Gaming cafe chain SideQuest opens new hub in Canterbury

UK-based gaming and esports cafe chain SideQuest has announced the opening of its latest venue, which is located in the historic city of Canterbury, England.

SideQuest Hub Canterbury will feature a total of 40 PC stations, as well as consoles and racing simulators and an event space. The Canterbury location will be the first SideQuest venue to be operated under its new franchise business model.

The new venue is a 10-minute walk from the historic Canterbury Cathedral, and offers visitors the chance to play games on PC and consoles. The PC section is divided into segments: the public area which features 15 PCs, the ‘Duo Rooms’ that feature 10 PC stations, and ‘Squad Rooms’ with 15 PCs. The computers in the space are well-suited for gaming, with the strongest configurations boasting 64GB of RAM and GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER graphics cards.

Apart from the main PC areas, SideQuest Hub Canterbury will also offer Nintendo Switch and PlayStation consoles and racing simulators, which will be added to the venue later this month. The Hub also offers a space for visitors to bring their own Switch consoles and play games for free, if they so desire, as well as a large event space. SideQuest Hub Canterbury will also offer food and drinks similar to other locations, and SideQuest’s Bubble Tea. 

The new hub is the first to be a part of a franchise model that SideQuest is incorporating into its business model. The company aims to use franchising to expand its network of hubs and venues both across the UK and outside the country in the next two years. The company has shared that it’s offering special deals such as an initial £0 franchise fee for interested partners.

SideQuest is a fast-growing gaming venue chain in the UK and currently operates five hubs in London, Leicester, Coventry and now Canterbury. Alongside providing social gaming opportunities, SideQuest has hosted multiple esports and gaming activities in the last 12 months. This ranges from League of Legends World Championship watch parties to Non-Binary and Women’s Social Nights and New Year celebrations. 

SideQuest’s new hub will, for now, not be part of the SideQuest membership programme, but there are special offers and bundles available to celebrate the opening. This includes bubble tea discounts, bundles of gaming time and bubble tea, and discounted all-day passes.

This article is supported by SideQuest Gamers Hub