Another business in the Nittany Mall is set to close, the seventh to leave this year
The Rampage Room plans to close its location in the Nittany Mall, the business announced Thursday, making it at least the seventh this year that announced plans to close.
The recreation center and arcade ran out of money after generating little-to-none during the coronavirus pandemic and did not qualify to receive relief from the federal government, Chief Operations Officer Nichole Snyder said Friday.
“We had just hired employees, we had just started to get ready to pay back ourselves and, when COVID hit, that knocked us out with like four months of no income,” Snyder said. “We took a hit. We just took a big hit and couldn’t get back from it.”
The concept for the business, which opened in August 2019, was simple. Customers could use a baseball bat, crowbar or sledgehammer to break, smash or otherwise destroy glasses, furniture or a garden gnome.
One of the best parts? You didn’t have to clean up after yourself.
An official close date has not yet been determined, but a liquidation sale is scheduled to run through the end of September.
About three people were employed at the business.
“It’s awful. I hate it,” Snyder said of the decision to close. “I wish I could keep going. I’ve been trying to stick in there as long as I can. ... It was really hard to get people back out and into entertainment. I was really bummed, and I still am.”
Happy Wraps ditched the shopping center for Bellefonte, Emporium Market moved to downtown State College, while Macy’s, Express and Kay Jewelers closed.
Bradley’s Book Outlet announced in August its plans to close and is in the midst of a going out of business sale.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The status of Bradley’s Book Outlet was incorrect in an earlier version of this article. The store announced plans to close, but is still open. (Updated: 10:30 a.m., Sept. 21, 2020)
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 3:28 PM.