A unique business in Imperial plans to reopen its doors after having to shut down because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The business had been open just three months prior to the closure.
The SMASH Rage Room, 1558 Miller Road, opened on Feb. 1, but had to temporarily close March 24 because of the stay-at-home orders issued to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Rage rooms, which offer customers the chance to break items in a controlled setting, started in Japan in 2008 and have since spread around the world, said Terry Lewis, who co-owns the Imperial business with his wife, Christine.
However, the SMASH Rage Room in Imperial was the only one of its kind in the county and was getting rave reviews before the closure, Christine said.
“It is scary,” she said of having to close. "We still have bills to pay. We just hope people will go to our Facebook page and read the reviews and see how much everybody enjoyed it and that they will be ready to come smash some items when this is all done.”
The business has three “rage rooms,” also referred to as “smash rooms” or “anger rooms,” where people may break items like wooden pallets, picture frames, dishes, glassware, even TVs and windshields.
It cost $32.08, tax included, for a 20-minute session in the room.
Customers are asked to wear closed-toe shoes, and the SMASH Rage Room equips them with coveralls, safety glasses and gloves, as well as weapons ranging from baseball bats to morning stars and maces to smash things.
People enjoy the release that people can experience by smashing stuff.
“Who can’t benefit from smashing things?” Christine, 49, asked.
And, one of the best parts of the experience, she said, is you don’t have to clean up after yourself.
The Lewises have furnished the rooms with themes. One features the bat signal from DC Comic’s Batman, another is inspired by Marvel’s Punisher and yet another with a Marvel Venom theme.
Christine said they can try to fulfill requests for things to break, if the business is given at least a week’s notice.
“We just tried to load up on different and unique things,” Christine said. “All the research I did showed that people (who operate similar businesses) have wooden bookcases and electronics to break. We have windshields, electronics. Pretty much anything you request, we will try to find it or replicate it for you to smash.
“We have unique weapons. Most places have bats and sledgehammers. We have those, and we have Lucille bats (which are wrapped in barb wire like what the character Negan uses in “The Walking Dead” TV show) and a war hammer replica from the 'Last of the Mohicans.' They are things you wouldn’t have at home to break things.”
Though rage is in the company’s title, Terry, 49, said it is not all about anger.
“It is just fun to smash stuff and not have to clean it up afterwards,” he said.
Christine said she and her husband decided to open the business after they watched an October 2019 episode of the Fox TV show “911,” which follows the lives of Los Angeles police officers, paramedics, firefighters and dispatchers.
“At the end of the show, the captain took the firehouse there off duty to blow off some steam," Christine said. "I started researching it. I researched it for about six weeks, and Terry and I thought this is something we can do. There is nothing like this in the St. Louis area. Springfield and Hannibal both have rage rooms.”
It took the couple about 12 weeks from deciding to start the business to opening the SMASH Rage Room doors.
Terry said they built the rage rooms in a 2,300-square-foot space they rent. The rooms inspired by Batman and Venom can hold up to seven people at a time, and the Punisher-inspired room can hold up to two people.
They also started collecting items for people to break. They said their neighbor owns a windshield repair company and saves some of the cracked windshields for them to use, and they purchase most of their other items from Encore Thrift Store in Arnold.
They also take donations. However, they can only take certain items for safety reasons.
So far, everyone who has come in has enjoyed themselves, Christine said.
“Everybody said they didn’t realize how rewarding it would be to smash stuff, even if they didn’t have any anger or frustration built up,” she said.
The Lewises have three grown children and four grandchildren, and both continue to work in other professions. Terry works at Express Scripts, and Christine is a private dental consultant.
“Ideally, we will retire one day,” Christine said.
Once the SMASH Rage Room reopens, sessions may be booked in advance by calling 636-223-0700, messaging the company through its website (smashrageroom.com) or messaging them through their Facebook page. Walk-ins are welcome, but a room is not guaranteed without a reservation.
