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A smashing good time: Bartlett rage room lets guests go wild

By , Special to The Daily Memphian Updated: August 14, 2023 7:02 PM CT | Published: August 14, 2023 11:21 AM CT

Ever feel like smashing a computer screen, desk or car door with a sledgehammer? How about shattering some glass or throwing axes? Something to let off steam from the pressures of the day?

If so, Craze - Memphis Rage Room in Bartlett could be a stress reliever to work off some of those pent-up feelings.

“This is a dangerous place,” jokes owner Sierra Miller, who started the relatively new concept five years ago with a 1,200-square-foot space on Getwell Road. “When I started I just knew I needed a building. I needed some bats and sledgehammers, and I needed some stuff to break.”


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When COVID hit, she was forced to close that location, and she took the business mobile. Then three years ago, the Cordova resident leased a 3,400-square-foot flex office and industrial space in Bartlett at 2810 Bartlett Road.

For the variety of items that get destroyed in the mayhem, Miller relies on donations, thrift stores and Goodwill (both great for bulk glassware). She will even grab items discarded by the side of the road.

“That’s the hardest part about the business is trying to find items for a decent price,” Miller said, adding that growing the business and turning a decent profit also is a challenge. She noted that insurance is higher than other businesses because of the liability.

Participants are protected with face shields, gloves, long pants and close-toed shoes.

“If guests abide by the rules, they should be fine. In five years, we haven’t had any major injuries,” said Miller, a former flight attendant with Pinnacle Airlines who now also works full-time as a realtor for Renter’s Warehouse.

Craze offers multiple packages starting at $35 for solo guests up to large groups, and they also offer axe throwing.


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“We do have a lot of date nights and birthdays, but we also have companies that come for team building, tax specialists that come in January right before the tax season starts, and medical professionals,” Miller said.

For the past two years, Hillcrest High teacher and head volleyball coach Kawana Strong has taken the school’s seniors to the business as a special treat. She plans to also take the teachers this school year.

“It seemed like the calmest students were the ones who went in there and had the most rage. It was strange to watch because the people I expected to go in there and just go crazy were a little bit calmer,” Strong said. “It really should be a form of therapy.”

She also took part in letting off some steam.

“It allowed me to release some stress. I don’t have an anger problem, but it allowed me to decompress,” Strong said.


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In fact, Miller says some of her clients come to her on recommendation from their therapists.

Glen Mullins, chairman of the Bartlett Station Commission and director of membership and community development for the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce, is glad to see the business doing well.

“The Bartlett Station Commission fully supports unique businesses in the Station and hopes that Bartlett continues to support new and existing businesses like they have with Craze,” Mullins said in a written statement. “Seems like a great way to get the frustrations of daily life out without having to go to Lowe’s to repair the damage.”

Strong is looking into opening more Craze locations.

“Not in the Memphis area,” she said. “I want to venture out. We have people who travel hours to come here, so somewhere in the surrounding cities is where I would like to go next.”

Topics

Bartlett Craze Memphis Rage Room Hillcrest High School Bartlett Station Subscriber Only

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Michael Waddell

Michael Waddell is a native Memphian with more than 20 years of professional writing and editorial experience, working most recently with The Daily News and High Ground News.


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