Long-Awaited Beer Hall/Entertainment Venue to Open in Long Island City Thursday

A new beer hall/entertainment venue called Gamehaus LIC/NY, will open at 5-14 51st Ave. in Long Island City Thursday (Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Aug. 16, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

It’s been a long time coming but a new beer hall/entertainment venue will finally open in Long Island City Thursday.

The new establishment, called Gamehaus LIC/NY, will open at 5-14 51st Ave. and will function as a live entertainment venue, beer hall and restaurant.

The 7,500 square foot space, which is spread across three floors, will also contain a dedicated games room featuring retro arcade games and table games aimed at young adults and families.

The operators, a hospitality group called El Grupo SN, have taken over the building that was previously occupied by the brewpub Alewife which shuttered in July 2021 and moved its operations to Sunnyside. El Grupo SN operates a number of bars and restaurants throughout Manhattan— including a rooftop nightclub and lounge in Chelsea called Somewhere Nowhere.

Nathan Leong, a Managing Partner at El Grupo, said Gamehaus was initially scheduled to open in the fall of 2021 but the operators decided to do a complete overhaul of the premises as opposed to just making cosmetic changes before opening.

“Halfway into renovating the place, we decided we were going to do a full gut renovation and transformation of the space,” said Leong, who founded El Grupo with his business partner Sameer Qureshi. They have partnered with Stephen Cheng to open the Gamehaus facility.

“We wanted to give Long Island City something fresh, therefore we decided to [install] everything brand new.”

Leong said the revamp included putting in new kitchen appliances, new arcade systems and revamping an outdoor terrace area.

The front entrance was also changed and now includes glass doors with wooden frames and a large company logo. The establishment also contains various game-themed artwork installations and paintings by SMETSKY, a New York-based artist.

With the wait almost over, Leong said Gamehaus will be welcoming to people of all ages and the group plans on hosting various events at the establishment including live music and trivia nights.

“Gamehaus is an omni-functional event space that will be operating a sports bar, beer hall, arcade room, restaurant and will feature a dedicated area for local bands… perfect for young adults and families,” Leong said.

Initial opening hours will be from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

A new beer hall/entertainment venue called Gamehaus LIC/NY, will open at 5-14 51st Ave. in Long Island City Thursday (Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

The 7,500 square foot space, which is spread across three floors, will also contain a dedicated games room featuring retro arcade games and table games aimed at young adults and families (Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)