Retail real estate continues to shift toward uses that drive repeat traffic, longer dwell time, and built-in community. Mahjong studios are starting to check all three boxes.
Yelp recently named Mahjong a top trend for 2026, citing a 4,467% YoY increase in searches for Mahjong clubs and an 819% jump in searches for lessons.
Recently, SRS’ Daniel Poku and Lauren Mason Dickson represented the landlord in a lease to The Charleston Club — a combined Mahjong studio and retail concept in Dallas-Fort Worth — bringing an emerging experiential category into one of the region’s strongest lifestyle retail corridors. They discussed the rising popularity of this classic game and its impact on retail real estate in a recent ICSC C+CT article.
For landlords, experiential concepts like this are compelling because they deliver:
🔹 Recurring weekly traffic through classes and leagues
🔹 Longer dwell time driven by multi-hour play sessions
🔹 Cross-shopping synergy with nearby dining, boutique retail, and wellness uses
🔹 Multiple revenue streams that strengthen tenant sustainability