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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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We've put together a handy FAQs guide so that you can get the answers to our most-asked questions about Outside The Box.

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If your question isn't answered on this page, please do get in touch with us using the details on the Contact page.

  • ARE CHILDREN WELCOME?
    Children are very welcome at Outside The Box. Playing board games is educational, fun and engaging – perfect for kids! We have range of board games for our young guests in the Family section of our library. Since many board games have small pieces that could be choking hazards, we request that children are supervised by their responsible adults at all times. In particular, we ask that children do not venture underneath the tables.
  • CAN I SUGGEST A BOARD GAME TO BE ADDED TO THE OUTSIDE THE BOX LIBRARY?
    Absolutely! Please email us with any suggestions.
  • I’M HAVING AN ISSUE WITH YOUR ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM
    Please email or call us to let us know (use the Contact Us button below). We can then take your booking personally. Plus we can alert Technical Support!
  • DO YOU HOST EVENTS?
    Yes - check out our Events & Offers page to find out more about our latest events.
  • CAN I BRING MY CHILDREN DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS?
    Absolutely! Outside The Box is the perfect place to entertain your kids during the school holidays. Please keep a look out for our special events on Facebook, Instagram and on the Events page of this website.
  • CAN I HIRE THE VENUE EXCLUSIVELY?
    We would be more than happy to discuss private hire with you. We can put together a bespoke package depending on your requirements. Please email racheleade@outsidetheboxltd.co.uk for private hire enquiries.
  • DO YOU SERVE ALCOHOL?
    We do not currently have a licence to serve alcohol.
  • CAN I BRING MY OWN FOOD AND DRINK TO THE CAFÉ?
    We respectfully request that guests do not bring their own food or drink into the café.
  • CAN I GET THE BUS TO OUTSIDE THE BOX?
    Buses on routes 378 and 379 from Stockport and Heald Green stop nearby the cafe - just a 3-minute walk away.
  • CAN I MOVE MY BOOKING TO A DIFFERENT DAY OR TIME?
    If you need to reschedule your booking, please cancel the original booking and make a new booking.
  • IS THE CAFE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE?
    Our main entrance door and our toilet door are wide enough to accommodate most wheelchairs, being at least 90cm wide. There is a 10cm step into the cafe, but we do have a small portable ramp. The cafe has just one small toilet which unfortunately does not have additional accessibility features.
  • WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY BOOKING?
    Please call us if you need to cancel your booking. For online bookings, you can cancel your booking via your email confirmation.
  • ARE PUSHCHAIRS ALLOWED?
    Outside The Box is a small venue but we will always do our best to accommodate a couple of pushchairs. Please let us know in advance where possible.
  • DO I HAVE TO PAY THE GAMING FEE IF I’M NOT PLAYING GAMES?
    It depends when you visit. Before 6pm on weekdays you can use Outside The Box as a regular café and just come in for a drink and a snack. At other times, gaming fees apply to everyone who visits, regardless of whether they are playing or not. This helps to ensure that Outside The Box remains a specialist gaming venue.
  • ARE DOGS ALLOWED?
    Well-behaved dogs are allowed in the venue, but owners must be aware that small games pieces may drop on the floor from time to time. Outside The Box accepts no liability for game pieces swallowed by dogs. If any game pieces are chewed or otherwise damaged by pet dogs, we reserve the right to ask the owner to cover the cost of a replacement game. Also, if other guests are nervous of or allergic to dogs, we would ask that owners take steps to consider the feelings of fellow guests.
  • WHAT GAMES DO YOU HAVE AT OUTSIDE THE BOX?
    Take a look at our online Games Library to see what we have available. You can also come and visit the cafe to see what games we have to play.
  • I HAVE A FOOD ALLERGY – WHAT CAN I EAT OR DRINK?
    We keep a file with allergen information for all the food and drink that we supply. Please ask a member of the team to see this file.
  • DO I HAVE TO BOOK ONLINE?
    No, you can email or call us to book. Please note that emails are only checked once a day so email is not suitable for last minute bookings. Walk-ins are welcome, but booking is advisable at weekends and for events.
  • DO YOU HAVE HIGH CHAIRS?
    We have one high chair. We also have a baby changing unit in the toilet.
  • WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU TAKE AT OUTSIDE THE BOX?
    We accept card (including contactless) and cash payments in the café.
  • DO YOU CHARGE FEES TO PLAY GAMES IN YOUR CAFE?
    Yes - whether you book online, over the phone or in person, we charge a gaming fee of £2.50 per hour per person. This is payable when you arrive at the cafe. Please see a breakdown of costs per person, based on the hourly slots you can book at Outside The Box.
  • WHERE IS THE NEAREST RAILWAY STATION?
    Bramhall Train Station is less than a 10-minutes walk away from the cafe. Trains run from Manchester Piccadilly, Macclesfield and Stoke-on-Trent.
  • IS THERE PARKING AT THE CAFÉ?
    Outside The Box does not have its own car park but there is an inexpensive large public car park called Meadway Car Park East (postcode: SK7 1JZ). Payment can be made on the RingGo app. It’s free after 6pm from Monday to Saturday, and all day Sunday. There are a few parking spaces right outside the cafe which can also be paid for on the RingGo app. Please remember to pay for your parking. Outside The Box can not reverse any parking fines imposed by the owner of these spaces.
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