New Orleans-themed gaming and crafting café opens on Main Street in Medina

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Hunter, 10, and Evelyn, 7, children of Josh and Ashley Schmidbauer of Middleport play Go Fishin’ at Nola’s Gaming & Crafting Cafe in Medina. The family had been out to supper and stopped in to see what it was all about, after looking in the window on their way to the car. (Right) New Orleans native Steven Sones displays pieces of King cake which he made. The cakes are a tradition in New Orleans from Epiphany until Mardi Gras and can be ordered from Sones or enjoyed at his new business, Nola’s Gaming & Crafting Café, with a cup of homemade hot chocolate or delicious chicory coffee.

MEDINA – A parent looking for something to occupy the children on a day off from school, an adult looking for something different to do in Medina or a shopper wanting to get in out of the cold and enjoy a cup of homemade hot chocolate need look no further.

 Nola’s Gaming & Crafting Cafe has the answer.

Located at 525 Main St., Nola’s is a Gaming & Crafting Café, where all ages can sip, play and create by paying a nominal fee for a set amount of time. It is the brainchild of Steven and Jennifer Sones of Millville, who said they got the idea because they both love to play games. The name “Nola” is an acronym of New Orleans, La.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Sones: Jennifer and Steven Sones stand by a painting created in their new store, Nola’s Gaming & Crafting Café,  which they recently opened at 525 Main St. The business is described as a New Orleans-themed gaming and crafting café. The name Nola’s is an acronym for New Orleans, La.

Steven, a native of New Orleans, has had various jobs in management throughout his life, while Jennifer does auditing of Early Intervention in New York state. They met while both were living in Florida, and moved back near Jennifer’s home town of Lockport, where they married and raised their five children. They eventually decided to move to Orleans County and found a house in Millville.

The decision to go into business came as a result of wanting something to do in their spare time, their love of games and Jennifer’s interest in crafts.

“Medina has bars, restaurants, beauty salons, specialty shops and antique shops, but nothing for people to do for entertainment,” Steven said.

After searching for space in Brockport, Albion, Medina, Middleport and Lockport, they discovered the store formerly occupied by Into the Enigma at 525 Main St., Medina.

“We really wanted to be in Medina,” Steven said. “We love Medina.”

Cindy Robinson, who owns the English Rose Tea Shoppe a few doors away, convinced them they should be open in time for the Parade of Lights, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They have since planned a grand opening on Monday, with special events planned all week. There will be paper mache Mardi Gras mask crafts, gaming specials and a princess party, with treats such as beignets and King Cake, both New Orleans favorites, especially at Mardi Gras.

“We are geared toward family days every day,” Jennifer said. “We will be hosting weekly family events on Saturdays.”

Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and on Sunday for special events.  This week on Monday Nola’s will begin their week-long grand opening with hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Going forward Monday will be reserved for Magic Monday events. This Wednesday will feature a Dungeons and Dragons character build for the D&D campaign scheduled on the first and third Sundays. They will host a weekly Date Night on Saturdays with events geared strictly for adults.

Steven said their business is a great experience for home-schooled children.

Nola’s Gaming & Crafting has one of the largest libraries of games for all ages in Western New York, Steven said.

Some of the crafts featured are macrame, beaded jewelry, candle pouring, crocheting, air drying clay and vision board (collage) workshops.

A popular feature of the store are the New Orleans-themed beignets (pronounced ben-yea), king cakes and Snowballs, along with homemade hot chocolate or his special coffee with chicory.

Steven has been selling his snowballs at local events, including the Canal Village Farmer’s Market in summer and the Orleans County 4-H Fair, where they have been a big hit, especially with children.

Steven Sones serves Erica Waniecski of Medina a beignet and homemade hot chocolate at the new business he and wife Jennifer have opened in Medina. Sones, a native of New Orleans, makes the beignets, a pillowy soft, air-fried piece of dough topped with a heavy coating of powdered sugar. The confections are a tradition in New Orleans, especially at the famed Café du Monde.

Beignets are pillowy-soft, deep-fried pieces of dough, traditionally topped with a heavy coating of powdered sugar. Originating from France, they are famously known as the official state doughnut of Louisiana, where they were introduced by French settlers and became a staple of New Orleans, particularly at the iconic Café Du Monde.

King cakes are a tradition served primarily from Jan. 6, or the Epiphany, until Mardi Gras. The cakes are usually made from a rich brioche-like dough twisted into a ring and filled with ingredients like cinnamon, cream cheese or pecans. It is very common to find a small plastic baby figurine hidden within a ring of king cake. While there are many beliefs, some say that the figurine represents the Baby Jesus. The history and figurine are taped to the inside of each box for the customers to use as they see fit, Jennifer said.

He makes his king cakes with cinnamon or cream cheese and raspberry. In addition to selling the cakes by the slice, he also takes orders for whole cakes. Orders can be placed during carnival season on social media or by calling (585) 318-4001. Beignets may be ordered at any time.

 “We want Nola’s to become a community hub,” Steven said.