How to Build a TCG Store, Part 3: When a Lease Falls Apart
How to Build a TCG Store, Part 3: When a Lease Falls Apart
It’s been a few months since we last updated our How to Build a TCG Store series. When we left off, we were deep in lease negotiations for a space in Carrollton. What felt like a sure thing at the time slowly became less so.
Ultimately, we chose to walk away. In the moment, it felt like a major setback. Looking back, it was an important learning experience—and one that led us to a space we believe is a much better fit for both our business and our lives. Here are the key lessons we took from that period.
A Protective Rental Agreement Is Non-Negotiable
The original Carrollton space checked many of the boxes we were looking for, and we felt fortunate to have secured a relatively low monthly rate. But as lease negotiations dragged on, we found ourselves no closer to an agreement that adequately protected both parties.
Weeks turned into months. The possibility of covering all tenant improvements out of pocket loomed larger. What initially felt exciting began to feel forced—like we were trying to make something work that wasn’t working on several levels.
That was our signal to pause and reopen the search.
Not long after, our realtor connected us with a property that hadn’t even officially hit the market yet.
Second Time's a Charm
The new space we found is in Flower Mound, TX, in a community-centered development with restaurants, shops, salons, and even a church. It connects to trails and sits near major roads but isn't directly off the highway. Even better, it was also eight minutes from one of our founder’s homes.
This time around, prior experience made a real difference. We applied what we learned from the first negotiation and the lease process moved quickly—days instead of weeks. Even better, the agreement felt balanced and clear from the start.
On October 28, 2025, we signed the lease. Feelings of excitement mixed with the realization that we were now back to the learning stage again.
Planning, Engineering, and City Approval
After signing, we met with a space planner to translate our needs into a functional layout. Engineers then reviewed the plans to ensure everything met code, and those plans were then submitted to the city for approval.
The city advises that reviews can take up to two weeks, and we found that they used every day of that window. Even a single round of revisions added another month to our timeline.
That has been a recurring lesson for us: expect delays, and then expect a few more.
With city approval now complete, we’re preparing to enter the renovation phase. In the next post, we’ll share what it looks like to move from approved plans to an actual build-out, and what we’re learning as that work gets underway.