A mahjong parlor — likely the metro’s first — will open in Johnson County soon
Mahjong appears to be having a moment in the West, outlets like Smithsonian Magazine are reporting.
Kristi Powell and Stephanie Beshoner can attest to this fact. They played their first round of the tile-matching game just a year ago and were instantly hooked.
The longtime friends and neighbors decided to begin teaching lessons of their own not long after. At the height of their mahjong instruction business, they were teaching games six times a week.
Seeing the growing demand in the metro (and beyond), Powell and Beshoner have decided to open what’s likely the Kansas City area’s first mahjong parlor. The Bam Bam Room at 12910 State Line Road in Leawood will open Sept. 25 and offer games for experienced players and newbies alike.
“It’s such a fun game, and everybody should be able to play,” Beshoner said.
The pair say the mahjong community is bigger than one might realize. Clubs centered on the Chinese-born game are popping up in the metro, including OK Let’s Mahjong’s Kansas City chapter. The women, who both have children in their 20s, note that it’s become somewhat popular for Gen Z and millennials.
“I think it’s getting ready to be insane,” Powell said. “Nobody’s heard of it, until you’ve heard of it. Now you’ll hear about it all the time.”
How is mahjong played? There’s several different versions of the game, which originally hailed from China in the mid-1800s as a men’s gambling game. It’s been popular in the American Jewish community since the 1920s.
In the Americanized version, four players sit around a table with 152 colorful tiles. Like cards, each tile belongs to a suit: characters, bamboos or circles. (The “bam” in Bam Bam is in reference to bamboo.)
The object of the game is to get a mahjong: one of a few specific combinations of 14 tiles that is listed on a provided scorecard.
Players pass, discard and draw tiles until a mahjong is achieved.
The word “mahjong” is similar to the Chinese word for “sparrow,” and it’s thought to be a nod to the sound of clinking tiles, which mimicks birds chattering.
The pair behind the Bam Bam Room is still figuring out whether to offer memberships, but customers will be able to play a game for around $8 a person. Lessons will be $100 for two 2-hour lessons. They’re still deciding on the price for the league itself.
The Bam Bam Room will also be a space for game enthusiasts to purchase colorful tiles and mats, as well as other gift items.
In the short time that the friends have started spreading the word on social media, they’ve seen an abundance of support from local players.
“People are dying, they’re so excited,” Beshoner said.
Powell laughed and added, “Like it almost makes me nervous how excited everybody is.”
The pair want to offer some snacks for players. TBD on whether alcohol will be served.
It’s a reasonably social game, too. Players can pass and talk once they get the hang of it.
“It’s all about the community that you’re building, because what other thing is there, that you’re not going to a bar or having dinner?” Powell said.
The parlor itself will seat about 24 players. It’ll be open Wednesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some days, they’ll have events that will run until 8 or 9 p.m.
Interested customers can sign up for lessons at thebambamroomkc.com. Booking for games will also soon be available.
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 4:26 PM.