LUMBERTON, N.C. (WBTW) — Need to blow off some steam? The owners of “Gimme a Break” say they can help with that.
Lumberton, North Carolina, is now home to Robeson County’s first rage room.
“There’s nothing to do around here, so we wanted to have a place for people to come just to have fun,” co-owner Serene Hardin said.
Hardin said she hopes it will give young people something fun to do that will keep them out of trouble.
“Simply put, breakable and smashable items are provided for you [to] take out aggression on,” according to its Facebook page.
Co-owner Elizabeth Sexton agreed, saying, “Bringing stuff here for kids to do gives them something else besides going to find something to break into, going to find something to spraypaint or egg or toilet paper, or whatever it is kids do now to keep themselves in trouble.”
Customers don protective clothing, grab a tool and smash various items and appliances.
“We went and rented a U-Haul truck one day, got a ton of appliances and we were like, we’re good for a long time,” Hardin said. “People come in here and they destroy that stuff in one session. It’s unrecognizable.”
She said they get most of their items through donations, but it can be tough to keep up with demand.
“It’s a good workout. You don’t have to go to the gym because you can burn your calories here,” said Darrian Clark, who demolished a refrigerator with a sledgehammer during her visit.
Others smashed a TV, a washing machine, plates and bottles.
“The whole glass shatter part, I feel like that’s the funnest part to me, because it’s like, ‘Ah, there it goes,'” said customer Iyana Murphy. “It’s gone now!”
“Gimme a Break,” which opened in June, features two rage rooms, a black light paint-throwing room and a playroom for young children.
The owners hope the business can help people relieve stress.
“You can’t smash stuff at home, so you come here and smash it,” said Clark.