Portland entrepreneur Mark Maher says it was around March 2025 when he and his family got to experience firsthand the thrill of smashing ceramic plates, glass vases, TVs and other electronic devices. That experience took place at a friend’s rage room in Boise, Idaho, where customers book sessions to don goggles, gloves and other safety equipment to obliterate objects in a controlled, safe environment.
Soon after, Maher opened Rage Room Portland, which celebrated its one-year anniversary this month by opening its second location inside Stickmen Brewing Company in Tualatin.
Business is also booming at OutRaged Rage Room, which opened in Vancouver in 2019. Owner Tera Gale says her three themed rage rooms are usually booked back to back weekends, with individuals or groups of up to 15 people paying to smash not only electronics and glassware but also personal objects they might find cathartic to destroy, such as a wedding dress from a failed marriage.
Gale and Maher join us to share what they think is behind the appeal of rage rooms, where the adage “you break it, you buy it” is taking on new meaning.
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