Why Every Café Should Stock Quick, Family-Friendly Card Games

Board and card games are making a big comeback, and more people are rediscovering the joy of gathering around a table for some friendly competition.

In a post-pandemic world where digital interactions often dominate, cafés have a unique opportunity to offer something different: a real-world connection. Few things spark conversation and laughter like a quick, engaging card game shared over coffee.

Card and board games are designed to bring people together. Whether it’s sharing laughs, hatching strategic plans, or just enjoying each other’s company, it’s the moments of connection that make café culture truly special. While winning is fun, it’s the shared experience that customers remember most.

While the number of board game cafés across the country is growing, standard cafés can also benefit from stocking a few quick, entertaining card games. They’re a fantastic way to nurture community, encourage conversation, and invite customers to linger a little longer.

According to research by Balance Coffee, 16% of the UK population visit a coffee shop or café every single day, and according to Allegra, they spend anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes in there when intending to visit for a ‘general sit-in’. Sounds like a lovely way to relax!

Mintel’s research shows that a ‘social’ visit to a café usually lasts between 45 minutes to over an hour. The longer consumers spend in restaurants or cafés, the more likely they are to spend more money, with a study by Bloom Intelligence finding that a 1% increase in dwell time led, on average, to a 1.3% increase in sales.

In fact, dwell time is often considered a key KPI for hospitality businesses, as the longer a customer is on the premises, the greater the chance that they will make an impulse purchase.

So if social visits to cafés often mean consumers spend over an hour in the venue, why not improve the social offering in your coffee shop? With quick, fun card games, you can improve the likelihood of social visits, extend dwell time and foster a real sense of community as patrons enjoy their coffee alongside a bit of play.

There are countless ways cafés can benefit from adding a handful of fun card games to their shelves. While some patrons may bring their own, offering games in-house ensures more guests can join the fun and helps create a lively, memorable experience.

Card games give customers something to do when the conversation is winding down or when they have finished their food or snacks. The longer someone is in the café, the more likely they are to order that second (or third) drink.

By increasing dwell time, cafés naturally create more opportunities to upsell drinks, cakes, or snacks, while improving the guest experience. If your café offers table service, this can become an effortless upselling moment.

If you’re struggling with people using your coffee shop as a quick stop rather than a hub for social interaction, having games available can help turn your venue into a social hub and a real destination that brings people of all ages together.

Offering games can make the café more appealing to people who might not visit otherwise, such as students or gaming groups. If you’re worried about disturbing regulars, you could encourage players to sit in a specific section of the room.

While the number of board game cafés is growing rapidly, offering a handful of quick and easy card games to play in a more traditional venue can help you to differentiate yourself compared to competitors and high-street chains.

Quick, family-friendly card games appeal to a wide range of café visitors:

• Families with children: Parents can relax while kids are entertained, making family outings easier and more enjoyable.
• Groups of friends: Games offer a fun, low-cost way to socialise over coffee, extending their stay.
• Students: Perfect for quick study breaks or post-class downtime.
• Elderly groups: Light, easy-to-learn games encourage social connection and help combat loneliness.
• Solo visitors: Some games can be played in pairs or small groups, creating natural opportunities for people to meet others.

By catering to these groups, cafés can become vibrant community spaces that feel inclusive, friendly, and full of life.

Fast-paced card games are ideal for café environments; they’re easy to pick up, quick to play, and perfectly suited to the relaxed, social atmosphere of a coffee shop.

• Flexible: Play a single five-minute round or a full 30-minute session. Games adapt effortlessly to the pace of your customers’ visits.
• Simple: No lengthy instructions or complicated setups, guests can start playing within moments.
• Inclusive: Enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels, from families to friends catching up over coffee.
• Space-saving: Compact decks leave plenty of room for drinks and snacks, and they’re easy for staff to tidy away afterwards.

At Wholesale Card Games, we stock a wide selection of café-friendly hits designed for quick, casual play. They’re affordable, compact, and proven to generate repeat plays, creating a thriving, social atmosphere.

Our games feature streamlined rules so players can spend less time learning and more time laughing. Here are three of our most popular café picks:

• Cursed Tides: Cursed Tides is a pirate-themed strategy game of building fleets and stealing treasure that can be played in as little as 15 minutes. Perfect for two to five players.
• Punchy Kicky: Punchy Kicky is a fast-paced strategy card game of attacking, defending and knocking out your opponent. Ideal for three to six players and can be played in 15 to 30 minutes.
• Sneaky Goose: Sneaky Goose allows players to test their wits in a strategy game requiring memory, speed and clever decision making. Great for two to six players and can be played over five-minute rounds or 30-minute sessions.

Whether you’re a gaming café expanding your range or a local coffee shop looking to boost dwell time and community spirit, our games are the perfect fit. They’re affordable, compact, and engaging, helping you keep customers in their seats longer and encouraging repeat visits.

Bring more laughter, longer stays, and stronger connections to your café.

Get in touch with us today to explore our best-selling, café-friendly card games and discover how easy it is to stock them at wholesale prices. ☕🃏