Annex Arrival // April 2024 Update
We think we’re about one week out from opening the Annex, and with the whole water leak kerfuffle behind us, I’m very excited share some concrete details about its imminent arrival.
We’ve spent what feels like every free moment obsessing about how to sculpt this space into something that addresses a number of needs for our club, including but not limited to:
Additional table capacity
Additional storage space, especially for terrain, supplies, and drinks
Adding 24-Hour Access as an optional service for members
Long-term financial sustainability (anticipating a move by September 2025)
Short-term financial sustainability (making sure we can continue to pay the bills while taking on all the additional costs).
With those guiding principles in mind, the Annex will be a space that extends a more private, relaxed, and clubhouse-oriented atmosphere compared to the curated, public-facing Wargaming Speakeasy.
BJ and Allison from Understory Woodworking assembling and finishing the three new game tables.
Annex Bookings
Once the Annex opens, every member will have a distinct new “Annex booking” option. These will have some important differences compared to booking a table in the speakeasy:
An unstaffed, closed-doors environment limited to members and their guests.
Self-serve terrain, table-setup, and drinks.
Alcohol-free.
These differences mostly come down to balancing legal and security concerns, but they’re also about keeping our jobs sustainable and managing the costs of the space. On an ancillary level, it’s also just plain exciting to provide members with some new options about the environment they play in.
Garrett has graciously allowed us to use his very nice record player in the Annex. We’ll have a selection of records for folks explore and spin in the space.
24-Hour Access
Perhaps the most exciting thing for many, many folks is that we’ll be offering a paid membership add-on that grants the ability to book a table in the Annex at any time, and to get in the door using credentials on one’s phone.
We’ve really tried to get the details right on this—balancing security, terrain needs, table capacity, and curating the same warm, comfortable atmosphere folks have come to expect from Waystone (not to mention the immense financial and labor cost of doubling our space).
When it comes to pricing, we considered every option, from making it a free addition, to charging almost double what we settled on. Eligibility was similar. We wanted to ensure that if we’re providing access to a sensitive, unstaffed space, we have some fairly objective criteria ensuring that they’re enduring community-members who we know and trust.
24-Hour Annex Access Add-on
Make Annex bookings at any time, including late at night and on holidays.
Access the Annex 24/7 using credentials attached to your phone.
$32/month membership add-on (50% off for Community Amplifiers)
Eligibility:
Be a Waystone member for six months or more, and visit the space at least 5 times in the last six months.
Continuously uphold the club’s Community Values, and have no outstanding safety or security concerns from our staff.
Eligibility is ultimately at the discretion of Waystone staff.
Dwarven artillery barrages need not end at 10:00pm any longer.
Community Amplifier Lockers Available!
If you’ve been thinking about making the jump to Community Amplifier, there hasn’t been a better time. Not only do Community Amplifiers make a huge difference in terms of the financial sustainability of the club, we’ve trying to to make it even more worthwhile by discounting the new 24-Hour Access option.
Storage space for your most used models, game aids, and rulebooks.
An extra 10% off all drinks and Games Workshop orders.
50% off 24-Hour Access.
Full details on membership options here.
We ran out of locker space very early on in Waystone’s journey, so it’s exciting to have 15 new lockers available in the Annex. If you’re interested in upgrading, just reach out to us via our Contact form or by messaging Servo Skull on Discord, and we’ll help you make the switch.
This whole thing has taken me back to what it felt like when we first opened—trying to address needs we know are out there in the miniatures games community, but not being exactly sure what it (or our labor) is worth, if it make sense logistically or financially, and whether we’ll have the gumption to bring it into being.
The biggest difference is that now we have an incredible community supporting us along the way. A huge thank-you to everyone who has offered to help, made it out to our Annex work party, or gifted the club furniture.
I’m very excited to relive that moment when folks begin to inhabit this new space, form new memories, to see it providing people with a brief reprieve from the things that are weighing on them.
All the best,
Dustin
