Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader

If you’re like us, you probably saw the new ‘Byte Hub’ sign up next to Distractions in downtown Slave Lake and wondered: ‘Is that ‘byte’ as in computer memory, or ‘byte’ as in something to eat?’

It turns out it’s both!

According Abby Quimson, one of the four partners in the new venture, Byte Hub will be a place for people to come and play board or video games, virtual reality games and eat snacks.

“We wanted something different,” says Quimson.

“We thought of something where kids could hang out, a safe, all-inclusive space.”

Kids who aren’t into sports have a hard time finding activities they can do with other kids, Quimson says. A lot of them like games, and this gives them the chance to get together, socialize a bit while playing.

The space will also be available for rent for private functions, Quimson says.

For starters, Byte Hub aims to be open weekday evenings. On weekends, the plan is to open at 11 and go til six or seven. But Quimson said on Thursday, the operating hours question was still “up in the air.”

Quimson, who already runs an esthetics business in town, says this is something new for her, as it involves four partners.

There’s Abby, her husband Niel Cruz, her sister-in-law Aira Cruz and her partner Jaboy Sanje.

Last week as this was being written, the group were waiting for approval on various inspections. If that went as they hoped, it will have been open for a few days by the time this edition of The Leader comes out.

Byte Hub is located in the former NuFloors plaza, by the Servus Credit Union.