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Mom’s Basement: For Nerds and Nostalgia
The rush of warm air greets customers’ rosy cheeks as they step into the bar from the winter’s chill on Danforth Avenue. The glow from the fluorescent lights and TVs playing classic ‘80s movies surround the patrons as “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus echoes through the room on the sound system. The bartender says a friendly “hello” and welcomes them to Mom’s Basement; from then on, they’re home. Derek Van Dyken and Jon Bratt worked in the service industry for years and always talked about how one day they would own their own business. All it took was “a bad day” in early 2019 for them to realize that they were…