Owners Angela and Jesse Ziegler in their Rage Room. -ALEX MACCARTNY / FLORIDA WEEKLY
It’s a small storefront with a big story to tell.
Step inside ‘Just One of Those Dayz’ Rage Room and it feels like a thrift shop collided with punk rock. Raw, chaotic, but oddly comforting. Trinkets and original knick-knacks fill the front room, stacked on windowsills, lining the desk, hanging from the ceiling. Everywhere you look, there’s something with a story.
Iron Man masked mannequin welcomes you as you walk in. -ALEX MACCARTNY / FLORIDA WEEKLY
A mannequin in an Iron Man mask greets you as you enter. Behind it sit model cars from seemingly every decade, classic magnets cling to an equally aged fridge. As you look around, everything seems to oddly belong in some way, and the space hums with energy before you even pick up a bat or hammer.
That’s no accident.
Owners Angela and Jesse Ziegler have been married for 37 years, and for the last seven of those, they’ve run this mom-and-pop rage room in Fort Myers. What started as a personal solution has grown into a business centered on release, connection and a whole lot of broken glass.
Jesse Ziegler is a Gulf War veteran. He was injured during combat, and like many other veterans, he returned home injured and struggling with PTSD. Something the couple knew needed a hands-on, unconventional approach.
That’s where the idea for a rage room was born.
“When we first started, a lot of my husband’s doctors told us this was not a good idea,” Angela Ziegler said. “But one doctor told us, ‘This is the best idea you could have,’ because it gives him a way to help people who are struggling too.”
Helping people has become the core of the business. While the rage room was created as an outlet for anger, it’s evolved into a welcoming space for stress relief, family fun and even creativity.
Views from inside the Splatter Room at Just One of Those Dayz Rage Room. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN / FLORIDA WEEKLY
They added ‘Splatter Dayz’, a splatter-paint room designed for kids or adults who’d rather create than destroy.
“It’s a little less anger and a lot more creative fun,” Angela Ziegler said. “And it’s safer for the little kids.”
The blacked-out walls glow with the neon paint splatters left behind by past visitors. Names, dates and messages peek through the layers as tiny reminders of moments released and memories made.
Of course, the rage room is front and center. Stocked with everything from glass cups and mugs to toasters, printers, coffee makers, an array of old electronics and panes of glass. Basically, if it will smash, you can smash it. With a selection of tools at your disposal for the carnage. Baseball bats, golf clubs, hammers and metal poles are all at your disposal. Visitors can swing, smash and throw to their heart’s content, making each session feel unique.
“It’s more of a full release than just letting out anger,” Angela Ziegler said. “People walk in having the worst day, week, month, or even year. We listen if they want, and then we watch the smile take over after a few swings.”
Views from inside the Rage Room at Just One of Those Dayz Rage Room. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN / FLORIDA WEEKLY
The message-filled walls continue into the rage room. But instead of the black walls with neon paint, it’s dented up sheet metal plastered with countless Sharpie scribbles. Some messages are heartfelt and hopeful, while others are a bit more colorful, if you will, and truly fit the namesake of “Rage.”
Even the sounds tell a story: shattering glass, followed by laughter, then more glass. For the Zieglers, that’s the sound of making a difference.
Views of the aftermath from inside the Rage Room at Just One of Those Days Rage Room. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN / FLORIDA WEEKLY
“The best part is we genuinely like coming to work,” Angela Ziegler said. “We meet people from all walks of life and learn their stories in a really unique way.”
Jesse Ziegler agrees. “We bring people together. Families, friends. They get to let loose here in a way they can’t anywhere else.”
They’ve gone big before, too.
“We’ve had people bring in their own items or make specific requests,” Angela Ziegler said. “We’ve smashed refrigerators—there was even a piano once.”
After seven years in business, the inventory adds up. A storage room overflows with breakables waiting for their moment of impact. Mixed in, though, are items Jesse holds onto. Pieces that catch his eye.
“I like to have something for everyone,” Jesse Ziegler said. “If someone’s a fan of a certain team or character, odds are I’ve got a mug or something with it on there.”
If something catches your eye mid-session, their rule is simple: set it aside and take it home when you’re done.
That philosophy carries into their next big event, a rummage sale happening at the end of the month. Many of the items that never quite made it into the smash room, along with unique finds collected over the years, will be available for the community to browse, buy, and take home. No safety goggles required.
The hang out area within Just One of Those Dayz Rage Room. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN / FLORIDA WEEKLY
The sale is doing more than just clearing out clutter, it’s the Zieglers’ way to support a cause close to their hearts. Proceeds will help cover Jesse’s ongoing medical expenses and fund Angela’s plans to start a nonprofit to assist others who are struggling with PTSD and related challenges.
“It’s about giving back,” Angela Ziegler said. “Turning old treasures into something meaningful.”
It’s a way to give back, share their story, and turn old treasures into something meaningful for the community.
The Zieglers’ commitment doesn’t stop there. They are also mindful of the waste generated in a typical rage room session. All metal items—pipes, bats, poles, even broken appliances—are recycled locally. Some even find new life through local artists and metalworkers, ensuring nothing goes to waste. It’s another way the business gives back, blending fun, therapy and sustainability.
For the Zieglers, whenever someone visits Just One of Those Dayz, whether through smashing, splattering, or rummaging, every moment serves a purpose. It’s chaos with a heart, and in the hands of Angela and Jesse, even broken glass can be transformed into something meaningful, or at the very least memorable.
Rage Room Rummage Sale flyer. -COURTESY PHOTO
In The KNOW:
What: Rage Room Rummage Sale
Where: Just One of Those Dayz Rage Room. 1944 Winkler Ave., Fort Myers
When: Jan. 30-31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
More info: 239-224-8971 or www.justoneofthosedayz.com/