“Welcome back!” is what you always hear when you enter The Basement…even if it’s your first time visiting North Bossier’s geek paradise.
“I always say that, no matter who it is. I want people to feel welcome and comfortable and to enjoy their hobby,” says owner Chris Sullivan.
Located at 4116 Airline Dr., Bossier City, the veteran-owned store caters to locals who love board games, classic video games, model building and pop culture collectibles.
“I’m out of the military after 21 years,” Sullivan said. “This place was my dream. I just want to make enough to keep the doors open and give people the opportunity to have fun and meet other like-minded people in a safe, comfortable environment.”
Housed in a small strip mall near the corner of Airline Drive and Brownlee Road, The Basement offers experienced and beginning collectors the opportunity to relax on a sofa and play the ’80s version of Super Mario Bros. or reserve a table for friends to have fun with Dungeons and Dragons.
“I always wanted to do this, but then reality hits you, life goes on and you give up,” Sullivan said. “After I got out of the Air Force, my wife wanted me to relax, but after six months of doing nothing, I couldn’t. I could have taken another job or followed my dream and now this is exactly what I wanted.”
Whether you’re a seasoned gamer, a collector, or someone just looking to explore the world of hobbies, The Basement aims to be the neighborhood meeting place for fun.
“When I was growing up, there was a huge store that had everything. Whatever you were interested in, you could go there and find something. I had that memory as a kid and wanted to recreate it here,” Sullivan said.
He chose the location, which was once an auto repair shop, for his first store because he liked it. Sullivan said he wanted to create a classic video store with a blockbuster atmosphere.
“We looked everywhere and I liked this one. It had something where I could see its potential,” he said. “This wasn’t a place where anyone could open a game store. We had to do renovations, but that was quick – we started in November 2023 and opened in March 2024.”
Although he traveled the world during his time in the Air Force, Sullivan chose Bossier as his home because of his children.
“When I retired, I was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base. My kids had settled in and I wanted to give them the stability they didn’t have before,” he said. “Bossier is quiet, you get just enough of the Louisiana lifestyle and everything I could want is within driving distance.”
Sullivan added that the business community in Bossier is also great.
“Bossier City really helped me get started,” Sullivan said. “I was surprised by the business community. I didn’t realize how much local business owners support each other.”
In the meantime, customers are happy to have a new sales outlet right on their doorstep.
“We’re the only store of its kind here. That’s one of the things people always say to me: ‘We needed this,'” Sullivan said.
Although he is happy that word is spreading about The Basement, Sullivan wants to remain an insider tip. For him, success is not monetary, but rather about helping people.
“Success means people come in and hang out. Whole families have come to me and spent time together. I just want people to socialize while playing,” he said.
