‘This was needed.’ We got to see the hype behind Charlotte’s first mahjong studio
When Jennifer Ross went down to Dallas to celebrate her mother’s 80th birthday, she came back to Charlotte with gossip and an idea.
The gossip: Ross and her mother had a blast at a local mahjong studio where they signed up for lessons.
The idea: why not open a mahjong studio in Charlotte?
Ross shared the gossip and the idea with her friends and fellow mahjong enthusiasts Lauren Ulrey and Patti Roth. And faster than The Charleston tile exchange (more on that later), the group decided to open a space for Charlotte’s growing mahjong community.
The Queen’s Mahjery will be Charlotte’s first mahjong studio at 4000 Monroe Road in Oakhurst, where folks can drop in or reserve a spot to play the ancient game alone or with friends.
Besides shuffling tiles and deciding whether to play with blanks or not, the trio is hoping the studio becomes a place to unwind, grow stronger friendships and meet some new people along the way.
“There are several studios in Dallas, Charleston but Charlotte didn’t have anything yet,” Ulrey said. “And for a city that’s really taken it on, we just felt like this was the perfect time, the perfect need and fun thing for us to do together.”
Mahjong and relaxation
Before we get into The Queen’s Mahjery, here’s a mahjong history lesson.
Mahjong originated in mid-1800s China and has since spread throughout Asian and Western culture. Gameplay varies but the premise involves discarding and picking up tiles to create matching or sequenced sets.
Like all things, the game has had its ups and downs in popularity, particularly in the U.S. One of its peak popularity periods was in 1937, when Jewish housewives standardized the game and created the National Mah Jongg League.
Now, the game is hitting another high in fandom thanks to pop culture references and the pandemic. Why the latter reason?
Well while the rules may vary, mahjong has always been a community gathering game. In between the clacking tiles and competitive banter, the game allows for conversation and relaxation. Mahjong has given people a reason to host or get out the house to socialize for centuries.
The ladies of The Queen’s Mahjery
Ross, Roth and Ulrey met through their daughters who have been on the same gymnastics squad for years.
But mahjong is how they became closer friends and now business partners.
“We really got to know each other so much better over the game,” Ulrey said. “We would talk about our kids, their school, what was going on in politics. It kind of feels like a safe space because you’re really there for the game.”
Roth agreed. “It’s a definite stress reliever. It’s one of those things where when we’re stressed or feeling too pushed with the day-to-day things (we’ll say) let’s just sit down and play a game. It transfers your focus.”
But one of the stressful things about mahjong, or really planning any get together, is the where. Where are we going to play? Who’s going to host? Should we meet at a brewery?
There’s a growing trend of Charlotteans transforming their formal dining rooms or retrofitting an unused space to create mahjong parlors, Axios previously reported.
But even then, Ulrey notes, what if you just want to get out of the house?
“My friend lives in Plaza Midwood, and in her Midwood mom’s group, someone said, ‘Does anybody know a place where we can go play majong? Like, outside of my house with all of my clutter and my kids and all those things,” Ulrey said.
Ross continued. “You can play mahjong anywhere in Charlotte … Harris Teeter, Rhino Market. You may go to a brewery. Well, it’s awful when you show up with your three friends hoping to get a table and there’s no table available.”
Mahjong in the Queen City
Where to play is a growing need in Charlotte. There are dozens of mahjong groups and a growing number of people wanting to learn to play.
The where is what The Queen’s Mahjery solves.
The details are still being worked out, Ulrey said. But the almost 2,400-square-foot studio will have more than a dozen tables spread throughout the space. The ladies don’t want to put tables on top of each other.
“We want less tables and more space because we want you to feel like you are at home,” Ulrey said. “We want it to feel like a place where you can spill the tea and chat about work and not be worried you’re being overheard.”
The plan is to build rooms for private events or possible lessons from some of the local groups in Charlotte.
And eventually, the trio would like to be able to serve alcohol.
“Our goal is that you could come with four people, play for three hours, split a bottle of wine and get out of there for $50 bucks,” Ulrey said.
Per diem and membership costs are still being worked out, Ulrey said. But there will be a monthly VIP membership and table rentals. Since a membership guarantees you a table, there will be a limited number of people allowed on the list.
Table rentals will be about $40 per person for three hours of play time. And there will be an online portal so group and single players can see what tables are available.
The Queen’s Mahjery is expected to open in the summer.
‘This was needed.’
When I found out a mahjong studio was opening up in Charlotte, I needed to know why.
I’ve heard of the game before via my grandma and I did get an introduction into the community at an Eastside Mahjong event in December (Shout out to Melissa Varvaro and Kiki Poland!)
But what is the hype about!
So, I asked The Queen’s Mahjery trio to stop by The Charlotte Observer office for a conversation and peak into what the studio vibes would be like.
But first, my coworkers, Briah Lumpkins, Emily Broyles, Jeff Chamer, and I needed a lesson.
We went over the tiles and the famous National Mah Jongg League card with all the winning suits.
.jpg "IMG_9251 (1).jpg")
The first round was slow as we got our bearings. Remembering to tap the tiles after we pick them. Learning when to pause to pick up a tile for a suit.
And of course, shouting “Bird Bam!” and “Cheers!” when the “1 bamboo” tile was played.
In between the lessons, I peppered the trio with questions on the studio and why they were interested in playing.
I learned that Ulrey and Roth’s daughters play with them and Roth’s son is interested in learning.
“My 13-year-old daughter is a shark at it,” Roth said. “And my 24-year-old son is like, let me in on this. What’s going on here? It’s fun to see how it can expand the ages and generations.”
The second round got serious. We did a slowed down version of The Charleston where players swap tiles with each other for three rounds.
This was my favorite part as my line was starting to come together. I was three tiles away from mahjong but Jeff had other plans. He sat across from me and kept throwing out all the tiles I needed! I couldn’t pause the game because the tiles didn’t complete my set.
But Roth kept me motivated. I was close. I would win this.
And in between the lessons, the questions, we talked and gossiped.
We complained about Trader Joe’s parking lots. We all know they were designed by a monster.
We talked about how expensive going out could be and children running around breweries. And then…
“Mahjong!” Jeff did it. Well, sort of. While Jeff matched the line, the suits weren’t right. A rookie error. But we’ll let him have this one.
And now I get it. The hype. For two hours, we relaxed and concentrated on something fun. We found out they have Taylor Swift-inspired mahjong sets, which delighted Emily. We bantered, laughed and made mistakes.
I vowed to beat them the next time we played. And there will be a next time.
“This was needed,” Emily said. And we all agreed.
“We just want people to have fun,” Ulrey said.
Ross added, “You’re going to go home tonight and go I want to play this.”
Indeed. Jeff bought a set the next day.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
