REC 225: Not Your Ordinary Game Night

REC 225: NOT YOUR ORDINARY GAME NIGHT

WRITTEN BY: Doug Baker Editor, Cocoa Beach Explorer

A friend of ours, Jo Jo Holstein, invited Tracee and I to come check out his new place in Cocoa Village called REC 225. I’ve known Jo Jo for years, so when he told me his new place was open and unlike anything else around here, we were excited to see it for ourselves. Our twenty-year-old son dropped by a couple of days before we did and came home raving about it.

REC 225 is a bar/restaurant/ game room that is all about bringing friends and family together to interact and play games. Yes, you read that right…put your phones down and interact with each other. REC 225 offers delicious eats, cocktails, and beers plus a long list of games to garner everyone’s participation. They have indoor bocce, cornhole, pool tables, darts, and shuffleboard plus every table has a board game menu where you can choose from over 15 classic games. Best of all, the games are FREE to play.

Ok, we’ve got the details out of the way, so now let me tell you about the experience! The staff was warm and welcoming shouting out a, “Welcome to REC 225. Sit wherever you’d like.” as we walked in the door. Right away we both noticed the fun game room feel mixed with a slightly industrial vibe, but at the same time incorporating the 1930s architecture of the building. We pulled up to the bar and were immediately greeted by Sam who after grabbing our drinks was nice enough to teach us how to play a board game called Close the Box, which by the way I won! Oh yeah, make sure to ask Sam to do a few magic tricks for you; I’m still scratching my head about a couple of them.

The crowd in REC 225 was very diverse and everyone seemed to be having a great time. You know what we didn’t notice, cell phones! Nobody was engaged with their cell phones. Instead, they were actually engaged with each other and playing games. That was GREAT to see.

The concept of REC 225 was born when three entrepreneurs (pictured below), Joseph “Jo Jo” Holstein, Michael Trobagis, and Wesley Murray, came together with a vision for a new spin on an old concept and turned it into a reality. They wanted to bring friends and families together for game nights at a place where you can get great food, drinks and service. However, the dream isn’t quite complete yet; they are working on adding a patio, so the entertainment will continue... outdoors.

Make sure to drop by for your next afternoon or evening out. It’s great for date night, meeting friends, or that rare family night!

Joseph “Jo Jo” Holstein, Michael Trobagis, and Wesley Murray

225 King Street, Cocoa, Florida 32922

facebook.com/REC.225@rec.225

Open everyday 11am- 2am - Family friendly until 8pm

Happy Hour Mon. – Fri. from 2:25pm – 6pm - BOGO on draft beers & wines