B Side Board Games & Puzzles, a new gaming and collectible store, is set to open Labor Day weekend at 2525 E. 29th, on Spokane’s
South Hill.

Retired veteran Mike Rasmussen, who co-owns the business with his friend, Ryan Pyburn, says he previously volunteered for several such stores in town before deciding to start his own.

“A few years back, my wife told me I needed a hobby, so I got into board games,” he says. “I had some of my own ideas for running a store and decided it was time to open
my own.”

Rasmussen says the store will occupy a 1,000-square-foot retail space in the Boulevard Plaza strip mall. The space has been vacant for several years after having been occupied by a cleaning supply store.

“We’re in the midst of a remodel right now, but we hope to have everything ready for a grand opening Aug. 31,” he says.

Rasmussen says the store will offer boardgames, role-playing-games, puzzles, and collectible card games such as Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh.

“We’ve started mapping out an event schedule too,” he says. “Tuesdays and Sundays will be boardgame nights, and the first Friday of each month will be homeschool day, where we invite homeschooled kids to come by and play games.”

He says the business will have three employees, including both of its co-owners.

“We’re hoping this will be a space where everyone feels welcome to stop by to learn or share games,” he says. “Not everyone likes the same stuff, but there will be something here
for everybody.”