By KURT HAUGLIE

khauglie@mininggazette.com

HANCOCK – K.C. Bonkers is good friends with Willy Wonka, and it was Willy who made some suggestions for K.C.’s new store in Hancock. Anyway, that’s Clay Hilman’s story, and he’s sticking to it.

Hilman, who is co-owner of K.C. Bonkers Toys & Coffee on Quincy Street, said the Bonkers and Willy Wonka connection is in keeping with the whimsical nature of the toy store.

“He grew up with Willy Wonka,” Hilman said of K.C. Bonkers.

Hilman said K.C. Bonkers Toys & Coffee opened in July. It’s in a building purchased by developer Mike Lahti that is housed at the former J&B Sports at 119 Quincy St. Work is still ongoing to construct apartments on the second floor of the building.

In a December 2014 article about the purchase, Lahti said although it sat unused for years, he thought the building was worth saving because having it occupied would benefit downtown.

In a era of digital video games, both handheld and online, Hilman has a store full of board games and toys, only one of which requires batteries.

Despite the proliferation of digital games, Hilman said he sees a growing interest in board games.

“We really believe people should learn the classics as well as those that are becoming classics,” he said.

Hilman said he carries classic board games such as chess, dominoes, Go, Othello, backgammon, Monopoly and Sorry, as well as newer games, such as Ticket to Ride and Catan.

Thursday is chess night at the store, and it seems to be gaining in popularity, Hilman said.

“Right now it’s building,” he said.

In the cafe side of the store, the tables have chess boards inlaid into the surface. People can either bring their own games or use various games provided by the store.

Adults who played board games as children are coming to the store, but Hilman said he’s also seeing a growing interest in board games among college students.

All of the toys in the store encourage active participation by the players, Hilman said.

“The best toys are the ones you play,” he said. “They don’t play you.”

The decision to open the toy store came during a visit with some friends from Minnesota, Hilman said.

“It was a campfire discussion,” he said.

Hilman said he and his wife, Adrienne, stopped at several toy stores during a drive back to Michigan from out west.

“(We thought), ‘Why don’t we start our own?'” he said. “We really got excited about having a toy store.”

Besides himself and Adrienne, Hilman said the other two co-owners are their Minnesota friends, Justin and Kelsey Carriere.

“We’ve all had a fair say in what it looks like,” he said.

It was the Carrieres who suggested putting a coffee bar in the store, but not just any coffee.

“Let’s serve really good coffee,” he said of the discussion to sell the beverage.

Hilman said they get their coffee from Dead River Coffee in Marquette. He also sells tea, hot chocolate and a beverage they call bubblers, made with “unicorn milk” and “dragon’s blood.” Coffees come in various flavors, such as “snake oil.”

There is a theatrical element to the making of the beverages, Hilman said, including the wearing of goggles while making the bubblers and a running dialog by the person making them.

Hilman said the store won’t be open on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, so he can give his four employees the day off.

“We play a lot of games, but we won’t play that one,” he said.

Hilman said eventually he would like to have live shows with the K.C. Bonkers theme at various venues in the area. He would like to start a toy school were people can learn about such activities as yo-yoing or building marionettes. He would also like to have an online presence.

“Everything we’re doing, we’re doing slowly,” he said.