Edible Notables: The Fort
Vancouver Island is a little piece of paradise, but its one downfall is its wet, damp, overcast winters, where it can be hard to be motivated to do anything but curl up in bed. That’s where Emily Lavender comes in, the wizard and keeper of The Fort.
The Fort is the perfect place to tuck away indoors, away from inclement weather, while enjoying the company of friends gathered around a favourite board game and munching on nostalgic snacks. “I wanted to create a space where people could come together to have some good old-fashioned fun doing the things that brought me joy growing up: playing games and eating yummy food!” explains Emily.
She recalls her first introduction to games with her grandpa, who taught her Cribbage. Her interest in video games came from her uncle’s old Nintendo and Super Nintendo. She fondly remembers having Super Mario World marathons with her best friend and enjoying family game nights. As she grew up, she pursued other interests, studying Environmental Science at the University of Manitoba, travelling to India to volunteer with an animal rescue, and then working for an animal welfare non-profit for almost a decade. But the hard work came at a price, and she found herself feeling burned out and wishing for a social place to play some games and relax.
Unfortunately, what she was looking for didn’t seem to exist. So, fueled by a love of games and retro music, she decided to create her own space. “I started by hosting 80s and 90s nights at the Victoria Event Centre, which included board games, retro videogames and a dance party,” Emily recalls. The events were a hit, and she decided the experience deserved its own permanent space. Despite her lack of business background, she was willing to take the risk because of how meaningful it was to her.
What she couldn’t have known, however, was just how much of a risk that would be, as she opened The Fort just a month prior to the pandemic. “That’s been a big struggle for such a new business, especially being so new that I was unable to qualify for any of the government subsidies available to businesses,” says Emily. But along with the challenges also came an unexpected relationship—she met her would-be husband, who was looking for a place to play D&D remotely. Because business was slow due to the pandemic, she found herself frequently playing videogames and boardgames with him, leading first to a close friendship and then ultimately to marriage.
Conveniently, her husband, Jannick, is not only great at playing games, but also has a lot of kitchen managing experience. So they found a new location in which they could build a kitchen and fully realize Emily’s dream of a place filled with people, games and food. They offer a fully plant-based menu, reflecting Emily’s vegan lifestyle for the past 15 years. Nostalgia is also a critical foundation to the menu—and really, to The Fort as a whole—as they feature classic favourites like tater tots, floats, milkshakes, hotdogs, bubble tea, and even cereal. “We make our own cashew milk and ice cream, which we put into our own milkshake recipes,” says Emily. “We also make a great float with our ice cream and Phillips’ Root Beer.” They’re working on obtaining a liquor licence so they can offer more Island-made options.
Their plant-based menu is just one of the ways they are working to reduce their environmental footprint. “Being environmentally conscious is very important to me,” says Emily, crediting part of that awareness to growing up on the Island, surrounded by nature. “All the cleaning supplies are eco-friendly and not tested on animals, the company vehicle is a smart car, and most of the furniture, games and even kitchen supplies are second hand.”
With over 100 board and card games, there is literally a game for everyone: classics like chess, family games like Clue, party games like Cards Against Humanity and modern strategy games like 7 Wonders. And the selection is just as wide for video games, with retro classics like Atari, Super Nintendo, SEGA, and N64 (“Yep, it’s retro now!”), to modern consoles like Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch and even Virtual Reality.
While it took career burnout, plenty of risk and a pandemic to get here, Emily says that creating this unique space has been an incredible experience. “Meeting new people, getting to know customers and seeing the space bringing so much joy to others is very rewarding,” she says. “The unstoppable laughter a funny game brings is priceless.”
The Edible Notables series is proudly sponsored by Beacon Law Centre.
