Born and raised in Duluth, MN, Matt and Erin Glesner and have known each other their entire lives. They share a passion for helping people and had a dreamed of doing this through what is now The Loch Cafe and Games. This hybrid coffee shop/game store is meant to be a safe haven for anyone needing somewhere to be themselves, without judgment, and create a social space that gives back by letting the community un-loch their inner nerd through one of Matt and Erin’s favorite past-times: gaming.

Erin and Matt see opening The Loch Cafe and Games, their first business, as their proudest achievements in that they both worked over the course of a few years to not just open in 2023, but purchase the building they operate in. Matt being a quick study and having gained experience working a number of different types of jobs in the past paired with Erin teaching Matt the ability to make a great specialty coffee, they’re happy to be working for themselves and feeding the need for great food and drink as much as they feed the need for gaming in the Northland. Matt has a big soft spot in his heart for collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering, board games, miniatures, and all sorts of nerdery. He also dabbles in many other hobbies with many projects currently in the works, such as writing a graphic novel and a kid’s book, setting up a Gamescom event here in Duluth, and creating content for YouTube and social media through a studio he made himself.

Both Erin and Matt invite the greater Duluth community to use The Loch Cafe and Games as their base of gaming operations, share creative inspiration, and enjoy each other’s company as you un-loch your nerd.