Sponsored by Maison McCall Mahjong Society

Mahjong may be the reason people walk through the doors of Maison McCall, but founder Brandi Chustz hopes the connections they make will bring them back. The new Maison McCall Mahjong Society, located in the Village at Willow Grove, is being created as a welcoming place to play, shop and gather.

“Mahjong is what brings us together, but the community is what we’re searching for,” Chustz says.

The studio will welcome players of all experience levels, offering beginner lessons and easy scheduling through the Maison McCall app. Membership is not required to play, and Chustz and creative director Natalie Fontestad want everyone to feel comfortable, whether they’re picking up tiles for the first time or have been playing for years. “We don’t want anyone to ever feel intimidated to come play with us,” Natalie says. It all comes back to their motto: Gather. Connect. Belong.

Maison McCall will feature a thoughtfully curated collection of mahjong tiles, accessories and gifts from designers and artists around the country. Guests can see, touch and play with different collections before purchasing. The space will also host special events, artist collaborations, leagues, lessons and social gatherings.

The Oak Room will offer top-tier members hard-to-find tiles and thoughtful comforts such as cozy blankets, warming neck pillows and a few extra touches of hospitality.

For Chustz, the venture is deeply personal. After her 16-year-old son, McCall, died in a car accident in 2020, she says, life continued around her as she tried to keep going through a grief that never really left. Mahjong eventually gave her something she hadn’t felt in a long time: something to genuinely look forward to. She was drawn to the colorful tiles, the sounds of play and the mental challenge and joy of playing with others.

“I never set out with some grand plan for Maison McCall,” Chustz says. “I just had this feeling that God, my mom and McCall were all whispering, ‘Now’s the time. If you’re going to do this, do it now.’ And that’s when everything started falling into place – the location, the name, even the branding. It was like little seeds being planted along the way, growing into something bigger and more beautiful than I ever imagined.”

Maison McCall is named in honor of her son, keeping his memory at the heart of a space dedicated to bringing people together.

“Sometimes you don’t even realize how much you’ve missed that connection until you find it again,” Chustz says. For her, Maison McCall is about more than mahjong: it’s a place where people feel welcome, friendships grow and laughter becomes part of everyday life. “If Maison McCall makes a difference in even one person’s life, then everything we’ve put into it will have been worth it.”

The Maison McCall Market Social, a preview of the space, is planned for Nov. 15 from 1-4 p.m. Guests can buy, sell and trade previously loved mahjong tiles, mats, racks and other mahjong items, connect with the local mahjong community and explore the studio. The space is located at 8201 Village Plaza Court, Suite 1A. Maison McCall also plans to offer a limited number of founding memberships at a special rate, with gifts for early members.