– Photo courtesy of Wayne Law
Attorney Angela Space and her husband, Christopher Erwin, wanted a break from the electronics – cellphones, tablets, laptops – that seemed to get in the way of sharing quality time with family and friends.
“We rely on electronics for what seems like everything, but we were fed up with the ways in which electronics were invading our time with each other and our young children,” Space said.
The 2007 Wayne State University Law School alumna and her husband had visited a board game lounge – a place where people drop in and play board games together – on a trip to Toronto and decided they could take the concept even further by making it electronics-free. No cellphone use allowed.
They opened 3&Up Board Game Lounge (www.3andup.com) in downtown Plymouth in 2014, and it’s been garnering rave reviews ever since.
“It took us a couple of years to plan, prepare and execute,” said Space, who lives in Ann Arbor and works full time as an associate attorney in estate planning and family practice with Dillon & Dillon PLC in Plymouth. “We morphed the concept of a place to play board games with the idea that people needed a break from the smartphones and tablets. Our mission became: Unplug. Reconnect. We wanted to build a community and a following as well as introduce people of all ages to the benefits of playing board games.”
They’ve collected nearly 1,200 board games at 3&Up, so whether players have their hearts set on old classics like Monopoly or Risk or want to try something new straight from a game designer, they’ll find what they want.
Tables and booths are arranged for players at the lounge, and private rooms accommodate birthday parties, school field trips and other special events for children ages 3 and older, as the business name implies. Players pay $5 for 90 minutes, and families can buy special memberships. Players can grab a “free parking pass” and post it on their tables – that lets strangers know they are welcome to join in the game. It’s a way to make new friends.
The business also has a snack bar that serves Michigan-made products – including Faygo soda pop and Better Made potato chips – for players with the munchies. Players also are welcome to bring in their own snacks or have a pizza delivered.
How did Wayne Law prepare Space to start a board game lounge?
“Law school prepared me for entrepreneurship in many ways,” she said. “I use my writing skills and public speaking skills constantly. I also use knowledge of contracts, land use, tort and employment law very regularly. Entrepreneurship requires creativity, enthusiasm and an ability to overcome adversity – all skills necessary to make it through law school.”
Above all, Wayne Law taught her critical thinking and problem-solving skills, said Space, who also holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and corporate communication/public relations from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Space also teaches dance classes in Canton. She and her husband manage 3&Up together, tend their 7.5 acres of property and get their children, Brayden, 9, and Paytyn, 6, to tennis lessons, dance lessons and school.
“Spare time?” she said. “What is that?”
All the more reason to sit down once in a while and play a family board game together.
“I want face-to-face contact with my kids and my husband, my family and my friends,” Space said. “I want to slow everyone down once in a while and not look at email. It will most certainly be there in an hour when I am done playing Sleeping Queens with my son or throwback Dream Phone with my best friend. By eliminating the electronics, we are engaging in a community of present and purposeful people who want to enjoy each other, learn, laugh and play.”
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