There has alway been a tough choice to make: whether to stay home in a comfortable environment and relax or go out into the world and socialize. Now you can have the best of both worlds, as the Guildhall Esports Bar just opened in Uptown Whittier. Opening May 10, The establishment has created a relaxing atmosphere for those who want the comfort of home but also want the experience of going out.

The uptown bar has branded itself as “geek centric” with amenities being catered to said audience. First stepping into the place, you’re greeted by a bright, warm open space paired with wooden furnishings. The aesthetic is a combination of Basement hangout and Guildhall essentially functions as a gastropub, serving high end drinks and food at a moderate price. The food ranges from appetizers and sandwiches with the drinks including all craft cocktails, and rotation of craft beer with local drinks on tap.

They also have over 180 board games to choose from (with 80 more currently on their way), ranging from Monopoly to Settlers of Catan. The number of games increases each day as customers can request new ones to be added to their collection. There are several screens around the bar which play movies, twitch streams, gaming tournaments etc. They can also stream up to three different games at a time; where the customer has the ability to request what they want to watch. Spencer Cox, the owner and operator of the business, addressed the accommodations his bar offers to its customers,

“If a group of people come in, and they want to watch something specific, by all means- we love to accommodate … If you wanted to come in, let’s say that there’s a smash brothers event going on, you absolutely can ask for that stream and we’d happily put it on.”

The Whittier location is the second one, with the original being in Burbank. This idea first came about several years ago, while he was a general manager of an italian restaurant. One day, he hustled over to Dave and Busters in Arcadia because of the  League of Legends world tournament that was happening at the time, and loved the atmosphere.

“My roommate and I would sit down with a pack with a couple of Coronas and watch E-Sports on tv at home and every day we’d be like: why isn’t this a place we can go and see and go to a bar. Why do I have to stay at home and enjoy [a place] that my friends that like the NBA of the NFL: they get to go see the games with their friends. That’s where the idea started to build,” says Cox.

The burbank location is about to hit their two year mark this summer in July. While the start up took time, his years of experience helped him and his team build a strong, reliable customer base that grows to this day. When looking for a place to set down the second location; Whittier fit the bill. This being the fact that it’s close to a community that fits the bar demographic, as well as it being one that welcomes new businesses. While he had concerns that people wouldn’t be into the idea, it’s become clear that there is a need for this type of service in the community.

“I think that there’s a social aspect of playing board games: that’s why we let big groups come in. The cool thing is, if you host it at your house there’s a bunch of clean up, you don’t have to do that here.”

Guildhall Esports bar located at 6741 Bright Ave. Whittier CA, 90601 and is open from 5pm to 12am through Monday to Friday and 11am to 12am Saturdays and Sundays.