Zulu's Board Game Cafe: Bothell's chase for the greatest store on Earth
A Bothell board game cafe with a five-star rating, a lending library of games, a full kitchen, and an owner chasing one goal for a decade: the greatest store on Earth. Two months before opening, a fire nearly ended it, and the community dug it out in a day.
Zulu's Board Game Cafe: Bothell's chase for the greatest store on Earth
Walk into Zulu's Board Game Cafe on Main Street in Bothell and the first thing you notice is that nobody is in a hurry. Players linger over a lending library of board games while burgers, Rumblecusp nachos, and local tap beers come out of the kitchen. It is a full-service restaurant that doubles as one of the Northwest's most ambitious game stores. It holds a five-star rating across 168 Google reviews.
From a UW Bothell class project to Main Street
It started as homework. Owner Matt Zaremba took a business-plan course at UW Bothell back in 2011, then helped friends build out game stores nearby. The idea turned serious on a Thursday afternoon at Mox Bellevue, where he arrived with his kids and left three hours later, 64 bucks lighter and completely sold. That visit cemented it: he wanted that feeling in his own town. In April 2015 he closed on the Main Street building. After a year of remodeling with friend Kaleb Muse, the cafe opened in 2016 with just two employees.
Photo: Zulu's Board Game Cafe (zulusgames.com)
The fire that made it a third place
Two months before opening day, a fire in the building across the street spread to Zulu's. Matt spent the night fighting the damage, and the next day his tiny early community showed up with mops and supplies and dug the shop out in a single day. That morning cemented what the store would be: a real third place, built to give back the comfort the community gave him. This past April, the cafe celebrated its tenth anniversary, and that community-first idea has only grown.
A gaming campus with a calendar for every night
Today Zulu's runs like a small gaming campus. There is the Bothell cafe, an Event Center down Main Street, a second cafe in Lynnwood pouring bubble tea, and an online store. The next chapter is the boldest: the old Rite Aid in town, bought to become the Zulu's Guild Hall for large events across every game they run, all toward one goal. Build the greatest store on Earth.
The event calendar is where the ambition shows. Friday nights at the Event Center draw 40 to 60 players for Gundam TCG locals. The once-a-set Newtype Challenges have topped 90 competitors. Friday Night Magic offers two draft choices, and their October newsletter lists Tuesday Riftbound learn-to-plays ahead of a November 8 prerelease. Board game fans get Monday and Tuesday meetups plus Dominion and Ark Nova leagues.
What the regulars say
Reviews keep landing on the same themes. The food is a real draw, with regulars calling out the Rumblecusp nachos and the Champion Poutine by name. The room has a chill, non-corporate feel, and staff greet you with a smile instead of a sales pitch. Big groups and families keep coming back because it feels built for them. That matches the origin story neatly: a dad who visited a game cafe with his kids, decided his town deserved one and spent a decade building it.
Find them at 10234 Main St in Bothell. Call (425) 818-8122, or find them online at zulusgames.com.
Cover photo: the original hand-painted Zulu's Board Game Cafe sign from the shop's opening year. Photo: Zulu's Board Game Cafe (zulusgames.com)
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