Tokyo is getting a sports bar-style restaurant where diners can watch video game contests

Square Enix set to open new cafe in downtown this autumn.

Square Enix has made quite a name for itself as the developer and publisher of such long-running video game series as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. This fall, though, the company will be making something else in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro neighborhood: lunches and dinners, as part of a new restaurant it’s opening.

To be called Storia, the restaurant looks to be a casual yet stylish place to stop in for a bite to eat or a refreshing drink, and the teaser site gives its concept as “theater cafe & dining.” It’s not movies that’ll be shown on the numerous monitors inside the establishment, though, but video game gameplay and related videos. The viewing lineup won’t be limited to just Square Enix properties either, as Storia plans to feature games from other publishers as well.

▼ Storia’s snazzy logo has a stylized game controller peeking out from behind a horizontal S.

While it’s an unconventional idea for a restaurant, it has parallels to ventures that are proven successes. Sports bars attract plenty of patrons who enjoy contests from the perspective of a pure-spectator, and with competitive gaming steadily gaining in popularity, Square Enix says it wants to create a place where patrons can enjoy e-sports in the same manner as their physical counterparts. Special events will be held on the in-restaurant stage, and since Square Enix knows a thing or two about creating a great dining experience, Storia just might have a shot at success after it opens on October 5.

Restaurant information
Storia / ストーリア
Address: Tokyo-to, Toshima-ku, Nishi Ikebukuro 1-15-9, Dai Ichi NishiIke Building, 6th floor
東京都豊島区西池袋1-15-9 第一西池ビル6階
Website

Source: IT Media
Images: Storia

Credit: