Bard & Baker expanding Troy cafe, closing Albany location – Times Union

TROY The 4-year-old Bard & Baker Board Game Cafe, located downtown on the ground floor of The News apartment building, will expand in the coming months by taking over an adjoining commercial space and will close a satellite location that opened in Albany's Pine Hill neighborhood in July 2021.

The expansion, into what until the end of December was the Pause Gallery, will add seating for approximately 30 more people and create a dedicated room for hosting events, which Bard & Baker's current configuration lacks. The announcement was made Tuesdaymorning by co-owners Charlotte Guyton and Bryan Connor.

"Our original vision for Bard & Baker included a private, bookable event space, so we are very grateful for the opportunity to see our fully realized dream and vision come to life in this expanded space," Guyton said in a statement.

The debut of the expanded Bard & Baker is projected for the spring, the owners said. A closing date for the Albany cafe, located next to the Madison Theatre, has not been finalized, they said. All Albany staffers will be offered positions in Troy, they said, adding that announcements will be made on social media in the coming months about the sale of equipment and board games from the Albany location.

It is being closed to allow owners and staff to concentrate on operating the original cafe in Troy, Guyton said.

"These are always difficult decisions, and there was a lot of discussion with our management team and one another around it," she said. "However, we are confident it will allow us to better focus on the growth of operations at Bard & Baker Troy moving forward."

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Bard & Baker expanding Troy cafe, closing Albany location - Times Union