For years, Nolan Petersen and Sean Finn dreamed of opening their own store dedicated to creating an inclusive space for all board game lovers in Johnson County.
As longtime Iowa City residents and former University of Iowa students, both Petersen and Finn are heavily involved in the community by advocating for and celebrating LGBTQ+ individuals, while working with local nonprofits.
The pair also enjoyed spending time at a local downtown Iowa City staple: Fortuna Board Game Cafe.
However, in 2023, Fortuna Board Game Cafe announced it was closing its doors less than two years after opening.
Petersen and Finn quickly became inspired to begin their own board game cafe, especially since the two had been considering opening a business of their own during the same time.
“We really were asking ourselves, what kind of space did Fortuna fill — not only for our personal lives, but also in the community — and is that a space that we wanted to try and fill with a business of our own?” Petersen said.
After embarking on a board game cafe tour across the Midwest, the two worked on creating Diversions Tabletop Game Lounge.
Diversions started out hosting tabletop events throughout Iowa City in different spaces, such as Press Coffee and The Green House. It has also collaborated with others, such as Backpocket Brewing to host Puzzlepalooza and the Eastside Neighborhood Association for Eastside Gaming Day.
Alexis Kurth, a member of the Eastside Neighborhood Association, expressed her appreciation for past collaborations with Diversions along with her excitement for the grand opening.
“[Eastside Gaming Day] encouraged a lot of discussion with neighbors who maybe hadn’t really met before, which was really cool for me to see all of the different age groups and different people who didn’t know each other be able to sit and do something together,” Kurth said.
In addition, Kurth said she is looking forward to the growth of the new store with the local ownership and economic benefits it will bring to the local community.
“I think the grand opening is awesome, and I think it’s a great place for people to be able to come and just hang out together and do something wholesome together with people,” Kurth said. “I love that Diversions is a small, locally owned business and that any money that is being spent in Iowa City will stay in our city.”
To begin the journey of opening up a permanent location, the two began several fundraising campaigns that totaled around $27,500.
The money then went into initial renovations, preparing the space, purchasing additional games, setting up the retail area, and other general startup costs.
RELATED: Fortuna Board Game Cafe in Iowa City to close at end of January
After renovating and designing the new space, Petersen and Finn were ready to reveal the permanent location of Diversions Table Game Lounge with a grand opening on April 12.
The store, located at 119 Second St. in Coralville, features a game library with 400 games, such as Jenga, Taboo, and Catan. It also includes food, drinks, and a private game room, along with upcoming events to encourage in-person connections.
“We are curating this experience and doing all the cleanup and the preparation so that folks can come in and have the easiest game night ever,” Finn said.
As the store thrives after its opening, Petersen and Finn said their goal is to keep the space inclusive and welcoming to all communities while continuing to foster connections and relationships.
Petersen also said he believes that board games have been growing in popularity, with Diversions contributing to this trend in Iowa City.
The worldwide market of board games is estimated to produce almost $9 billion this year, according to Statista, with a growth of over 3 percent from 2025 to 2029.
“We not only anticipate the community really leaning into what we’re trying to do here, but we also expect that because board gaming in general, and our space specifically, really do bring people together in a way that helps them connect to make friends and build social networks in the real world,” Petersen said.
In the future, Diversions will continue to host gaming events and work with local artists to highlight art in the space and host gallery receptions.
“We are optimistic that [Diversions] is going to be a space where people are able to rebuild social connections, and in doing so, rebuild that sense of community that every community needs,” Finn said.