Mahjong is having a colorful comeback, and at Pen & Ink, the centuries- old game is bringing Ocala players of all ages together.

On a recent evening at Pen & Ink, colorful Mahjong tiles covered tables throughout the store as players settled in for a night of strategy, conversation and a little friendly competition.

Some were still learning the basics. Others had played before and were ready to build on what they knew. There were snacks, drinks and plenty of conversation between rounds. And around the tables were women of different ages who might not otherwise have found themselves spending an evening together.

That mix is part of what has surprised Pen & Ink owner Susan Hebert since the store began offering Mahjong classes nearly a year ago.

“I think many people assume Mahjong is for retired ladies, but that isn’t what we are seeing,” she says. “Even the twenty-somethings are joining the classes, and we have had a few brave men.”

Mahjong dates back to 19th-century China, eventually making its way around the world. In the United States, a distinct version of the game developed, and the National Mah Jongg League was founded in 1937 to standardize rules for American play.

But lately, Mahjong has found a new audience — and a much more colorful look.

At Pen & Ink, brightly colored tiles, patterned mats, racks, carrying bags and Mahjong-themed entertaining pieces have become part of what the store carries. It wasn’t something Susan necessarily saw coming.

Customers began asking about Mahjong in 2025. That summer, while attending Atlanta Gift Market, Susan saw just how much the game had grown.

“We were surprised to see so much Mahjong,” she says. “Oh My Mahjong had a huge booth with so much excitement. We loved their designs and colors and quality of their tiles, mats and racks.”

Pen & Ink started with a small selection and added Mahjong-themed cocktail napkins, cups and placemats. But Susan and longtime business partner Martha Lynn Scroggie quickly realized there was one problem.

“Once we displayed all the product, Martha Lynn and I said, ‘We had better learn how to play now so we know what all the items are used for.’”

That decision eventually brought Pam and Audyn Woodington to Ocala.

The mother-daughter team behind Tiles and Miles is based in Lake Butler and teaches throughout Marion and surrounding counties. Susan found them through a list of approved instructors on the Oh My Mahjong website and invited them to teach at the store.

The response was immediate.

“The first class sold out,” Susan says. “When Tiles and Miles came that first day to set up, we were sold. The tablescapes with all the colorful tiles and fun mats and how they displayed each table differently was so engaging.”

That first class was held in October 2025. Since then, Susan estimates Pen & Ink has hosted about 13 classes, with each one filling completely.

“I joke that it’s like a Taylor Swift concert,” she says. “Some fill up in one or two days!”

Pam and Audyn understand the appeal. They learned Mahjong together in March 2025 from Pam’s sister-in-law and Audyn’s aunt, Karen Woodington.

They were hooked almost immediately.

At the time, they say Mahjong had not yet taken off in their part of Florida. After teaching family members, they decided to take their newfound interest on the road. Both already loved entertaining and hosting, so teaching Mahjong and creating an experience around it seemed like a natural combination.

Today, when Tiles and Miles arrive for a lesson, they bring the tables, chairs, game pieces and tablescapes with them.

For beginners, the game can look intimidating. American Mah Jongg is generally played by four people, each working to complete one of the hands printed on the National Mah Jongg League’s annual card. The first player to complete a valid hand calls “Mah Jongg.”

But learning doesn’t end after the first class.

“We have some players who attend Mahjong 101 and are so eager to play that they start their own games and never return for Mahjong 102”

Pam and Audyn begin with Mahjong 101, a two-hour introductory lesson. Mahjong 102 builds on those skills with more strategy, while later levels introduce different ways of playing.

“We have some players who attend Mahjong 101 and are so eager to play that they start their own games and never return for Mahjong 102,” Audyn says. “On the other hand, we see players who have attended every lesson and style we offer from 101 to 104. We consider those our Mahjong 105s.”

For the mother and daughter, some of their favorite moments come after the tiles have been packed away.

“My favorite moments about teaching with my mom are actually after the Mahjong nights are over and we are in the car ride home,” Audyn says. “These serve as our Mahjong debriefs where we discuss what went well, what could be improved and sometimes just how crazy it is that we get to do this for fun.”

Pam agrees. Her favorite moments are the travel time together, talking about new ideas, techniques and strategies for the game.

For Ocala player Kaitlyn Wilson-Butler, Mahjong started because a friend told her about it.

She began taking classes at Pen & Ink and later hosted a class for her own girlfriends in her garden, with Pam and Audyn teaching the basics. Now she has standing Mahjong evenings with friends, sometimes fitting in a quick game before everyone heads home to prepare dinner for their families.

What she discovered was that the appeal went beyond having another reason to get together.

“I love playing for the thrill of the game, the way it forces us to put away the multitasking of the day and be fully present with the players,” Wilson-Butler says.

She also found Mahjong bringing her together with people at different stages of life.

“Some of my favorite players are women 30, 40 years my senior who look at things in a different way, make me laugh, and we all walk away with a new perspective.”

“Pen & Ink has definitely evolved since our small 300-square-foot original store. We have expanded slowly and purposefully.”

That ability to cross generations is something Pam and Audyn have noticed as well. They say they’ve taught students ranging in age from 8 to 80.

“The camaraderie among the table mates is just as important, if not more important, than the game itself,” they say.

Pam sees another reason the game may appeal to younger players.

“I think the youth have spent a lot of their lives playing on computers and using virtual game play,” she says. “Mahjong gives them the opportunity to get together and use the same skills they’ve become accustomed to with the added hands-on factor.”

Wilson-Butler points out that so much socializing revolves around meeting for dinner or drinks. Mahjong offers another reason to make time for one another.

“You can jazz it up and serve small bites and a glass of something sparkling, or you can get together with a few friends simply for the love of the game and company,” she says. “It’s refreshing to not need to dine out or make a to-do, but still make time for visiting.”

But Mahjong is just one part of Pen & Ink’s much longer story.

The store was originally opened by Gloria Marsh in 1992 with a focus on calligraphy, invitations and fine stationery. Susan and her mother-in-law purchased the business in 2001, and Martha Lynn joined her in 2011.

As online invitations became more common, Pen & Ink began adding gifts. When COVID-19 brought celebrations, parties and weddings to a halt, the store adapted again. Candles and cocktail napkins grew into books, frames, wrapping paper, hand towels, ornaments, puzzles and eventually baby clothing and other gifts.

As the business grew, Pen & Ink expanded from its original 300-square-foot storefront into a larger space within the same building.

Mahjong is simply its latest chapter.

“Pen & Ink has definitely evolved since our small 300-square-foot original store,” Susan says. “We have expanded slowly and purposefully.”

And now, among the stationery and gifts, there are tables being pulled together for people who are looking for something that seems increasingly difficult to find: a reason to sit down, put everything else aside and spend some time together.

Susan has experienced it herself.

“I feel like my friends and I see each other more in the last year because of last-minute Mahjong games,” she says. “We look forward to playing and lose track of time while we do.”