Erik Bigglestone

All those looking for a spot to congregate with friends, or even strangers, to share their love of all things board games need not look further than Victory Point Cafe and Games of Berkeley.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, local businesses in Berkeley struggled to adapt to ever-changing regulations and customer influxes as they continued to seek external support. 

Although there is excitement in the air after students returned to Berkeley in August, many of the city’s small business owners are frustrated with the many challenges still left to face.

Businesses around the country will forever have the economic scar from the effects of COVID-19 in their histories, and it will affect their futures.

The future of business as usual in Berkeley is far from certain, even with emergency relief available to organizations and people most impacted by the coronavirus. Although the exact rate of job loss in Berkeley is unknown, the numbers are approximately proportional to national unemployment rates.

Berkeley’s small business owners met virtually Thursday to discuss the actions they are taking to engage with customers and to financially support their businesses during the shelter-in-place order.

In Berkeley, anyone can decide to embark on a new quest to fight orcs and dragons or rule over an empire, all because of a store on Durant Avenue: Games of Berkeley.

Games of Berkeley will move in September to a newer, more expansive location at 2510 Durant Ave. to expand its current stock and hold more events.

At Victory Point Cafe, railroads are being built, territories conquered and empires felled — all over lunchtime lemonade and paninis.

City transportation planners organized an open house Tuesday to inform the community about a Shattuck Avenue reconfiguration project adopted by the Berkeley City Council in January 2013.