Want to break stuff and not get in trouble? Here’s your chance, NJ

NORTH BRUNSWICK — Hammer, sledgehammer, baseball bat — what's your weapon of choice?

They're all up for grabs to help you blow off some steam by breaking stuff. Where at? The simply named business Break Stuff NJ, where you can essentially become a human wrecking ball inside a room lined with glassware, appliances and electronics — all of which are at your mercy.

"I'm going through a divorce, so I wanted to take out my aggression and anger and frustration ... And it was awesome," said Melissa Astopolidis, a North Brunswick resident who had just wrapped up a 20-minute session inside the rage room, reportedly one of just two in the Garden State (the other is located in Hackensack).

And 20 minutes is more than enough for customers who have free rein to destroy everything they see, according to owner Andrew Powers.

"Pace yourselves," Powers tells groups before their sessions begin. "Twenty minutes doesn't sound like a long time, but it's exhausting at the end."

Customers wear coveralls, gloves, masks and goggles to protect themselves from flying debris.

The so-called rage room was the birthday venue of choice for Siobhan Matias, who traveled from Mercer County to get rid of "built up stress."

"I'm a little out of breath," Matias said, after spending five minutes busting up a television. "I got all the frustration out."

Since opening his business in late September, in a building about a mile away from Route 1, the response by New Jerseyans has been unbelievable, Powers said.

Powers said while the room obviously provides an option for a fun night out, it also can be therapeutic for folks overwhelmed by stress or anxiety.

"They've done yoga, they've done boxing, they've gone to the gym and nothing is helping," Powers said. "So this is their last resort and they're definitely getting something out of it."

More from New Jersey 101.5:

Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.