14 August 2024
The long-standing game store Game Chest will soon have a new owner.
Owner Amanda Maguire announced in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday that she plans to hand the business over to a new owner.
Maguire founded the company seven years ago. It has had several locations and has been located at 2115 S. Minnesota Ave. for the last two years.
Over the past few years, Maguire has “been through a lot personally and as part of that process, I’ve doubled down on focusing on my mental health,” she said in her post.
“As I’ve taken more time to understand myself, being the owner of Game Chest wasn’t for me. And that’s a really hard thing to admit and a really hard thing to accept… because I work really hard at it and I love this community and this business so much and I’ve tried everything in my power to make it work.”
She has an informal agreement with the new owner and plans to share details once it is formalized.
Meanwhile, her manager will return to teaching after this week, while other key team members plan to stay. Maguire plans to manage the store a few days a week.
She said she is preparing to hand the store over to new owners “with full enthusiasm.” “They will uphold the values that we have worked so hard to build and achieve here,” she said. “They see the value of community. They see the value of creating a safe space. They see the importance of family-friendly games.”
Game Chest sells and rents games and also offers spaces to play, which they say will continue to be the case.
“They have a wonderful vision of where we can go from here, and I will be there to support them as the matriarch of this company,” Maguire said.
“This is my baby. I raised it from birth to seven years old, and it’s not easy to leave it to someone else. So it’s not just anyone. It’s people who take care of it.”
Maguire did not give a firm timeline for the changeover, but told customers it would take some time.
“I refuse to make this transition sloppy, bad or messy … but I really want it to be as smooth as possible for you because you’ve given me so much,” she said. “I want to give that back and make sure you feel as safe and secure with this decision as I do.”
