Upset about rising gas prices, oil spills or other automobile frustrations? Check out the Wreck Shop where you can meet those needs by breaking glasses against the walls.

“Let your stress, tension and worries go at the Wreck Shop,” said Walter Williams, who owns the new business venture, with his wife Michelle, located in Downtown Toledo.

Walter Williams

Walter originally got the idea for the business from not having a proper place or way to relieve stress without getting in trouble with his wife at home. He works as an aircraft mechanic at Toledo Express Airport and Michelle is a teacher with Toledo Public Schools.

The Toledo couple rented a storefront on North Superior Street and opened the Wreck Shop about six weeks ago.

When you walk in the door, it says on the wall, “Remember Why You’re Here … a breakup, child support, high gas prices, your boss, children, wife or traffic.”

The menu reads, “You buy it, you break it” and lists the categories with number of items such as “bothered” with six items for $5; “frustrated,” 13 items for $10; “very annoyed,” 20 items for $15; ranging to “Good Day To Go To Jail” with 45 items for $30.”

Participants wear jumpsuits and helmets with face shields for safety and can choose the glass pieces they want to break in one of four theme rooms. Each room is equipped with a camera and speakers for entertainment and safety purposes, Williams said.

He said the purchased a whole stockroom of glassware from Libbey so people can break glass items from beer mugs, wine glasses, plates, bowls and as big as pitchers and punch bowl sets. He said Libbey offered him a “good deal as long as I don’t sell it.”

The customer gets to throw the items from behind a railing against marble walls in rooms where rock bands used to practice. The House of Rock moved to the second floor in the building, he said.

The Rock Room features graffiti on the walls where clients get to spray paint their name on the wall with the Good Day To Go To Jail deal for $30. The Record Room has old vinyl records and album covers on the walls.

There is a “Hate Michigan” room decorated in maize and blue and a “Hate Ohio State” room in scarlet and gray. More people use the Hate Michigan room, Williams said.

The clientele range from kids as young as 6 to older adults in their 50s. The high school students really seem to enjoy it, Williams said.

“We haven’t had one person who didn’t enjoy the experience,” he said. “We get more people who come Downtown than people who work Downtown.”

Williams said he was surprised they get more women than men as customers.

“Once the ladies try it, they really love it,” he said.

He stops people on the street and invites them to check out the Wreck Shop. One day, he stopped Casper Wells of the Toledo Mud Hens who said he would be back with some of his teammates, according to Williams who is still waiting for them.

“I’m waiting for Mayor Mike Bell to come down since his whole staff has been here,” he said.

They left some holes in the walls and decorated them with “Bam! Pow! Boom!” similar to the word balloons on the old Batman television series. Michelle designed and painted the hall and theme rooms.

They have three additional rooms that will eventually be developed into different theme rooms.

He said they recycle 100 percent of the broken glass and cardboard boxes in which the glasses are packed.

The Wreck Shop, 333 N. Superior St., is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Williams said they are planning some special events for select Saturday nights during the summer.

Williams said the Wreck Shop is on Facebook and a website is under construction that will open soon at www.mywreckshop.com.

Tags: Downtown Toledo, Wreck Shop

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 17th, 2010 at 1:50 pm and is filed under Entrepreneurs, Toledo Business Link.
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