Rediscovering the Joy of Puzzles and Games with Funny Bones

Funny Bones Games Lounge and Café (Funny Bones), owned by John Lee and Laurie Bradford, is a board games lounge located in South Etobicoke at 3029 Lake Shore Blvd West. Having opened in March 2018, they now boast over 1,000 tabletop games and jigsaw puzzles along with a variety of snacks and drinks. John and Laurie started this business as they believe in the importance of gameplay and its positive influence on the quality of life of those involved, regardless of age.

When COVID-19 began, Funny Bones made the decision to integrate eCommerce into their strategy as they felt the need to bring people joy through games had become even more important. They already had an online store but were dissatisfied with its limited capabilities, so they switched to Shopify, allowing them to expand their eCommerce functions to fit their needs. Through the ShopHERE powered by Google program, Funny Bones was able to make all of their products including board games, puzzles, snacks, and drinks available for purchase online. In addition to online purchases, their site offers the opportunity for game and puzzle rentals, plus private and corporate virtual event bookings.

“It was very helpful and a huge time-saver for us to have the shop set-up for us.”

John states that Funny Bones’ eCommerce Coordinator was incredibly helpful in supporting them through the process of building out and finalizing their online store. Aside from store set-up, their eCommerce Coordinator was also able to provide suggestions for compatible Shopify apps that Funny Bones could integrate into their online store.

“Set-up was easy, and it was great to get the support needed along the way.”

Funny Bones’ eCommerce store has allowed for customers to rediscover their love of board games and puzzles, while increasing traffic to their website and social media platforms. Their participation with the ShopHERE program even earned them a shoutout from Mayor John Tory on Twitter, describing the work they did with the program to build their new website. Funny Bones describes the ShopHERE program as a helping hand to small businesses who may feel intimidated transitioning their business to eCommerce and navigating the ever-changing business landscape.

“It will do wonders to all the main street store front small businesses that are struggling to stay alive and compete in this ‘new normal’ environment.”

If you are interested in learning more about Funny Bones Games Lounge and Café you can cliquer ici to check out their website. If you are a small business interested in creating an online store, you can sign up for the ShopHERE program sur ce site.