Andrew Mathewes used to enjoy going to Railgarten when he was in his 20s. He's older now and a father.

That plays into his vision of Stomping Grounds, the new concept going in the Railgarten space at 2166 Central Ave. His partner in the venture is Lindsey Shanmugasundaram.

"We're going to capture what people loved about Railgarten, what we personally loved about Railgarten," Mathewes said. "But reimagining it for kids and everyone with kids in their lives."

Stomping Grounds is set to open by summer 2026, with the restaurant on the site opening sooner.

Mathewes said he had been toying with the concept for about five years. He and his family had visited play cafes and family entertainment centers.

He has been working with Gill Properties for about seven months to secure a venue. Barry Maynard, Frank Dyer III, and Emily Vanasek represented Mathewes and Shanmugasundaram on the Railgarten deal.

Railgarten was opened in 2017 by John Planchon and Taylor Berger. The space is 14,000 square feet with multiple buildings. Features included a restaurant, a volleyball court, a stage, a tiki bar, and a ping-pong bar.

Mathewes and Shanmugasundaram have got plenty of plans for converting Railgarten into a more family friendly spot.

The restaurant space, once The Farmer, is set to be converted first. Mathewes said they've got an independent operator for that space.

The volleyball court will be converted into a playground with a treehouse. Where the ping-pong bar was will now be Half Pints, which will include a MultiBall games system — sort of like a Top Golf with Nerf balls. The outdoor shipping containers will be removed for added parking.

Neither Mathewes nor Shanmugasundaram have a background in hospitality. Mathewes has worked in marketing and development nonprofit consulting; Shanmugasundaram worked in education.

Shanmugasundaram will be the "chief play officer," while Mathewes will see to the operations.

Mathewes or Shanmugasundaram say they want Stomping Grounds to be real and relaxing — a place where kids can be kids and parents can meet other parents and foster a community.

"I want it to be a place where kids can run and play," Shanmugasundaram said. "I would love to have fun little activities. It doesn't always have to be that structured."

She'd like to have yoga, summer camps, and crafts-making events. Mathewes envisions a spot where parents can work and have a meal that does not involve pizza. They plan to have self-service taps with beer and non-alcoholic options.

Stomping Grounds will also offer memberships, like the Memphis Zoo or the Children's Museum of Memphis.

Mathewes or Shanmugasundaram would like Stomping Grounds to become an institution, a place where their kids bring their kids 20 or 30 years from now.

"It's a kids play space in one sense, but everything is designed much more around what it's like to be a parent," Mathewes said. "We're designing a space that your kids will love to come to. It is suited to creating a good place to live, making Memphis the best city in the world to raise a family."