The Rec Room dining, entertainment centre targets Edmonton millennials

An entertainment and dining concept new to Canada opened its doors in Edmonton on Monday.

The Rec Room, a two-level, 60,000-square-foot complex at South Edmonton Common, offers restaurants, bars, private dining rooms, live entertainment and more than 100high-tech amusement games.

"We're excited.We're ready to welcome guests today," saidgeneral managerDavid Terry.

Theatre giantCineplex, which owns The Rec Room,is aiming the conceptat millennials, he said.

"It's a little bit of everything for everybody,but wedefinitelydesigned it with millennialsin mind," he said. "They're a set that likes to entertain outside the home, so they'reout multiple nights of the week."

Terrysaid millenials valueexperiences over possessions and are always looking for the next big thing.

"They're looking for new things to do all the time, and we kept that in mind when we came up with the concept," he said.

While the centreoffersthe ubiquitousbilliards, air hockey and ping pong, feature attractions include a high-techrace car simulator, luxury bowling and axe throwing.

For sports fans, the complexhas more than120 digital big screens, includingan enormous high-definition screen in the bar area that can be viewed from anywhere inthe complex.

Restaurants include an upscale dining room serving Canadian-inspired food, a casual pizzeria, a poutinerie offering toppings like porchetta, smoked brisket, lobster and wild mushrooms, and a donut bar, while barsoffer draught wines and local craft beers.

Cineplex plans to open about a dozen moreRec Room locations across the country, withlocations in Toronto and Calgary set toopen next year, Terry said.