Wellington board game shop Caffeinated Dragons to close

Monday, 22 September 2025

Board game shop Caffeinated Dragons is closing down after almost a decade in business in central Wellington.

Its owner Rhys Kaan hoped the move to Manners St, away from the construction around Te Matapihi Central Library, would boost business — but the shop has continued to struggle.

Kaan said the shop suffered months of disruption while Wellington’s Te Matapihi was rebuilt, with the building shaking and staff sent home with headaches from the noise.

The loss of foot traffic significantly hurt his sales, and he moved his shop from Victoria St to its new location last year.

While there were “good signs” of picking up after the move, it was never enough to be sustainable after the shop had slipped into survival mode towards the end of 2023, he said.

The shop has had an 80% to 90% drop in sales, and three to four months ago, the close became inevitable, Kaan said.

Posting on Facebook about the news, he said the shop had “continued to the point, probably past the point, where we could remain viable”.

Kaan is blaming the public service cuts and the cost of living crisis, saying people just aren’t willing to spend.

“People were quite happy to come and spend a few dollars for a day of playing games … but it wasn't enough build up and sustain.”

But Kaan said his was not a unique situation and many businesses were in “survival mode”.

“I get the feeling that there's a lot of businesses that have been relying on savings, goodwill from landlords and suppliers and have just reached the end of the tether and have to close - we’re just another one.”

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub told The Post that, according to the latest data from Stats NZ, the number of businesses in Wellington had fallen by 1500, out of 60,000.

Nationally, the total number of businesses was up by 1.2%, but down 1.8% in Wellington.

Central Wellington library Te Matapihi’s opening is around the corner next March, and locals are expecting its opening to reignite the heart of the city.

While Kaan was looking forward to its re-opening, he said the cost to businesses had been enormous and there would have been better ways for the council to handle it, or at least soften the blow.

Kaan has previously slammed the help offered by the council to businesses struggling from the works. the help amounted to management training, social media use and putting up signs to remind people they are there, he said.

The shop’s final day is October 12.