Despite a recent influx of new restaurants and local businesses, Old Brooklyn isn’t exactly Cleveland's most entertainment-filled neighborhood, especially when it comes to kids and teenagers. Besides the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and a few parks, there just aren’t that many spots for young people to kick it.
Mike Pierce would know. The lifelong Old Brooklyn resident remembers feeling trapped in the neighborhood, with few spaces welcoming local youth.
“I’ve lived my whole life in the area and the truth is, specifically for teenagers and young adults, there is nothing. It’s very boring,” Pierce says. “We’ve done nothing but build houses and businesses they can’t go in. I thought it would be nice if we could create something that would be like a hangout for teenagers — almost like a retro arcade.”
That hangout has arrived, as Pierce and his partner Jill Bresnahan open The Geek Peek, a new collectible store at 4298 Pearl Road, in the former Bob Goff Heating and Air Conditioning building. Inside the long, surprisingly spacious storefront, the two sell board games, trading card games, figurines, records, books, antique glassware and more.
In the front area, a lounge accommodates a comfy couch in front of a small TV for console games, plus a few free arcade games, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In the back is a space that will hold a few tables for board games — with future reservations available for private parties. A popcorn machine will serve up fresh snacks during business hours.
“He grew up in the area; I’m from West Park, but we just know that there’s not a lot of things for people to do besides the zoo, or go to the park,” Bresnahan says. “We wanted a nice alternative for kids and families, to go and have a fun day, spending time playing games or shopping.”
Pierce and Bresnahan — perhaps better-known in the neighborhood as Mikey P. and Jilly B. — draw on their past business histories with the new concept. Bresnahan formerly worked in marketing, while Pierce worked at local restaurants for much of his career, starting at Dina’s Pizza & Pub with his father and later as a chef for Michael Symon and Douglas Katz restaurants.
In his 20s, when he was cooking at Fire Food & Drink and Katz Club Diner, Pierce sustained a spinal cord injury and infection that forced him out of the profession.
“My body had an autoimmune response, so I woke up one day with all kinds of neurological issues,” Pierce says. “It just stopped my career as a chef. I had to go to rehab and spend years getting healthy again. During that time, the doctors said I really should consider not cooking anymore. Heat is not good for neurological symptoms; you’re on your feet all day. It’s clearly not a good match.”
The events led Pierce to pursue a career in clinical psychology, inspired by the doctors that helped him through the experience. He went to Case Western Reserve University to get his bachelor's and master's degrees. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic touched down in Cleveland, creating roadblocks on the way to getting his Ph.D. locally in Cleveland, staying close to Bresnahan.
At the time, Pierce was selling collectibles online — a side hustle inspired by his father’s many gaming hobbies and his grandfather’s antique collections. He and Bresnahan decided to see how things would go if they sold collectibles full-time. Soon, they found a demand for the business, making $50,000 in sales in the three months ahead of Christmas 2021.
“It went way better than we could have ever expected,” Pierce says.
From there, the two started digging into local estate sales and garage sales, picking up items to stock their online store. They rented a unit next door to their home to hold their growing stock, and soon started seeking out a brick-and-mortar space, initially searching in Lakewood and Ohio City.
But then that old Bob Goff building became available — the iconic red brick building Pierce knew well.
“Everyone in the area knows it because of Bob Goff, and the political signs next door,” Pierce says. “It’s on the busiest intersection you can think of."
They secured the lease, spending a few months fixing up the 103-year-old building earlier this year. Then, Pierce and Bresnahan added their own quirky touches, crafting a front counter out of an old bowling alley and purchasing a vintage phone booth, metal lockers and a fridge from Rebuilders Xchange.
When it came to their name, they settled on The Geek Peek — a play on “sneak peek.” They hope for the shop to offer new games alongside the vintage ones, along with open card packs for people to see what they’re actually purchasing. Pierce and Bresnahan aim to be a source of advice and information for local collectors in the scene, building up a community in the process.
“Ultimately these products are asking you to spend money and you have to decide, ‘What can I buy? What can I afford? What’s worth my time and money?’” Pierce says. “Most stores don’t help you at all make those decisions.”
And though The Geek Peek will be focused on buying and selling collectible items to interested customers, Pierce says it’s not really about the money.
“I feel like a long term business succeeds when it has a good foundation and is focused on bringing the right things to the area… I understand that everyone that comes in can’t spend money or will be able to help the business,” Pierce says. “The focus is about creating a good place in the neighborhood for people to enjoy — and if they can spend money and buy collectibles or support us in some way, then we truly appreciate it.”
The Geek Peek opens on Saturday, July 8. Find more information about the shop at its Facebook page.
