"It just kind of blew up where I couldn't keep up with the demand of weekly orders." That's how Ashley Johnston describes the moment her home bakery outgrew her kitchen. Most of those orders weren't for weddings or office parties. They were cookies and brownies sold at Dragon's Lair Games & Fantasy on East Powell Road, to people sitting around game tables. She had been selling there since 2023.
Now those treats are getting a room of their own. Nat 20 Café & Bakeshop is set to open at 1230 E. Powell Road, in the unit next to Dragon's Lair, and construction has been underway since January to connect the two spaces from the inside. Most new restaurants open and then hope a crowd finds them. This café is being built for a crowd that's already there, playing Commander and running D&D sessions a few feet away.
A Storefront That Ran on Hard-to-Find Boxes
Anyone who has driven past Oak Creek Center lately remembers what used to be at 1230 E. Powell. Bedlam Bricks resold new, retired and rare LEGO sets there for five years, until its last day on a Sunday in June 2025. Owner Kelly Casto is a former banking IT specialist who collected thousands of sets before he opened the store, and he ran it with his wife and daughter.
When it closed, Casto told NBC4 the main reasons were "rising overhead costs" and the growing difficulty of buying new LEGO products at a price that let the business make money. A resale shop depends on what it can buy. When supply gets tight or expensive, the shelves suffer, no matter how loyal the customers are.
A bakery doesn't have that problem. Johnston says everything at Nat 20 is made from scratch, with no store-bought mixes. Her main inventory comes out of her own oven, using recipes she has worked on for three years.
Three Years of Proof at the Game Table
The café's backstory starts with the store next door. Dragon's Lair opened in Lewis Center in the winter of 2022. Owner Philip Siewert bought a franchise license and owns the local store. He told the Columbus Scribbler that summer that he opened it as part of his "retirement" planning, a way to stay connected to the RPG, miniatures, board game and comics communities he'd been part of for decades. Back then the store went by Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy. It's now Games & Fantasy, which fits where the activity has moved.
Johnston started out taking custom orders from private customers. Then she began bringing baked goods into Dragon's Lair for people to eat while they played. She says she and Siewert worked together for about four and a half years to turn that into a brick-and-mortar shop. Siewert owns the new space. Johnston is the head chef and calls Nat 20 her "brainchild."
The cookies regulars already know are coming along:
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Signature sugar cookies
- Cinnamon roll cookies
The bakery case will also carry cakes, cupcakes and brownies, and Johnston may add artisan breads. The name is a gaming term. A natural 20 is a perfect roll on a 20-sided die. Johnston's version for the bakery is "a perfect bite every time."
What the Kitchen Adds to the Store
The internal connection is the key detail. Johnston says the goal is to let customers get food and drinks without leaving the store during a gaming session. Anyone who has sat through a four-hour Commander pod or a long D&D campaign knows the old routine. Somebody runs out for food, the table loses momentum, and a cold bag shows up 40 minutes later.
That's also why the menu goes well past dessert. A Dragon's Lair spokesperson told NBC4 the menu isn't final yet, but the plan includes:
| On the counter | On the grill |
|---|---|
| Cottage Bakery baked goods | Cheesesteaks and burgers |
| Coffee drinks and tea | Chicken tenders |
| Dirty sodas | Wraps and sandwiches |
| Sides: chips, fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks |
The spokesperson calls the grill side "elevated diner classics." The space is pitched as a café crossed with "a cozy fantasy tavern," and visitors will be able to play board games, Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop games while they eat. The stated mission is "a community hub that celebrates creativity, friendship, and great food."
The Tables Are Already Running
Since the café is built around existing play, it helps to know when the store is busiest. Here's how Dragon's Lair's own pages describe a typical week:
| When | What | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fridays, 6 p.m. | Magic: The Gathering | Casual play with Commander |
| Saturdays, noon | Pokémon | Listed Oct. 3 |
| Sundays, noon | Casual Commander | Called "cozy Sunday vibes" |
| Sundays, noon, 2:30 and 5 p.m. | Rogue & Roll youth D&D | Registration required |
| Tuesday evenings, 6 to 8 p.m. | Rogue & Roll youth D&D | Session listed Dec. 22 |
Rogue & Roll is the store's D&D program for younger players, and its tagline is "where young heroes learn the game, tell their stories, and roll into adventure." For parents, that's a regular after-school and weekend option in Lewis Center. Once the café opens, it will also mean a place to get a coffee while waiting.
Sundays bring more than Magic and D&D. On Oct. 4, the calendar also lists a 2 p.m. meetup for the Central Ohio GameDev community and a 3 p.m. Universus card game session. Wizards of the Coast's event locator shows Friday Night Magic at 6 p.m. on Oct. 16. Dates and times can change, so check the store's live calendar before you go.
Reading the End-of-October Date
As of today, Oct. 2, the café hasn't opened, and the target has already slipped once:
- Sept. 10: WhatNow reported Johnston hoped to open for events by the end of September.
- Sept. 18: NBC4 quoted a Dragon's Lair spokesperson saying the café would open by the end of October.
The address also differs between reports. NBC4 lists 1230 E. Powell Road, the former Bedlam Bricks unit. WhatNow uses 1222 E. Powell Road, Dragon's Lair's address, because the café opens into the store. Either way, you end up at the same storefronts. NBC4 says opening news will be posted on Dragon's Lair's Facebook page.
The Strip Around It, and Another Local Opening
Nat 20 joins a shopping center that already has a lot of food options. Panda House is at 1208 E. Powell Road in Oak Creek Center, between I-71 and Route 23. Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar has been listed at 1234 E. Powell, right next door. Delaware County's tourism directory also lists The Pancake House, CJ Soulfood, Gelatolicious and Taranto's Pizzeria near Dragon's Lair, plus Feet Fleet and the We Rock the Spectrum play gym. None of these is set up for what Nat 20 is planning, which is food you can eat at a game table without leaving your seat.
A few minutes away, another locally owned spot is close to opening. TRIO Burger is moving into 1329 Cameron Ave., the former Flamin' Feathers building. Its menu includes classic, mushroom Swiss and jalapeño smashburgers, Chicago-style hot dogs, milkshakes and loaded fries. As of Oct. 2, there was no opening date, but a spokesperson said they were "getting very close." Inside, it has black-and-white checkered floors, dark green seating and a newspaper-themed accent wall. For coffee, 7 Brew opened its first Lewis Center drive-through at 6270 Pullman Drive on Aug. 24. It's run by the franchise group Motley 7 Brew, whose president is Rick Nader.
Back at 1230 E. Powell, the only thing still missing is an opening date. The kitchen, the cookie recipes and the Friday night Commander players are all in place.
We keep track of Lewis Center's storefronts because they're part of what makes a street feel like home, and the East Powell strip has more going on this fall than most people realize. If you're thinking about what your place near Oak Creek Center is worth, or you want to find a home within walking distance of your Friday game night, the team at Joshua D Cooper is happy to talk it through. Work With Us.
