New Nerf Gun Arena Coming To East Brunswick

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A new indoor nerf gun arena is all set to open at the Brunswick Square Mall, in East Brunswick.

Pups of War, a soft foam dart arena is scheduled to have a soft opening in April and then a grand opening at the end of May, said Daniel Hazelhurst, vice president of regional operations.

This will be the company’s first mainland location in the United States.

“We have two locations in Hawaii, that have been open for about two years now. This is the first expansion on what we call mainland,” said Hazelhurst.

“Nerf is basically a soft foam ball or dart. And the cool part is, you're firing this at people from a distance,” he said.

Occupying 6000 square feet, the arena is currently in its final stages of construction.

The theme inside are New York and New Jersey.

“One side is going to feel like brownstones from New York, the other middle structure is going to be like the George Washington Bridge,” said Hazelhurst.

The New Jersey section will feature fire departments, a farm stand and a Jersey Shore section complete with lighthouses.

The arena was scheduled to open last year. But when the pandemic hit, the project was delayed.

But with the “vaccines coming out and other safety protocols in place,” Pups of War is confident of providing a safe and clean environment for families.

(Pic: Daniel Hazelhurst/Pups of War)

Hazelhurst said there’s a reduction in the amount of people that are allowed inside the facility.

“We have figured out a safe number of players that will be allowed to participate in this activity, along with enhanced cleaning procedures.”

A resident of Somerset County, Hazelhurst said East Brunswick’s Rt 18 corridor Redevelopment Project, makes the township a perfect location for new businesses.

“They're going to be revamping one of the shopping centers there and building new housing. So, we feel that this is a perfect time to join that community and work on the revitalization, bringing new business in there,” he said.

Hazelhurst is looking forward to providing the East Brunswick and surrounding communities with a family-friendly and safe environment to enjoy a day out — away from iPads and TVs.

“Every time you come out, there's going to be a different style of play. It's not one of those repetitive things. There's different game modes and it's all running around — getting off the couch and moving,” he said.

Pups of War will also be supporting other businesses, said Hazelhurst.

“The cool part about our business is not only does it bring children and adults out to have a great time, but it also helps support other local businesses,” he said.

“We work closely with pizzerias to provide the pizza for our parties. We work with other businesses that provide balloons and things like that. We are not only focusing on growing our community, but we also work to grow the other businesses in our area.”

To learn more about Pups of War, bookings and reservations, click here.

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