The Merry Meeple 

 

Things move fast in NYC, so when Casey Delehanty started looking for a Brooklyn location for his planned boardgame café, he knew he’d have to act quickly if he identified a space he really liked. Casey had some savings but realized he would also need a loan in order to have enough capital for renovations, equipment, and working capital.

 

Casey was assigned to Pace SBDC business advisor Greg Callender, who assessed the client’s circumstances, provided him with a detailed to-do list so that Casey could assemble a complete loan package, and then reviewed that entire loan package before introducing Casey to Desi Smithen at M&T Bank.

 

M&T started evaluating Casey’s loan request even before Casey had found a space, so when he discovered 709 Fulton St. in Fort Greene, things moved rapidly all the way to an approval. In August 2026 Casey closed on a $250,000 SBA-guaranteed loan, supplementing his own six figure equity investment. The Merry Meeple, featuring beer, coffee, and board games, is scheduled to open later this year.

​

The Pace University Small Business Development Center has a team of business counselors helping New York City’s entrepreneurs build, sustain, and grow successful small businesses. To make an appointment with a certified business advisor, contact us via our website or email sbdc@pace.edu.

 ​