The Paladins League is hard to describe, which is part of the reason it’s in the midst of revamping parts of its rationale.
Its space at 4765 NE Fremont St. offers a library of more than 700 board and other games, tables and private spaces for playing, food and drink, social connections, after-school Dungeons & Dragons clubs, and much more. But its main purpose, says Jess Monsey (co-owner with husband Bob), isn’t to be a restaurant or a business, but a social gathering place in a world that desperately needs them.
When it opened in November 2024, it was born from “a strong desire to do something good in our city, and particularly in northeast Portland,” she says. “What’s changed is that the purpose and the mission have become more and more important, and it’s a problem we want to help solve.”
That’s why it recently filed for and received nonprofit status. Its new The Paladins League Foundation is intended to “use games, storytelling, and cooperative creative play” to nurture a sense of belonging, self-assuredness, and meaningful human connection for young people, families, and our community.
The food and beverage side of the enterprise will still be for-profit, she says, but it exists to help create a convivial atmosphere where people feel at home.
The new nonprofit strategy is designed to bring its philosophy beyond its four walls and out into the neighborhood by forming partnerships with local schools, social groups, and senior centers; sharing its game libraries; and bringing community groups, educators, and parents into its space.
Many of the details haven’t been fully worked out, but a first step is reaching out to local schools to gauge their interest in creating curated game libraries and other points of connection. Jess has already started working with middle schoolers on writing their own role-playing games and performing them.
“You would not believe how excited they were,” she says of the experience.
For more information visit thepaladinsleague.com.
Chris Rauber and his wife moved to Portland and B-W in mid-2022 after many years in the San Francisco Bay Area. He wrote for the San Francisco Business Times and other publications. He was born in Oregon.