Two Fools Gifts and Games celebrates ribbon cutting

Greenwood Lake has a new business dedicated to those looking for a bit of fun and games. Two Fools Gifts and Games, located at 73 Windermere Ave., held its grand opening, fittingly, on April Fools Day, surrounded by community members, local municipal leaders and three chambers of commerce — Greenwood Lake, Warwick, and Orange County.

The new shop features a pinball parlor, space to rent board games to play with friends; a tea bar with non-alcoholic mocktails and snacks; and a gift shop with silly items, gag gifts, and other novelties.

Business owners Tepper and Nicola Saffren, who have lived in the area for three years, said they opened the business to bring some “foolery and fun” to the area. Tepper also noted that Greenwood is a “pinball desert,” which can be quite a letdown for fans of the game.

“For pinball addicts like my wife and I, this was torture,” Tepper added. “Now we have a spot right down the road to get our pinball fix.”

Aside from the lack of pinball, Tepper said that Greenwood Lake was also missing “a good spot to go on a date, or play games with friends, or just get a unique and silly gift item when a need pops up.” Thus, Two Fools Gifts and Games was born.

But these two “fools” are looking to offer more than just fun and games. They also want to give back to the community. “We also want to be proponents for donating a portion of your income to charity, a practice we find very important,” Tepper explained. “To serve as an example for the community, we will be featuring a different local charity each month and donate 10% of our profits to them. Our first charity for the month of April is the Greenwood Lake Skate Park, and in the coming months we will be featuring the GWL Bark Park, the food pantry, humane societies, volunteer fire and ambulance corps, and many more!”

Prior to this venture, the Saffrens sold gifts as part of a holiday popup in Union Square, NYC. Now they have a storefront to sell their wares all year. Tepper said the shop will have something for every type of person. “A handyman? How about our Wildcard knife that fits in your wallet. A nurse? Get them a pen that has a light on the tip so you can write in the dark. A hot sauce lover? Get them the 12-bottle hot sauce challenge to see who amongst their friends can stand the heat!”

Looking ahead, the Saffrens already have a variety of events planned, including a writer’s circle meetup every Wednesday, date night every Thursday, and game tournaments on Mondays, among others.

After the excitement of the ribbon cutting, Tepper expressed thanks to the family and friends who helped make it happen. “My wife and I built this shop from the subfloor to the ceiling and put all the artistic creativeness we could into each and every inch, but it would have never been finished without the ideas inspiration, and manual labor of those we love around us.”

For more information about Two Fools Gifts and Games, visit twofools.gifts, or follow the shop on Facebook.