LionHeart Hobby & Games, Kyle’s local hobby store, recently expanded its space to accommodate the community that owners Danielle Adams and Rudy Cline have watched grow since they opened in 2020.

The details

In mid-November, LionHeart Hobby expanded into the neighboring suites of the original store, a space Adams, the business’ CEO, said was filled floor-to-ceiling with with “fun nerd stuff” but could only fit a few people at once.

Cline, the business’ president, said that the “LionHeart Shuffle” became the nickname among their customers for perusing the store.

The store closed for 11 days in early November to add finishing touches and move merchandise. After about a month of knocking down walls, renovating and a night of moving merchandise, LionHeart Hobby reopened with its expanded space on Nov. 15.

LionHeart Hobby now features a larger space for games, paint, model sets, hobby tools, books and more plus room to host events like game nights and workshops.

“The folks who've been with us for a long time, they walk in and they're just so happy for us—and for them—because it means that hopefully, we're here for a long time for the community,” Adams said.

Why it matters

Adams said their mission at LionHeart Hobby is to “help humans do joyful things.” Life has a lot of time to fill, she said, and a hobby shop is a healthy and joyful way to do so.

She and Cline said the store’s growth would not be possible without the community of hobbyists and gamers who continue to show up for the store.

“Without them, it's a really cold experience just selling paper and plastic over a counter” Cline said. “But these are personal relationships that we're making with people that go beyond that.”

• 5500 FM 2770, Kyle
• www.lionhearthobby.com