This month, we’re talking about connecting around the table through games. A passionate creative, Meghan Britton has designed for Vera Bradley and has consulted with numerous other big brands on product development and marketing strategy. Knowing that Meghan’s love language is design – and that she believes there’s no such thing as too many patterns – it’s easy to understand her connection to the game of mahjong. Mahjong game pieces are tiles similar to dominoes but with suits as you’d find in a card game. The game space is a sea of miniature works of art. Earlier this year, Meghan founded Two Bamboo Mahjong, Fort Wayne’s first mahjong studio. It’s an inviting, colorful space where you can learn the game as a first-timer or meet up with friends to play. Her hope is that, beyond work and home, it becomes an important “third space” for our community.

What’s your vision for Two Bamboo? I wanted it to be a happy place that feels like an escape the moment you walk in. A place to relax, connect with friends and just have fun. It’s been exciting to see friendships form as people meet at a lesson and then plan to come back to play together. It’s noteworthy that, so far, I’ve taught more single players looking for a pastime than I have intact groups of friends. Those single players are looking for a new hobby and a place to meet up.

Advice for someone new to the game? Don’t expect to win right away. There’s a reason there are lessons given for American Mahjong! It can be tricky, but once you get it, it begins to fall into place. I only took my first lesson last spring, and there are a lot of varieties of the game and advanced rules that I am still learning. That said, it can be great fun after an initial lesson or two where you’re introduced to the fundamentals.

Favorite holiday? My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. The focus on family, watching the parade, the fabulous meal – all of it! I’ve always enjoyed spending time with family, and there’s no better time for that than Thanksgiving.

How do you meet new people? At Two Bamboo, at church and at Britton Marketing & Design Group where I have worked for 20+ years. This past year, I have also met people over social media through the mahjong community in Fort Wayne and beyond.

How do you keep up with friends? My friends and I keep in touch via text and social media. Sometimes, it’s as simple as sharing an Instagram post that made us think of each other. Other times, it’s a FaceTime call or driving to meet halfway for a meal.

Favorite place in the world to eat, and why? I grew up in Bay City, Michigan, about four hours north and a smidge east from Fort Wayne by the crook of the thumb. As they do in Michigan, hold up your hand and point … You have to! Near Bay City, there’s a restaurant called The Turkey Roost, which serves turkey platters year-round. It’s a greasy spoon – a real hole-in-the-wall – and nothing fancy in the slightest. I don’t really like it for the food, but mostly for the nostalgia of growing up and eating there. Oh, and the Pepto Bismol pink building. My second favorite is bit farther away … an Indian restaurant named Khazana in Cardiff, Wales. I worked in Wales for a year and used to love eating at that restaurant.

Something that’s always in your pantry? Freezer? I always have Vernor’s Ginger Ale (see: Michigan kid) in the refrigerator and creamsicles in the freezer.

Favorite comfort food? A steak and a baked potato, or ice cream. These are all family favorites.

Best thing about spring and summer? My dad made me a porch swing that’s the size of a twin bed. It hangs in my backyard. When the weather is nice, or after it’s cooled off on a breezy summer evening, the best is when I can go out there and work, read or relax on it. For a nice break or vacation, though, I love the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the summertime.

Best night out? A night out? What’s that?! As a single mom, the best I get these days is an evening at Two Bamboo. I used to love just going to dinner and a movie.

Best night in? Making homemade pizza, watching a movie and playing games. We have always been a game family – scrabble and card games were our favorites. I have a reputation in our family for always winning. I don’t know if that means that my parents let me win, or if I am just lucky?

Source of inspiration? Color and pattern. I used to be a stationery designer, and one of the reasons I fell in love with the game of mahjong was the color and pattern on all the materials and game pieces. It’s just so happy! Since COVID, mahjong is really having a moment. Parlors are popping up across the country, there are tournaments everywhere and a few new companies are selling game materials with really stunning designs. They are beautiful on their own, but seeing the collections side-by-side is really striking.

How do your closest friends describe you? Genuine, wise, funny, compassionate and always available.

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