Warhammer Store & Cafe — Attraction in Grapevine

We drove to Grapevine because we were told this was the flagship GW store in America. We were really exited to see it.

The staff started hounding us to buy something from the moment we walked through the door. After repeatedly telling the staff we knew about Warhammer and just wanted to look around. They continued to shake us down and insisting we tell them everything about ourselves and what we knew about the hobby. The only reason I didn't walk out of the store was out of respect for my friend who drove us to see the store. My friend was forced to paint his "first" mini, he tried to refused but was bullied by the staff into doing it anyway, so the rest of us could actually look around in peace.

Once we had sacrificed our friend to escape from the staff and were able to walk around at our own pace the store was very nice. They had impressive display cases full of minis, including Forge World minis that you usually wouldn't be able to see or buy in person. This was the first time I had seen a Thunderhawk gunship or a Warhound titan in person and the pictures I've seen didn't do them justice. We were also very impressed by some of the limited books they had as well as some very nice canvas art for sale. The gaming area was large and comfortable looking. I can see how a tournament here could be a lot of fun. I have no complains about the store itself. It was very impressive. The café wasn't supper impressive, but that's not what people are here for so that's no big deal.

To the staff though, have you ever heard of the story of the wind vs the sun? The harder you try to pressure people to do something they're hesitant about the more you push them away. The staff came across as incredibly thirsty to get us to buy stuff, even insulted us when we said most of their product was too expensive for us. To the point that I actually regret buying some paint that I needed because it vindicated them.

Towards the end of our stay there they were still treating us like we didn't know anything about the game for some reason, even though we had made it clear that we did. The were still aggressively pushing product at us and tried to grossly undersell the start up cost of getting into the hobby in a way that was both insulting and bordering on outright lying, Sure, you can buy a First Strike box and you're technically physically able to play a game of 40K with a friend. But it takes so much more investment to get into the real hobby that they were completely dismissive of.

I came to see the flagship GW store in the US and left with such a bad taste in my mouth that I'm re-evaluating how much I'm willing to support the company as a whole. I'll stick to my local GW store for now. They may be small, but they don't try to force a Dark Imperium box down the throat of everyone...

I've been a fan of the Warhammer 40,000 ("WH40k") for a couple decades now, mostly through the PC games and extensive Black Library books. I've never really had the time nor the talent to get into the tabletop game. But this place may change all that.

My son is on spring break this week and as a dutiful father, I've been working hard to raise him to be twice the nerd I ever was (no small task!), so it was no surprise that he asked to visit this store nestled in scenic downtown Grapevine, TX. Just upon entering, it is quite a sight to behold! Models, books, and games fill every possible spot on the walls, and many artfully arranged models are arranged in various scenarios or display cases throughout the store.

Unlike your typical ultranerd-hobby-store (I use that term affectionately) vibe where the proprietors tend to be a bit, well... comic-book-store-guy-ish, if you get my meaning -- the folks here are extremely friendly, helpful, and outgoing, clearly passionate about the whole Games Workshop/Warhammer world, and eager to share that passion with any and all comers. They greeted us warmly and offered us help right away, while also not hovering over us, and giving us plenty of room to freely browse at leisure. And once we did have questions, they eagerly gave us an abundance of help! My son left there genuinely excited to get started on his first model build, and I'll note that they offer plenty of hands-on help for newbies like him.

The showroom has an enormous stock of Warhammer (grimdark medieval fantasy with humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, undead, etc.), Warhammer 40k (grimdark far-flung-future space fantasy with space-humans, space-elves, space-dwarves, space-orcs, space-undead, etc.), a decent selection of both the gameplay books and their fiction series for both universes (I highly recommend the Horus Heresy series as a good starting point!), and a collection of other games including some officially licensed Lord of the Rings tabletop miniatures and game accessories.

In addition to the showroom, they've got a huge tabletop play area in the back with massive terrain layouts, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the place hopping with activity on a Monday afternoon. There's also a small Warhammer-themed café in the back with drinks, pastries, and other goodies. I didn't have any, but it looks neat!

Anyway, I'm thrilled that a place like this exists. Even if you're not a fan of the WH/WH40K universes, it's a cool place to visit and look around. You never know-- you might discover a...

On the surface, this may sound gimmicky to some. I assure you it is not. Not only is the coffee delightful, it's competitively priced. There are a wide array of gaming tables, which outside of gaming events need not be reserved. There are demo games all over the store, and not just Warhammer. Silver Tower, The Burning of Prospero, Underworld, and so many more. The pastries are made at a local bakery just down the street, the coffee is locally sourced - being a part of the community is among their highest priorities. They don't serve lunch, but just across the street is a little sandwich shop they will direct you to for a "Sigmar Sandwich" which is absolutely delicious. They're partnering with other places on Main Street to try and do the same sort of thing with them as well.

Mick, the store manager, is clearly excited about what he's doing, and he loves the hobby. I had a lot of fun chatting with him over opening weekend, and Monday morning, despite several hundred people he doubtlessly interacted with, he remembered me instantly as I walked in, and was quick with a smile and a hello, even as he was helping another customer. He was an excellent pick for this flagship concept.

The store itself is well stocked, and carries a wide range of products, including Forge World, which up until now was something you could only import or travel abroad for, including at least one model that up until now was only available at the physical location in Nottingham. The atmosphere is amazing, with decades of Games Workshop history in the cabinets and on the walls. No spoilers, but if you own a couple of old codexes, you might be pleasantly surprised at the celebrities you'll recognize.

All in all, I had an amazing time, I will be traveling down that way again just as soon as I am able. And I can say with certainty that even my wife, who has no interest in the hobby outside of being married to me, had a great time, too. And if we weren't carting children around, I would just bet she'd have even played her first game.

Tl;dr - Go. You...