Le Valet d’Coeur opened in 1981 and has maintained the top spot for Montreal’s gaming community ever since. Step through its doors and you’ll enter a board game wonderland waiting to be discovered.
The owners, Martin Cassel and Jean-Baptist Gatineau, have always been interested in board games. Martin stumbled upon the store in 2009 shortly after arriving in Montreal, and has been working at Le Valet d’Coeur ever since. Neither one thought that they would one day co-own the store. And thanks to this type of mentality, it allowed the two to focus on their passion, rather than sales. “We really come from interest,” says Martin. “We are gamers first.”
The store itself even mirrors the people working: all sections are inspired by employees’ interest and motivation to provide new games to their customers. This organic nature translates across the atmosphere of the shop, so the staff grows a real personal connection to the games and the visitors.