A Naperville entrepreneur is turning her mahjong hobby into what's believed to be the city's first brick-and-mortar mahjong store, with plans to open a champagne-and-tile lounge called Clink Mahjong Social this December. Founder Angela Holloway says the space will occupy the fourth floor of 5th Avenue Station, the historic building just north of downtown Naperville, and will welcome both newcomers and seasoned players to the table.
Holloway hopes Clink will give local mahjong players a place to gather. The lounge will include seven or eight mahjong tables and will focus on the American version of the game, though Holloway said she's open to expanding into Chinese and Japanese variants down the road.
From a Movie Scene to a Business Plan
Holloway's path to opening a mahjong lounge started, fittingly, at the movies. She has said her interest was sparked by watching *Crazy Rich Asians*, whose pivotal mahjong scene was staged by director Jon M. Chu with a dedicated mahjong choreographer, framing the game as a kind of mental “martial arts” clash in which protagonist Rachel Chu makes a strategic move that underscores the scene's symbolism, according to LAist.
Per the Naperville Sun's report, Holloway lived in Singapore from 2021 through 2022, where she received a set of Chinese mahjong tiles, but she didn't actually learn to play until after moving to Naperville. A neighbor organized a neighborhood mahjong group, and Holloway's neighborhood now holds regular “Mahjong Mondays.” She started playing in January 2026, a detail that underscores just how quickly her hobby turned into a business plan. Holloway grew up in Palatine and now has a husband and three young children alongside her new venture.
Inside the Historic Building Housing the Lounge
5th Avenue Station, the building at 200 East 5th Avenue that will house Clink Mahjong Social, is a 1918 structure that originally operated as the Kroehler Furniture factory before undergoing an adaptive reuse renovation between 1986 and 1988 into the mixed-use complex it is today, according to REJournals. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The former factory gives the lounge's new home a layer of local industrial history.
The site sits in Naperville's Historic District and is within walking distance of the city's Metra commuter rail station.
What Players Can Expect on the Fourth Floor
Clink Mahjong Social will occupy about 1,500 square feet with what Holloway describes as a sophisticated, glam interior, featuring dark green, bright magenta and fuchsia colors throughout. The space will include a beverage bar serving champagne and wine alongside tea and other non-alcoholic drinks, and a retail corner selling mahjong-themed holiday pajamas, ornaments, books, dice and trinket dishes, according to the Naperville Sun's reporting.
Reserved tables, guided beginner play, and Mahjong 101 and 102 lessons are planned. Holloway also plans to offer Mahjong 101 and 102 lessons. Clink is also planning pop-up game sessions around the Naperville area. NCTV17 reported in September that commercial real estate broker Bhavini Patel of Caton Commercial Real Estate Group was the business's broker and confirmed the business's plans for organized mahjong leagues alongside open play and instructional sessions, according to NCTV17. Separately, WhatNow reported that Clink is hosting pop-ups where people can play before its permanent opening.
The Rules Behind American Mahjong
Unlike traditional Chinese mahjong, American Mah Jongg uses joker tiles and depends on an Official Standard Hands and Rules Card that the National Mah Jongg League publishes every spring, meaning players need to pick up a new card each year to learn the changing winning hands, as explained by Bam Good Time. The annual refresh is designed to keep veteran and novice players on something close to equal footing. The National Mah Jongg League was founded in 1937 to standardize American Mah Jongg rules.
Mahjong has also seen a broader commercial boom. Boutique sales and online searches for mahjong gear have surged in recent years, a trend that helps explain why a dedicated lounge concept might find its footing in a suburb like Naperville.
Open Questions Around Alcohol Service
Clink Mahjong Social plans to serve champagne and wine, subject to city liquor rules. Separately, the Naperville City Council voted in March 2024 to expand allowable serving sizes for Class B license holders, raising maximum single servings to 9 ounces for wine and 32 ounces for beer. The Daily Herald reported that Brixmor Property Group requested the change to attract restaurants to its Block 59 project, including potential restaurant tenants.
For now, the focus is getting Clink Mahjong Social's tables, tiles and champagne glasses ready for its December debut.
