Ricky Evans, co-owner of the House of Rage in McHenry, says there’s something about having a baseball bat in front of a flat screen TV, a dead printer, or a few empty bottles of wine. It is said to be therapeutic.
That’s how the anger room started, the 29-year-old said.
“Rage Rooms started out as more therapeutic than recreational. I thought,” said Evans.
He opened House of Rage at 4805 West Elm Street in McHenry in November. Evans, which is open by appointment only, is busy with people ready to take some of their anger out on inanimate objects.
In recent years, rage rooms have popped up all over the country. His partner Brandy Adams came up with the idea to open a store in McHenry.
Exactly five months ago, they were sitting in their car and Adams “showed me other rage rooms around the world.” The two thought they could help people and make money in a cool way.
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They began searching places around McHenry and found a house on West Elm Street. Adams said the home had been vacant for about three years, but was once both a home and a dry cleaner.
They worked with the City of McHenry to obtain the necessary permits and insurance to open the Anger Chamber.
Customers wear helmets, safety goggles, face shields, jumpsuits, and protective gloves. According to Evans, they must be wearing closed-toe shoes and pants that cover the entire leg.
Next, anyone over the age of 18, or over the age of 14 with a parent or guardian, signs a waiver to petition objects that would otherwise be trash.
So far, customers have destroyed electronics, toilets, washers and dryers, tables, computers, modems, furniture, and more.
“Everything but old-fashioned CRT televisions” can be demolished in the Fury Room, Evans said.
At the end of the session, he cleans up the debris and exits with his regular trash.
“We recycle things in a positive way,” he said.
Where does he get his old computer monitors and home appliances?
People are calling him to donate as a way to get rid of them, he said.
“You never run out of things to break,” Evans said.
At the first birthday event, guests broke the birthday cake instead of eating it, Evans said.
Adams likened rage room rage to recent popular activities such as ax throwing and escape rooms.
“We’re in a completely different era, the world of games and computers,” she said, noting that people aren’t doing much outside of their homes. increase.”
Smashing occurs in the basement of the House of Rage. To get the City of McHenry permission for the site, Evans said, they installed a ramp and extended the first-floor bathroom to make it accessible to the disabled.
The maximum party we can accommodate at one time is 10 people, Evans said.
If someone wants to pay you to destroy an appliance, call them, Evans said.
“If someone calls me at 3 a.m. and I’m angry or sad or both, I’ll meet you over there,” Evans said. “I really enjoy helping people.”
