The Surge
Mahjong studios open their own doors, from Dallas to Cleveland
A retail real estate trade group profiled American mah jongg studios as experiential retail's newest draw, naming venues in three states and asking whether the game is the next pickleball.
ICSC, the trade association for the retail real estate industry, published a piece on February 3, 2026 titled "From Game Night to a Third Place: Is Mahjong the Next Pickleball?" It frames mahjong studios as modern "third places" that drive dwell time, repeat visits, and community. According to the article, named American studios include The Charleston Club in Dallas (which it says opened in October 2025), The Mahjong Maison in Cleveland (which it says opened in January 2026), and The Truffle Pig in Collierville, Tennessee.
Per ICSC, the piece points to a Yelp surge of 4,467% in club searches over a recent year as a sign of the demand behind these venues. (The article discusses mahjong broadly rather than the American game specifically, and a market size figure it cites spans all versions of the game, so it is not an American only statistic.)
The storefront trend also has a near term, dated example. Per Dallasites101, the Dallas bar Catbird is launching "Mahjong & Martinis" lounge nights on Mondays beginning June 23, 2026, with $55 lessons that include a reserved seat.
Prim's read (opinion, not reported fact): the game that lived at the kitchen table now has its own storefronts and lounge nights, and a real estate trade body is watching it the way it once watched pickleball. Order of the Tile is not affiliated with any of the studios or venues named here, and does not sell mah jongg sets, lessons, or memberships.
Sources: ICSC, "From Game Night to a Third Place: Is Mahjong the Next Pickleball?" (Feb 3, 2026); Dallasites101, "Where to Play Mahjong in Dallas" (for the Catbird lounge nights).