ELK GROVE, Calif. — Old Town Elk Grove is about to get a shot of new blood coursing through its veins thanks to a new gaming shop set to open up in the area.
Hobby Quest is dubbed a headquarters for all things gaming by owner Glenda Feraud. The shop's specialty is resources, where those be for game play, game accessories, board games, puzzles, models, or mini-figures.
The shop, a passion project for Feraud, is something that takes her out of a world of corporate deadlines and objectives and into a world of wizards, dragons, and maybe even some Pokemon.
"I've been in corporate positions pretty much my whole working career," said Feraud. "So I guess, it'll be nice... to call the shots and have a fun — just an enlightening environment where we can really flex our creative muscles."
The new shop is the kind of place where she would want to play. She emphasized the gaming rooms, which keeps guests from feeling like they're intruding on other people's games. There'll even be some game rooms that people can rent for their own campaigns.
However, given the coronavirus pandemic, that specific feature will be delayed for a while.
Nonetheless, once they reach the other side the pandemic, they'll be able to play up their strength, bringing people together through board games, puzzles, chess and more.
"We really want to focus on doing a lot of hands-on, so we'd like to have a mini-figure paint night, a newbie nights — that kind of thing," said Feraud.
The games and trinkets you'll find in the shop are some of the fantasy-driven games and creatures that Feraud's been surrounded by for most of her life.
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"I'm a big fantasy fan, so I love the wizards, the dragons, anything with unicorns and the whole nine yards," Feraud said.
While she comes from a family of entrepreneurs, this shop will be her first business venture, but she does have some help. She said one of her partners has experience running a gaming store and has already helped her navigate some of the more nuanced areas.
Hobby Quest was originally supposed to open back in May, but the virus pushed their opening back. Feraud said they're still waiting on some more permit approvals before they can officially open.
"As soon as we can open and with all the guidelines, I’m hoping to be able to open mid-july [or] late July, but again, we’ll have to wait... for the regulations," Feraud said.
So despite having the will, an experienced team and a surplus of gaming accessories, Hobby Quest is temporarily deadlocked in a waiting game for now.
Nonetheless, their recent arrival into the Old Town area has been meet with excited responses from people passing by and some encouraging support online. Despite some extra months added to the journey, Feraud's goal is still in sight.
"It's been a long road… there’s been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears getting everything ready, and to be so close, I’m just so anxious and a little scared, a little nervous," she said. "We want to make sure that everything comes out in our vision."
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