After a pair of friends from Great Yarmouth had to shelve their cherished plans to make a movie, some quick thinking led them down a different path.

Until July last year, Lewis Humphrey and Tony Bray had been saving money to produce their own film.

But when they were forced to abandon that dream - at least for now - they decided that instead of waiting around, they would turn their attention to another project.

Mr Humphrey, 23, says: "We said, let's do something else, and we always wanted to open a gaming store." 

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Friends enjoy a card game at The Vault in Great Yarmouth.

READ MORE: The Original Factory Shop's Gorleston opening date revealed

The pair took over the former Greenwoods clothes shop on King Street and earlier this year reopened the premises as The Vault. 

And things could not have gone much better.  

"It's been mental. We were expecting about 30 people on the opening day but more than 100 people turned up," Mr Humphrey says.

"We see hundreds of different people every week. It's mental. It's insanely busy." 

He said the shop "would be nothing without its community". 

The venue is spread over three floors where people can play board games, arcade machines and consoles including the PS5, X-Box Series X, Nintendo Switch and Wii. 

The most popular board and card games include Pandemic, Hero Quest, Exploding Kittens and Uno. 

READ MORE: Growing Indian restaurant moving from one seaside pub to another

Great Yarmouth Mercury: 'The shop would be nothing without its community': People enjoying a card game at The Vault in Great Yarmouth.'The shop would be nothing without its community': People enjoying a card game at The Vault in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Supplied)

The third floor is currently being converted into dedicated rooms for Warhammer and Dungeons and Dragons. 

In the summer, the owners are preparing to open a restaurant on the first floor that will sell traditional fare like burgers and chips.  

They also also planning to provide retro consoles including the Commodore 64 and Sega Genesis. 

Previously, Mr Humphrey has worked in IT and retail and always wanted to run a business like the Vault.  

"You won't find a shop selling products cheaper than us. We are the cheapest in Norfolk," he said.

The venue costs £2.50 for a whole day with access to everything including board games, consoles and arcade machines.