By Chris Foster, Intern.

Magic is happening on Leary Avenue. With the opening of Card Kingdom, gamers from all over Seattle now have a place to call home.

Card Kingdom — which is the retail store for Cardkingdom.com, one of the top distributors of “Magic the Gathering" in the world — offers much more than just a place to buy games.

“The whole idea was to create a community,” said Dan Tharp, manager of Card Kingdom. “Seattle needed a central hub for the gaming community.”

That’s exactly what gamers are getting. The property is much larger than a typical game store, allowing customers to spread out with their games. They also offer two game rooms that can be rented out, a library of games that patrons can borrow for free in-store use, and a café connected to the store where the customers can try them out.

Card Kingdom’s dedication to the gaming community is evident by the way they run their business.

“We are a company run by gamers,” Tharp said. “And we have a passion for this. We’re gamers, and we like to be social.”

Card Kingdom is finding success at being social.

They were recently featured in “PVP Online”, a web comic created by Scott Kurtz. They also host some notable names in the gaming world.

“Richard Garfield, creator of Magic, is a regular here,” Tharp stated.

In August, Card Kingdom will be offering a shuttle that runs from the store to the PAX gaming festival in downtown Seattle, where they will have a booth.

As far as business goes, the down economy isn’t affecting Card Kingdom. The shop is usually packed full of gamers and group meetings every night, to the point where they run out of sitting room.

“I couldn’t even rent a game room last night,” Tharp added.

Gamers on a quest for delicious food don’t have to travel very far. Connected to Card Kingdom is Café Mox, a game parlor putting a gourmet spin on classic dishes such as the PB&J, which is served on Macrina’s Bakery bread with homemade jam.

“We’ll even cut the crusts off if you want,” Tharp said.

Looking for something fancier? Try the Chivito, a chipotle skirt steak sandwich that was so popular during a trial run, it was added to the menu full time. There’s also the Ramaki, a traditional Polish appetizer featuring a marinated pineapple and whole water chestnuts wrapped in bacon.

The kicker: all of Café Mox’s food items are priced under ten dollars.

Patrons can wash down their meals with a variety of drinks. The menu offers the usual café beverages as well as Italian soda, sparkling cider and Mexican Coke.

Those looking to add a different element to their gaming can choose from a respectable selection of wine and beer, including locally brewed favorites such as the Georgetown Lucille I.P.A. They even have gluten-free brews.

Even the employees have fun. “I love working here,” said Heather Lee, the hybrid bartender-barista.

Café Mox is the perfect place for anyone to hang out and have a good time. The service is great, the people are friendly, and the atmosphere is elegant yet down to earth.

“It’s the gamers’ version of a French café”, Tharp said.