It’s time to go out, explore our city, and discover new places. Today, that special place is the Koalaty Gaming Store, where “Koalaty Time Matters.†The pandemic changed our lives and forced us into a state of isolation for a year and a half. This not only affected our mental state but our social lives and businesses as well. Derik Fita, owner, shares how he started his dream business of selling trading cards and merchandise to a community he calls home. We not only learn the history of the store but its ups and downs as well as how he feels being in the building compared to when he couldn’t socialize with anyone at all.
Derik has an outstanding reputation with his customers and puts friendship first before business. He tries his best to help those with no knowledge about the cards and merch he sells, instead of tricking them for a higher price. He also put his blood, sweat, and tears into maintaining his shop and planning weekly tournaments for his members while making their days.
Derik is joined by two customers of the Koalaty Gaming Store, Matthew, and Ise. As regulars of the store, they try to visit often to participate with the community and surround themselves with people who have similar interests. Matthew is a quiet person but expresses the negative lifestyle the pandemic had on him compared to when he was able to see his friends and interact with them. Ise was also an introvert but now has a group of his own. He shares what the store, community, and trading card games mean to him. He really loves everything that Koalaty brings to his life and tries his best to come as much as possible.
Derik really follows his slogan of “Koalaty Time Matters,†which shows he is the type of person who not only cares about his business, but who also cares about the people and their feelings. Click here to keep up with Koalaty Gaming Store on Instagram.
Mildsauce invited journalists to reflect on the theme “Get Out.†Click here to check out more stories in our “Get Out†issue. For more podcasts, check out our Podcasts archive.