The Loch Cafe & Games is the perfect place to nerd out.

Owners Matt and Erin Glesner opened the coffee shop, cafe, and game room in June 2023. It’s in the Endion neighborhood and bringing a community space for players on the Duluth side of the bridge.

“There was another game shop that after COVID, they decided to close their doors. And they were a staple in the community,” Erin said. “And with that gone, we noticed that there was only one other option in Duluth. Otherwise you had to go across the bridge in order to really be a part of this gaming community.”

Matt has been dreaming up the gaming side since he was 16. Erin had her first sip of coffee at 8 years old and has loved it ever since.

Their menu features Eeveelution lattes based on the Pokémon character and a Sasuke mocha, which mixed white and dark chocolate, a nod to the anime figure’s two different colored eyes.

“So Evee starts as kind of the normal type and then they have the opportunity to evolve,” Erin said. “So we kind of adjusted all of the latte flavors to different Eeveelutions that kind of have similar attributes to the Pokémon.”

The Loch hosts Novice Nights on Wednesdays and get-togethers to play Magic: The Gathering on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s free to play on Saturdays.

They also love promoting local artists and have “Nessy’s Craft Fair” once a quarter.