Bolton’s Real Joyhouse aims to be the hub to unplug and socialize over board games and indoor sports

By Rob Paul

Last week Real Joyhouse held its official grand opening—which included a visit from Mayor Allan Thompson—to celebrate bringing a different type of entertainment opportunity to residents in Caledon.

Located at 14 McEwan Drive West in Bolton, Real Joyhouse is a game parlour with various board games and activities, foosball, pool, table tennis, and food for patrons. The idea behind the business is to provide people a getaway from the stress of the world while engaging in fun social activities with friends and family.

The 2,800 square foot building is the first game centre of its kind in Caledon and owner Amit Parikh is hoping it can become a hub for those looking to take a break from their screens and interact with others from the community over some fun games and food

The idea for Real Joyhouse was a concept Parikh had been thinking about for a while, but he turned it into a reality when the pandemic led to him being out of work. 

“I was an I.T. infrastructure manager for 30 years and because of COVID I was laid off last year,” he said. “I always had something in my mind for many years, that I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something that would be innovative, and people would benefit from.”

After noticing the love for board game cafes in larger centres, Parikh thought he could take that idea and combine it with the classic indoor sports that have long been a part of the bar scene.

He wanted to give people options to keep them busy having fun with friends and family while also providing food fan favourites like nachos and pizza. He hopes to soon be serving beer too.

“I'm very fond of indoor sports and music, and I have a 23-year-old and 15-year-old daughter, and they go to board game cafes,” he said. “I've been doing some groundwork for a couple years, checking out different places and some places will be a board game cafe and others will have a pool table area, but nobody has everything under one roof. When I go with my daughters to play board games, it's nice to play for an hour or two, but then sometimes you want to go play something else. That's why I thought, why not combine these concepts and add a food option and I'm also going to get a liquor license so I can serve beer. My whole idea is to have food and all the games so when groups of people come here, everyone has something to do.”

A business like this doesn't just come together overnight, Parikh had long wanted to run a business that could become a mainstay in a community and help people decompress and unplug from the pressure of life. 

“I like to say it's the three M's: motto, message, and money. The motto is to give happiness and joy to all the people—it doesn't matter what age group, what community, or what nationality they belong to, it's for all human beings,” he said. “The message is, in today's stressful world we're spending so much time on phones and on screens, but I want to help people find a little bit of balance. I'm not against spending time on screens, I'm not saying don't do it—it's part of life, we have to have technology—but at the same time, it's important to find balance. 

“We have to spend a couple of hours in this kind of setting where we're focused on indoor game activities listening to music and playing indoor sports—that puts relief on your mind. Down the road for the future, people might find they have increased mental stress if they're spending so much time on their phones without balance. That's why this is a small initiative on my end to try and do something different that could be helpful to people.

At the same time, it generates revenue because I want to spread this so the most amount of people can benefit from it. If more people come here, it will encourage me to expand the business. That's the whole plan.”

In the modern world, it has become increasingly difficult to truly spend time with one another and Parikh thinks a place like Real Joyhouse will give those in the Caledon community a place to go and socialize in the purest of ways.

“My whole tagline is, ‘stay connected, feel happy,'” he said. “We are losing connection and interaction. You could be in touch with someone in the U.K., but not know your neighbour or you don't spend quality time with your family. That's the force behind the idea, spend quality time with your own people.”

Although he's not from Caledon, Parikh thought Bolton would be the perfect place for Real Joyhouse because it's got the wholesome community feel that a business like his needs to thrive, but is in a big enough centre that there will be an appetite for the services they provide. 

“I'm from Brampton, and I was trying to find a place that's not over-developed or underdeveloped,” he said. “I found this area in Bolton and there's not really a place like this in Caledon. You can find board game cafes in Brampton and Mississauga, but not here in Caledon and I wanted to have a big space. So, there was a few reasons why I chose this area in Caledon. It took me about four months to implement the whole site here, but now it's finally ready.”

Having officially launched in July 2020—but not officially opening due to the pandemic—Parikh knows it's going to be a slow process spreading the word about Real Joyhouse, but he's optimistic that once people start coming, they won't stop.

“Right now, I'm working on digital marketing and other ways to attract people because people like the idea,” he said. “When people come here, they give it five stars on Google, but it's going to take time because it's a new idea and so many people don't know about it so it will take time. On top of that, there's COVID. I'm giving it the best I can give and hoping for the best. Now it's up to people to come because if they come once they'll definitely come again and recommend it to other people. That's why I tell people they have to come here and feel the enjoyment because they'll want to tell others to do the same once they feel the energy. The whole message is to give that happiness to others. I want to be the place for parties, gatherings, corporate events, and youth events because you can book the whole place for a few hours and have it just for your group to enjoy.”

Depending on how things go, Parikh would consider opening other locations, but he says it's a wait and see game for now.

“Once it grows, I may think of expanding to another location, but let's see,” he said. “It's too early right now, people may like it, but they still have to show up. There are three keys to grow through marketing: reach the maximum number of people, allow people to get adjust to the idea and the business, and the most important thing is that people need to show up. It's going to take time; it starts with people coming and having a good time and then telling others. I just want it to be there for everybody in Caledon to have a great time.”

For more information on Real Joyhouse, visit realjoyhouse.com.