A Naperville resident who picked up mah-jongg in January plans to open a lounge for the game at 5th Avenue Station this December.
Clink Mahjong Social will occupy about 1,500 square feet on the fourth floor of the building at 200 E. 5th Ave., as first reported by NCTV17. The space will seat seven or eight tables, serve champagne and wine from a boutique bar, and sell mah-jongg-themed merchandise. A grand opening is planned for December 2026, though an exact date has not been announced.
Founder Angela Holloway told the Chicago Tribune the idea grew out of her neighborhood. After she mentioned the game to a neighbor, the neighbor organized a group to learn together. Women within two to three blocks of Holloway's home now gather weekly for "Mah-jongg Mondays."
"There really isn't anything in Naperville … and there are a lot of women in Naperville who play," Holloway told the Tribune. She said she wanted to create a place where people with full-time jobs could play at night and where others could drop in during the day knowing a table would be waiting.
Her interest in the game traces back to the film "Crazy Rich Asians," which she watched before living in Singapore from 2021 to 2022. Her husband bought her a set of Chinese mah-jongg tiles there, but she didn't learn to play until after moving to Naperville.
The lounge will focus on American mah-jongg. Table reservations will cost $20 for two-hour slots. A guided play option for beginners runs $35 for two hours. Lessons, labeled Mah-jongg 101 and Mah-jongg 102, will cost $75. Holloway told the Tribune she also plans to offer leagues and strategy sessions as the business grows.
The bar will pour champagne, wine, tea and other non-alcoholic drinks. Retail shelves will carry holiday pajamas, ornaments, books and trinket dishes. The interior will feature what Holloway described as a "sophisticated glam" look with dark green, bright magenta and fuchsia.
Holloway, who grew up in Palatine playing Monopoly, Scrabble and card games with her family, called this her first business venture. She has three young children and is considering a second location focused on a wider variety of games.
The lounge joins a growing local scene. The Naperville Park District's Mahjong Club has met at the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 Jackson Ave., for about 20 years. Naperville Magazine reported in January 2026 that west-suburban mah-jongg instructors were booking out months in advance.
Holloway plans to begin pop-up lessons in October at locations in the Naperville area that had not yet been determined. Updates are available at clinkmahjong.com and on Instagram at @clinkmahjong.
Business week ahead
- December 2026: Clink Mahjong Social grand opening at 5th Avenue Station, 200 E. 5th Ave., fourth floor. Exact date not yet announced. Check clinkmahjong.com for updates.
