Mesa haunted house Monsterland will open a bar and grill on its first floor Friday to offset high maintenance costs at the site, owners said.
The 8,000-square-foot West Main Street location needed a new line of revenue, manager Aly Gangemi said.
“We decided that we would create a family-friendly atmosphere during the day that would transform at night into a new hotspot,” Gangemi said.
The ground floor will house the dining room where guests can eat and dance while the basement continues to operate as a haunted house year-round.
The basement’s walls are attached to tracks in the ceiling, allowing Gangemi to arrange a labyrinth where costumed actors attempt to scare customers.
The sets used for skits in the haunted house have attracted groups of ASU drama students that want to shoot independent films there.
“It’s fun to get that interest from drama students because our sets are Hollywood quality and it’s a cool, unique location for shooting,” Gangemi said.
Monsterland spokeswoman Kristy Smith has overseen the development of animatronics, props and special effects needed to heighten the level of terror within the maze.
“Most of our staff have been working and gaining experience with various haunted houses in the Valley area for upward of six years before coming to Monsterland,” she said.
Groups can reserve curtained VIP rooms with televisions, lounge areas and fully stocked bars.
“We can give clients almost any type of experience they want,” Smith said. “We’ve even hosted a few weddings here. We have our own priest we call the Sinister Minister, and he led a zombie wedding a while back.”
Monsterland’s Friday the 13th grand opening has helped the restaurant book tables, Smith said.
“We have already reserved 100 tables and we actually had to stop reserving spots because we didn’t want to leave anyone out,” Smith said.
Head bartender Tawnee Silva of Mesa said Monsterland is edgier than some of the city’s other establishments.
“We feel that this is an opportunity to begin raising Mesa nightlife up to those levels found in Scottsdale and Phoenix,” Silva said.
Reach the reporter at mjgordo1@asu.edu
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