Mahj Girl Society will celebrate the grand opening of Sarasota–Manatee's first dedicated mahjong social club on Wednesday, September 2 at 5 p.m., hosted by Georgie's Garden Café at UTC. The opening marks the start of an ambitious year, culminating in a January attempt at a Guinness World Record for the most people playing mahjong simultaneously, aiming to bring together more than 2,500 players while raising money for local charities.
Open Wednesday through Sunday, the club will offer open play, private and group lessons, tournaments, themed events, creative workshops, and casual spaces for relaxation, work, reading, or meeting friends. Georgie's will serve as the Society's home while the organization prepares to open a permanent Lakewood Ranch location later this year.
“What we're creating is not simply a mahjong room,” said founder Sasha Stapleton, a Lakewood Ranch entrepreneur. “I want it to feel like a clubhouse — somewhere you can come by yourself, meet people, play, create, have a drink, learn something new, or just sit with a coffee and be part of a community.”
Alongside traditional programming, the Society will offer a rotating calendar of creative experiences: decorating your own mahjong tiles, embellishing tile bags, personalizing game-card accessories, and more. Book nooks and casual social areas give members space to work and unwind between games, and a specially created mahjong-themed cocktail and mocktail menu positions the venue as a social destination rather than just a place to play. Members enjoy perks including free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee, and merchandise discounts, while non-members can join through à la carte experiences.
The calendar is already filling up. Regular open play runs every Wednesday, and the first Learn to Play session after the opening takes place Thursday, September 3. Lessons are available for complete beginners through players looking to sharpen their speed and strategy. One upcoming highlight is an Alice in Wonderland–themed Mahjong Tea Party, blending themed décor, food, and interactive social play.
The January event will coincide with Stapleton's 40th birthday, a milestone she wanted to mark with something bigger than a party. “Turning 40 feels like the beginning of a completely new chapter,” she said. “I wanted to do something huge — something that brings thousands of people together and, most importantly, leaves our community better because we did it.” The Society plans to use the record attempt to support local charities and hopes to work with schools, nonprofits, and community groups year-round. Other local mahjong organizations, instructors, and clubs will also be welcome to host their own events at the lounge. “This isn't about competing for players,” Stapleton said. “Mahjong is growing rapidly, and we all have something to offer. There really is room at the table for everyone.”
While apps have introduced mahjong to a new generation, the Mahj Girl Society believes the real experience is face-to-face. “An app can teach you what the tiles look like, but it can't recreate four people sitting around a table together,” said Maddelyn Banham, Director of Community & Digital Engagement. “We live so much of our lives through screens now. Mahjong gives people a reason to put their phones down and actually be present with the people across from them. You can discover mahjong online, but the community happens in person.”
Originally from England, Stapleton has called the Lakewood Ranch area home for more than six years. A serial entrepreneur, she owns a local printing operation and an SEO company, in addition to founding The Hedgehog Hollow, a creative brand that grew into a seven-figure business and large online community. Mahj Girl Society's identity is drawn from her family history. The branding takes inspiration from the traditional Willow Pattern china her grandparents owned, reinterpreted within the Society's blue-and-white logo. Her grandparents, who lived in the Middle East during her grandfather's military postings, played traditional mahjong themselves, and today Stapleton's own daughters play too. “There are little pieces of them throughout Mahj Girl Society,” Stapleton said. “This next chapter is very much mine, but it has their fingerprints all over it.”
Though the Society grew from a group of girlfriends, its community spans men and women, beginners and experts, and ages from 10 to 100 years old. “Mahj Girl is the personality of the brand, not a restriction on who gets a seat,” Stapleton said. “Our tables are open to everyone.”
For more information, visit MahjGirlSociety.com or find the community on Facebook by searching “Mahj Girl Society.”
