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Ross Grady /
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2024-01-24 14:14:13

Ross Grady on Nostr: Sharing the bulk of this article from the TBJ because it will be of direct interest ...

Sharing the bulk of this article from the TBJ because it will be of direct interest to exactly one of you, but some of the details will make more than one of you LOL:

Bad Machines, an esports and video game bar, has closed its location in Downtown Durham with plans to reopen in Cary. The bar is the first of its kind in the state, according to owner Glen Swan. Bad Machines opened about a year ago at 108 E. Main St. in Durham’s City Center.

[The TBJ loves to invent names for things, but this is the first time I can recall seeing them arbitrarily rename downtown to "City Center" -- this is also confusing because the skyscraper downtown is called "One City Center" but this bar wasn't in it.]

Swan decided to move the bar after finding a location in Cary where rent was about 50 percent cheaper than the space in Durham. Bad Machines will reopen at 218 Nottingham Drive near South Hills Mall and Crossroads Plaza. Swan is planning for an end of February opening.

“We are definitely more of a niche bar. We're pretty sure we're still the only esports bar in North Carolina, and that just didn't really fit with downtown [Durham],” Swan said. “In general, they have more classy and high-end bars. It just made the most sense to take it somewhere else.”

The Cary location will begin serving food alongside drinks. A food menu was always part of the Bad Machines business plan, Swan said, but the Durham location did not have a kitchen.

The bar occupied the second floor of the 100-year-old building on East Main Street, and code prevented a kitchen from being built – a factor unknown at the time Swan’s lease was signed. The space’s landlord worked with Swan to end the lease, he said.

The Bad Machines customer base is primarily repeat customers or those seeking the business out specifically. The bar is not as reliant on foot traffic, making a downtown location less beneficial.

Moving to Cary also puts the bar closer to the headquarters of gaming companies such as Epic Games and Red Storm Entertainment.

The space measures around 1,000 square feet and was previously home to East Coast Gaming, a board games store that has relocated to MacGregor Village.

Swan will add a ventless kitchen to the space. The food menu will include dishes like loaded nachos and sandwiches. The bar is aiming for elevated junk food, Swan said.

Beyond alcohol, the Bad Machines drink menu features drinks popular in the gaming community, like Mountain Dew Code Red and Calypso Blue Lemonade.
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