Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Middlercamp Carter Golden.
Hi Mark Middlercamp, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The Story of the Rec Room is more of a journey than a Vision. A business that was never planned became one of the best decisions of my life. My background was in restaurant and business management. Flashback to 2008. I was a General Manager for one of larger chain restaurants whose claim to fame was its “Breakfast”. After being with this company for many years I decided it was time to open my own restaurant. and put my education to work. Starting any business requires a lot of dedication and hours if you want to be successful. After the first year of being self-employed I noticed I was putting on more than a few pounds of extra weight, 62lbs to be exact. Running a restaurant and not having a lot of time to sit down for a meal deep-fried food became too easy. I had gone from 150lbs to 212 lbs. in just over a year. I needed to make a change, not only did I need to start eating better, I needed to exercise. I decided it was time to get a gym membership. I had worked out at home in the past but have never had an actual gym membership. I knew this was the only option to keep myself accountable and relieve stress in an environment that was separate from home and work. That’s when I joined the Omni Fitness club in Muskegon. I had heard good things about the place, and it was close to home. I was nervous and self-conscious when first walking in the door. First thing I noticed was there were people of all different fitness levels and the friendliness of the Staff. They gave me the guided tour of the facilities and showed me how everything worked. I got to meet a few of the regular members. and so, my fitness journey began over the next eight months. I went five times a week, pushing myself a little more each time. Using a combination of weight training and an obsession with the Elliptical bike I managed to lose 62 pounds in a manner of eight months. I even made it on the wall of successful fitness stories. During this fitness journey, I became close Friends with the owner, staff and other club members. The Omni was unique because it wasn’t a gym. There was also a hair salon, a travel agency and a Restaurant and Protein shake / smoothie bar. Then one day, the owner of the gym approached me knowing my background in restaurant management asked me if I would be willing to take over running the restaurant and shake bar. The person currently running the place was planning on shutting it down and going to truck driving school. I had plenty of experience in the restaurant portion, however making protein shakes and smoothies was not something I was familiar with. Always being up for new challenges, I said yes, and decided it would be a second location and also give me a reason to spend more time at the Gym. I had to come up with a name for the new place. The space was originally A combination of two glass window racquetball courts that was remodeled into a restaurant space with a single glass door entering the space from the main lobby of the gym. The space was two stories tall, and you could see on the upper level through the glass in the area where all the treadmills were located. The floors were hand laid bricks and were built to resemble a street in New York. The area was a focal point of the gym. The only thing that bothered me was even though it was part of the gym. It was closed off by that single door that you had to open to go inside. Then the ideal hit me. Let’s take out all the glass windows from the racquetball court and make the space wide open and easy to walk into Flowing from one part of the gym to the next. Throw in a big screen TV, a couch and a foosball table and make the area more inviting to relax in while enjoying your protein shake after a workout. So, with all Those ideas in my head, the name Rec Room came to mind. Took a few Months to modify the space and learn how to prepare the 10 shakes that were already on the existing menu and also working with the nutritionist from the gym staff to create a new Healthy menu to offer to the Gym members. With all that in place, the Rec Room officially opened October 10th, 2009. The new concept was well received with the gym members and business was booming from the beginning. One of the nice parts of the Rec Room being in the entryway of the gym was that you didn’t have to be a gym member to come in and order protein shakes or get food from the restaurant. Business Was doing well then I started to think what else could the Rec Room offer to the Gym members and fitness enthusiasts. That’s when the next great idea hits me. Everyone is going out and Buying supplements, pre-workouts and protein powders to help with their fitness journey. Why not carry all those products At the Rec Room tell the GYM members would have a one stop shop for all their nutritional needs. The space had plenty of room to fit all of this under one roof, so I contacted all the most reputable supplement companies and opened wholesale accounts with them. After that, I took the next step with our extra space and added tanning red light therapy and professional teeth whitening services. The concept of having all of these products and services under one roof was a huge hit. Then I made the decision to close my other restaurant and focus on the Rec Room full-time. I finally found the environment for me. It just felt right and that was what I was meant to do. I continued to add new items to the menu and branch off those original 10 protein shakes and start creating some new favorites. Over the next 5 years the business continued to thrive. The Rec Room was becoming well known in the community as the place to go for delicious, handcrafted protein shakes and smoothies. Then the News came in July of 2014 that The Omni Fitness Club was going to close its doors for good in August of that year. I had 30 days to find a new home for the Rec Room. The thought of starting over was scary. I had an established customer base. I just needed to find the right location to keep the customers coming back. Luckily, I had some connections with commercial real estate brokers. They had open spaces in the Pointes Shopping Mall in Norton Shores and there was a fitness club already in operation in that plaza. It was a perfect place to set up shop. Signed the lease and got to work. Within 30 days the Rec Room was open for business in its new location. The loyal customers followed us and being in this new central location in Norton Shores we attracted many new customers from the gym located in the plaza with us, Students and athletes from Mona Shores, Fruitport, and West Michigan Christian High Schools. With the business continuing to grow the local high schools also became a great source for employees as well. I have always been a firm believer that management and mentorship go hand in hand. It has always been rewarding to watch the High school / college students that worked for us move on to further education or successful career paths. For the first 11 years the Rec Room had always had a rotating staff. The High Schoolers would work for us until it was time to move away for college and would fill in when they were home for summer breaks and holidays. That all changed in 2021. One of my staff members was ready to move away and had to do so on short notice. He told me I found my own replacement, so you won’t be short staffed without me. His name is Carter and he’s a hard worker. I said have him come in for an interview. Carter came in the very next day. I had no application resume. We sat down and by the end of the interview I hired him on the spot. I pride myself on being a good judge of character and the way he presented himself I knew he was going to be a good fit. I was not disappointed. Carter hit the ground running. He was very respectful and a fast learner he quickly excelled in all aspects of the job. In 2022 we received word that the gym located in the plaza with us was going to relocate elsewhere at the end of their lease. I had some concerns that we may see a decline in customer traffic not being located in close proximity to a fitness center. After they moved out, we did see some decline in traffic but nothing dramatic. More and more of our long-time regular customers kept suggesting we should open a gym in the plaza, and it would be like the old days again when we were located in the Omni Fitness Club. After thinking about it on more than one occasion it seemed like the next logical step in growing the business and to becoming a true one stop shop for health and fitness. So, I secured one of the larger units in the strip mall on the opposite end. It was a perfect spot with high ceilings, industrial look and wide-open space. Blank Slate to build the next chapter for the Rec Room. On March 1st, 2023, the Rec Room Gym 24/7/365 opened its doors. We did not have to wait long. One by One the regular customers were signing up. Within the first few months we had over 250 members and continued to grow. My mother had passed away during the construction of the gym space. She was always supportive of me chasing my dreams and being self-employed. I was the youngest of 3 children and with a business background, so I also became the executor of her estate. My staff, my second family were always there for me during the passing of my mother and the construction of the new gym. Dealing with my mother’s estate and final arrangements got me thinking. I am the youngest, who is going to take care of my estate and keep the business running for the long term. That’s when I made the decision to make 2 of my longest-term employee’s part owners of the business. Carter & Jace were with me the longest. I had the attorney draw up the paperwork and I gifted them 48% of the company stock shares and made them partners, co-owners. I knew Jace would be going off to college soon however Carter was in it for the long haul. He was in his element. He had a passion for the health and fitness industry. When Jace left for U OF M Engineering school Carter and I continued to build the business maxing out or gym membership within the first year. So, we decided to expand the size of the gym and add on a sauna and cold plunge area as well as making the area for more gym equipment. So, in November of 2024 we opened the expanded addition to the gym featuring the Sauna and cold plunge area. Within 4 months of opening the expansion our membership sales doubled. We were the only gym in the area to have a cold plunge. Which happens to be one of the newest Fitness trends. And just like that, our membership capacity has reached its peak again. So, in August of 2025 We had room to do one more expansion. As I am gathering and writing the information for this article, we are nearing completion of the new FX Cardio and conditioning room. This new space will house all of our cardio equipment within an addition to a floor space for exercise classes, Rock climbing and slam ball wall well freeing up more floor space in the existing gym. We ordered a few specialty pieces of equipment from Watson’s gym equipment in London, England, one of the Premier manufacturers of gym equipment in the world. We are set to open this expansion in April of this year. None of this would be possible without our loyal customer base and the hard work of my employees and business partner Carter. His dedication to the success of the gym and business as a whole it’s going to Keep the Rec Room moving forward in the future. I know in my heart when the time comes for me to retire. The business that we built over the years will be in Capable hands to keep the legacy going.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The 2 biggest challenges over the years were:
1. Having to move to a new location in a short period time
2: Keeping the Business running during the Covid Shut down
Both situations were challenging but after 17 years in business learning to adapt continues to open up new opportunities.
We’ve been impressed with Rec Room Restaurant Inc & Rec Room Gym 24/7/365, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Rec Room is your one stop shop for:
Healthy Meals
Protein shakes and smoothies.
Sports Supplements
Meal prep service as well as a distributor for Clean Eats grab and go frozen meals
24/7/365 Gym with Sauna and a cold plunge.
We have full-service menu available for dine in take out or delivery through Grub Hub.
Our vast selection of hand-crafted protein shakes & our gym that’s open 24/7/365 (never closes) are what attracts most people.
Our most popular shake is the PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY (We have total of 48 different shakes with some seasonal favorites)
Our most popular food item: the Fiesta Lime Chicken Entree
WE OFFER MEAL PREP SERVICE
One of the things that sets our gym apart is we have no contracts no sign-up fees no maintenance fees whatsoever. Memberships are month to month cancel at any time. We want our members to stay because they enjoy being at our gym not because they are locked into a contract. we have developed a great community in our store and gym. Everyone is welcome we treat everyone like family weather you are a newcomer or a long-term customer/ member.
We have a digital punch card program that requires no membership
We continually strive to grow the business. Innovate, update keep up with the changing times. If you’re not moving forward, you will be left behind.
We are on our 2nd expansion of the gym since it opened in 2003
What makes you happy?
MARK : The sense of family we have within the staff and our customers.
Helping people reach their goals and celebrating the milestones along the way.
The sense of pride we get because people choose to keep coming back.
Giving back to the community that supports us.
Seeing the High School / College kids that worked for us go on to be successful in life. Mentoring is very important part of what we do.
CARTER:
I’d say What makes me happiest about my job is helping others improve their lives—seeing people become stronger at the gym, eat healthier, and build better, healthier lifestyles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Recroom.online
- Instagram: the_recroom_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dhv6fm3Ri/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: Recroom.omni@gmail.com
