Social Gaming Franchise Enters U.S. After European Improvement | Franchise Information

Friendly Fire, a gaming café idea with rows of laptop stations permitting for teams of gamers to socialize as they dive into widespread titles, is coming to the United States. After establishing itself in Europe, the Croatian model is ready to enter Florida and Texas.

David Kosir is a fan of video video games and the encompassing tradition. In the 2010s, nonetheless, the Croatian entrepreneur began to note an issue.

“We live in an increasingly virtual world,” he mentioned. “And the social concept was slowly getting away from our lives. As a gamer, I came up with a simple idea to see what I could do about it. Everybody’s at home playing games, so we figured we could provide a space where people can still play games, but we can also provide a place that allows a person to connect.”

The answer was Friendly Fire, a gaming café which options rows of stations permitting lovers to plug in and revel in enjoying time with others. Kosir based the model in 2017, with its first location in Zagreb, Croatia, and the speedy response was constructive.

“It became very popular and we liked the momentum we had,” Kosir mentioned. “We decided to open another, and another. Before COVID, we had built a small chain of five. But in Europe, franchising wasn’t as common and I wasn’t familiar with the business model. Plus, during COVID, we had very strict lockdowns and everything was basically frozen for a few years.”

Things started to choose up once more because the pandemic subsided and Friendly Fire started attracting new companions, together with one with a quick-service restaurant background, which allowed Kosir to be taught in regards to the franchise prospects. Friendly Fire began providing franchises in 2022 and it now has 22 places throughout Europe.

“For me, I knew McDonald’s was a franchise, but I wasn’t as familiar with the systems,” Kosir mentioned. “But now I think franchising is one of the best business models, because it’s about who’s good at what. They are good at hiring local, finding local spaces and operating stores, while we’re good at providing them the system. Everything is scalable that way.”

In 2025, the expansion fee received the eye of a big Domino’s franchisee in Europe. The group, made up of buyers led by Andrii Romanenko, signed a growth deal for 100 places throughout Austria, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. Romanenko, whose enterprise relies in Ukraine, additionally joined the model as chief enterprise growth officer.

The growth then led to a different massive investor in a retired skilled esports participant, Luka Perkovich. A Croatian identified for his expertise within the recreation “League of Legends,” Perkovich’s assist helped Friendly Fire garner extra publicity.

Next got here the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean as Friendly Fire signed a grasp franchise settlement for Canada with Michaela Radman, an entrepreneur with a portfolio of leisure ideas. Radman adopted that up by inking a deal to open places in each Florida and Texas.

The price to open a Friendly Fire franchise within the United States ranges from $218,400 to $390,685. Locations are usually 1,500 sq. ft. Inside, models are likely to have some gaming consoles equivalent to X-Box and PlayStation fashions, in addition to some racing simulators, however the majority of the sport stations make the most of computer systems.

“The vibe is a mix of a living room and a good pub,” Kosir mentioned. “It’s electric. It gets crowded and busy. You hear the laughs, screams and rage moments. It gets intense and people love it. Each location has a simple solution for food and beverage options with a simple vending shop.”

Because of the dimensions at which the model is rising, Kosir mentioned within the U.S. the model solely desires multi-unit operators. While it has been capable of open with single-unit owner-operators in Europe, he mentioned they don’t have the manpower to assist such franchisees in America. Instead, the main target is on multi-unit franchisees who’ve the infrastructure to run a number of places.

For its geographical technique, together with Florida and Texas, Kosir mentioned the model is contemplating main markets equivalent to Boston, the place it’s trying to negotiate for extra models. He added that he expects the primary U.S. location to open within the fourth quarter of 2026.