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Got a bit of stress these days?
Welcome to the club. Or, rather, you’re welcome to destroy this club. Meet Endorphin Factory.
The 6,000-square-foot business opened in Grand Prairie at the end of May and features a “demolition room,” where you can pay $35 and clobber everything in your path.
And during COVID-19, that seems to be something a lot of people want to do, according to co-owner Darryl Williams.
“Absolutely, business has been good,” Williams said. “The crazy thing is, people come in a little timid.”
They get over it quickly, he added.
The space is the only one of its kind in the country, say the owners, to feature demolition rooms, axe throwing and archery under one roof, and it is the only such Black-owned business in the state.
Williams and his partner, his uncle Roy Rucker, planned to open the space in April. Statewide shutdowns pushed its debut to the end of May. Since then, business has grown at a healthy pace.
Rucker, the majority owner of Endorphin Factory, has an extensive background as business owner. The 30-year Army combat veteran owns a government services IT company in Rockwall and is a minority owner of another Black-owned business in Grand Prairie, ITSO Vegan restaurant.
Thanks to Rucker’s military experience, he said, he’s equipped to monitor any customers in case their anger gets away from them. Each participant is given an exit interview to assess any potential mental needs and get them outside counseling or attention, if needed. So far, he said that hasn’t happened.
“Ninety-five percent are under a lot of stress when they come in,” Rucker said. “After 20 minutes, they are stress-free.”
There is no typical customer at Endorphin Factory — ”We see so many different types of people,” Williams said — but the one thing they seem to share is a need to take a mental break from it all.
Right now, Williams said he is thrilled with the frenetic feedback: “The support all around has been amazing. It’s been better than ever expected during a pandemic.”