Meltdown (bar chain)
{{Short description|French bar chain dedicated to video games and eSports}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Meltdown
| logo = Meltdown bar logo.png
| type =
| industry =
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| founded = {{Start date |2012|05|01}}
| founders = Sophia Metz
Manolack Sana Nikone
Yann-Cédric Mainguy
| defunct =
| hq_location_city = Paris
| hq_location_country = France
| area_served =
| key_people =
| services = Barcraft, Bar, Themed parties, Event management
| products =
| owner =
| num_employees =
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| website = {{URL|https://www.meltdown.bar/}}
}}
Meltdown is a French bar chain dedicated to video games and eSports.
History
Based on the idea of a permanent Barcraft, the first bar Meltdown was established in 2012 in Paris in a small bistro on rue Albert-Thomas.[http://www.leparisien.fr/high-tech/le-premier-bar-d-e-sport-en-europe-a-ouvert-a-paris-25-12-2012-2433857.php,"Le premier bar d'esport en Europe a ouvert à Paris"] It streamed eSports competitions and had computers and consoles available for use by its clientele. The bar moved to a new location on {{Interlanguage link multi|Passage Thiéré|fr}}, in the 11th arrondissement of Paris on December 21, 2013.
Meltdown is developing in France and abroad with a franchise platform. There are 20 bars in 7 countries.[https://www.meltdown.bar/], Meltdown, [https://www.meltdown.bar/ "Meltdown Esports Bars"], on www.meltdown.bar (accessed on September 14th 2016).
Model
Meltdown has a menu of cocktails inspired by the video game universe.[http://www.liberation.fr/ecrans/2012/05/07/au-comptoir-des-geeks_949009?page=article], [http://www.liberation.fr/ecrans/2012/05/07/au-comptoir-des-geeks_949009?page=article "Au comptoir des geeks"]
A schedule, varying depending on the city, highlights one specific game each day of the week, with the organisation of a free access tournament. Outside of tournament hours, computers and consoles are available for customers to play games.[http://uptech.mensup.fr/jeux-video/news-trailers.html], [http://uptech.mensup.fr/jeux-video/news-trailers.html "Rencontre avec Yann-Cédric Mainguy, co-fondateur du Meltdown"]
Meltdown bars broadcast major eSports[http://www.lejdd.fr/Societe/Actualite/Le-phenomene-e-sport-624572], [http://www.lejdd.fr/Societe/Actualite/Le-phenomene-e-sport-624572 "Le phénomène e-sport"] competitions on their screens. Meltdown has had a presence at gaming conventions such as Paris Games Week and Dreamhack.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}
= Professional Players =
A team of professional players was created by Meltdown in 2014. The first player to wear its colors was Olivier "Louffy" Hay,[http://video.lefigaro.fr/figaro/video/meltdown-luffy-champion-de-l-evo-une-grosse-fierte-pour-l-europe-et-pour-la-france-(interview-english-sub)/3702882141001/], [http://video.lefigaro.fr/figaro/video/meltdown-luffy-champion-de-l-evo-une-grosse-fierte-pour-l-europe-et-pour-la-france-(interview-english-sub)/3702882141001/ "Meltdown Luffy, champion de l'Evo : "Une grosse fierté pour l'Europe et pour la France"] followed by Ilyes "Stephano" Satouri.[http://www.team-aaa.com/news-29449-tous-0-stephano_quitte_eg_pour_le_meltdown.html],[http://www.team-aaa.com/news-29449-tous-0-stephano_quitte_eg_pour_le_meltdown.html "Stephano quitte EG pour le Meltdown"] The player Florent "Neo" Lecoanet, a world champion of Super Mario Kart, has since joined the team.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}
Expansion
The creation of the Meltdown franchise was announced in March 2013.[http://www.jeuxvideo.com/reportages-videos-jeux/0000/00000000/un-bar-dedie-a-l-e-sport-00111039.htm], [http://www.jeuxvideo.com/reportages-videos-jeux/0000/00000000/un-bar-dedie-a-l-e-sport-00111039.htm "Reportage - Un bar dedié l'e-sport"] The bars currently open are:
- France:
- Paris (opened on May 1, 2012 - new location as of December 21, 2013 - relocated September 19, 2020)
- Montpellier (opened on July 12, 2014)
- Strasbourg (opened on January 10, 2015)
- Tours (opened on April 16, 2016)
- Lyon (opened on April 30, 2016)
- Troyes (opened on October 15, 2016)
- Dijon (opened on April 29, 2017)
- Marseille (opened on September 22, 2018)
- Pau (opened on September 29, 2018)
- Chambéry (opened on December 1, 2018)
- Nantes (opened on January 19, 2019)
- Avignon (opened on May 18, 2019)
- Nancy (opened on October 26, 2019)
- Other countries:
- London (United Kingdom, opened on June 1, 2013)
- Cologne (Germany, opened on January 30, 2016)
- Brussels (Belgium, opened on May 7, 2016)
- Montreal (Canada, opened on July 30, 2016)
- Madrid (Spain, opened on February 18, 2017)
- Barcelona (Spain, opened on November 3, 2018)
- Panama City (Panama, opened on December 14, 2018)
- Málaga (Spain, opened on March 30, 2019)
- Sheffield (United Kingdom, opened on May 11, 2019)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2012 establishments in France