“I cast Magic Missile!”
“I cast Fireball!”
“Roll For initiative!”
These are the many things said during a Dungeons and Dragons game.
Whether you are an old-timer Dungeons and Dragons player or a Magic the Gathering newcomer, there is one place you want to check out in the Brick, New Jersey area.
Located in The Shops at Brick on Van Zile Road, The little shop The Keep is the place to be.
They have fun things going on almost every night of the week.
They host many games such as Magic: the Gathering nights or Dungeons and Dragon Nights, Pokémon tournaments, and almost everything anyone loves playing Role Playing Games or card games can imagine.
They have Dungeons and Dragons books and dice, Pokémon cards, Magic the Gathering cards, and older and newer Funko Pop figures, and they have many Star Wars collectibles that are up for purchase around the store.
The store is quite large and has multiple tables set up for many of its customers to come in and sit down for a few hours and play any of their favorite games with their friends or come and possibly make some new friends.
There are also multiple decorations hung up around the store.
It mainly consists of Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons, Pokémon, and Magic the Gathering all over the walls.
For many, it makes the store setting more comfortable to play when they stop in.
All of this would not have been possible for many if not for one man’s dream and a multitude of factors for him.
Tony Bogan is a Dungeons and Dragons player of 47 years and has played the popular game since he was a kid.
When Bogan was a kid, he and his friends spoke about opening a store to play Dungeons and Dragons.
At the time, there were no stores where kids or adults could go and play role-playing games. The only way to play was to order the pieces in the mail, or you could find the items at hobby stores.
It was not until late 1979 or early 1980 that TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) signed a deal with Boarders Books, and they began to sell in most bookstores from then on.
Since then, it had been his lifelong dream to have a store where everyone could come and enjoy any of the games.
Bogan had put his dream off for many years shortly after and worked in his family's boating business.
It wasn’t until early 2021 that he decided to act on his lifelong dream, and he went through with it because of his son, Michael.
It started with his son, who had gotten involved in a different business in Barnegat called Gotham Hobby and Comics, which unfortunately closed due to the pandemic.
Bogan had spent time with his friends, who helped him search for the space for the store.
He had a few requirements he wanted to meet before opening the store.
He wanted a spot that was 2,000 square feet or less, and he wanted space between his day job and his home in the area.
Bogan spent a lot of time looking for a space that was just the right fit, and when he found this one in the plaza, he preferred how they had this one set up.
He had said the way he had found out that they had gotten the space was quite interesting.
Every space that is rented or leased has a particular set of keys. One is for Realtors to have easy access to show a place, and then the locks change when someone leases the area, “The locksmith was here changing the locks, so we kind of knew before the property owner told us,” Bogan said.
When Bogan initially got his store, something there inspired the name and fit perfectly.
When the realtor showed the two men the space he had found, Bogan and his son had been told that a relatively large vault could not be removed from the store.
The store was originally a bank before being subdivided into two stores. It had become a computer store and a shoe store; shortly after that, the area had been vacant since 2011.
Bogan took the Vault, and they now use it in the store, which inspired The Keep's name, “We kind of built the store around the whole concept.” Bogan said.
They use it to project the most expensive items in the store. In the Vault, Bogan keeps his original Dungeons and Dragons set so everyone can admire it.
Today, Bogan and his son run the store together.
Every month, they try to make events that keep their customers coming.
Even when nothing is happening, they still always have nights when customers come just to play any of these popular games.
Bogan has also built many close and good relationships with the people who come in and out of the Keep; he feels that there is more of a homier setting. Everyone is always happy when they go into the store.
Bogan also likes that everyone in the store is knowledgeable about each one of the different games.
So someone is always there to help out when needed.
The store is open several days a week, every day except Mondays.
Every night is a different event in the store.
Pokémon tournaments take place on Sunday; for the rest of the week, they have Magic the Gathering nights with a different theme each night.
Now and then, they have Dungeons and Dragons nights if they can find someone to Dungeon Master, basically someone who runs the game.
Bogan says that currently, at the moment, there are no plans to open a second store despite how popular each night is at the store. However at some point he would like to expand the area that he currently has.
If you live in the Brick Area, this is one place that you want to look into.
You can also look into their social media pages on both Facebook and Instagram.
The Keep is one of the most incredible places in Brick Town, New Jersey.
Comments