place, you have to pay attention to what's going on. You have to put down your phone. I think it's a cool trend to encourage engagement between people."

Board games are enjoying a resurgence that has helped revive a toy industry that was previously flagging; more than 5,000 new board games were introduced in the United States in 2016.

"Kids weren't playing with regular toys, they were playing with iPads, but board games have resurrected the industry," Lai says. "These are entrepreneurial people who are creating a ton of new games and get support on KickStarter-type sites. Some are very interactive, and incorporate virtual reality components."

Part of the culture of board games bars like this is a doting staff. "We’ll have people who explain the games and manage your entire experience," Lai says.

Game Theory will have a cafe vibe and will also serve some food, including their flagship item, a meat pie. "What we're doing is similar to an Australian meat pie, but we loved the idea that every culture has an equivalent — like empanadas — where it's light and simple and you can eat it with one hand."

They'll charge a nominal admission fee, somewhere around $5, but also offer a monthly subscription. They're building out the space with an industrial feel — lots of steel and pipe — but also one that incorporates the history of the area.

Fort Worth is their first, but they're already thinking beyond.

"My wife got a job in south Fort Worth, she and I were born and raised here, and we wanted to come back to be closer to family," Lai says. "We chose Fort Worth as our incubator and love our spot with TCU nearby and all the pedestrian traffic, but we hope to expand to Dallas, too."

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RIP Mark

Colorful Dallas musician and DJ Mark Ridlen passes away at 65

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Mark Ridlen RIP

A bright and colorful light in Dallas' music scene went out: Mark Ridlen, DJ and musician, passed away on November 17, following a bout with cancer; he was 65.

From his appearance in Ron Howard’s 1978 directorial debut, Cotton Candy, to his groups Quad Pi, Lithium X-mas, and a plethora of side projects with scores of DFW musicians, to his full-time job as a professional DJ under the moniker "DJ Mr. Rid," Ridlen had been a steady staple on the local creative scene.

He surfed pretty much every musical wave: from Dallas' epochal dance music scene in the early 80s, to punk rock to his role as one of Dallas' top DJs — the guy you called when you wanted your event to be cool and fun.

Ridlen had been quietly battling kidney and lung cancer for the past three years. Over the summer, he had his second kidney removed, which meant he was on dialysis treatment a couple times a week.

He remained upbeat, but according to friends of the family, two more tumors were recently found in his brain. His family and friends decided to forego further treatment and were by his side when he died.

He remained in demand until his passing. In May, he DJed a party at the Kessler Theater, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Starck Club, the legendary '80s dance music club designed by Philippe Starck, which had a huge influence on Dallas, and which Ridlen was part of.

He was invited to DJ at the Starck Club when it opened in 1984 and remained in that role until the club closed in 1989.

Reid mark ridlen Mark Ridlen (right) with close friend Reid RobiinsonFacebook

From there, he migrated to Expo Park, the underground neighborhood across from Fair Park where art and music ruled. His stints at XPO Lounge, Double Wide, and other neighborhood venues made him a staple in the community.

At the same time, he was a member of Lithium Xmas, a psychedelic art-rock band which he formed with acclaimed musicians Chris Merlick and Greg Synodis.

He was also a pop culture savant with a comprehensive knowledge of music, who balanced a low-key charm with a vibrant sense of style, whether it was a vivid pop-art tunic or a flashy sequinned jacket, he did it all with originality and panache.

In late August, a large circle of musicians and friends rallied to participate in a benefit for Ridlen, to help pay for his medical costs — a sweet indication of the high regard in which he was held.

“I do want people to know that I am not being slowed down by cancer,” Ridlen said at the time. “I'm ready to continue working. I have more-or-less a clean bill of health for the moment, and hopefully that doesn't change.”

Survivors include his mother Nancy and his brother David. A memorial service is in the works with details still to be announced.

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