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Business benefitting from people staying at home during pandemic

Posted at 9:41 PM, Jul 30, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-30 21:41:05-04

INDIANAPOLIS — As families try to entertain themselves while staying home during the pandemic, puzzles are one of the most popular products being sold at Moonshot Games. It's one of the big reasons they have not only been able to stay open but they are now expanding.

"We sell thousands and thousands of puzzles and it's so cool to see," Jayson Manship, owner of Moonshot Games, said.

In April, WRTV first featured Manship in a story after his store in Noblesville was forced to close down.

"We launched an e-commerce store so we are doing everything out of my garage," Manship said at the time.

Later that month, Manship received grant money from Noblesville and was able to bring back employees. In May, he moved back into his store and three weeks later he showed off the new social distancing measures inside.

"We've spaced out tables for social distancing," Manship said.

And then an opportunity to expand. On July 1, Moonshot Games opened a new store on Mass Ave.

"We were blessed because the folks that were in here before just had an awesome setup and so they were friends of ours, an organization called Kingmakers," Manship said.

With a beer and wine permit, Manship said the store caters to the crowd Mass Ave. attracts. They've now doubled their staff.

"It's been a lot of fun," Kyle Haley, manager of Moonshot Games on Mass Ave., said. "I am learning a lot, teaching a lot to the new team about managing bars and helping out with staffing. It's been a lot of fun."

Looking back on the last few months, Manship said it's the people he works with and the customers that have helped them push through and succeed.

"When you covered our story from my garage my store manager in Noblesville moved in with me. He literally lived with my wife and I for 45 days when quarantine was happening when we weren't allowed to go anywhere," Manship said. "Having those types of folks just jump in and do everything they can to make it happen was awesome."