She’s Building Memphis’s Newest Stomping Grounds
What happens when an educator and mom sets out to help reinvent family fun? You get Stomping Grounds. Lindsey Shanmugasundaram shares the inspiration behind Memphis's newest gathering place, what she's learned along the way, and why she's passionate about creating spaces where everyone feels at home. Image: Lindsey Shanmugasundaram
Turning a beloved Memphis favorite into something entirely new is no small feat, but thatβs exactly what Lindsey Shanmugasundaram is doing. As co-owner of Stomping Grounds, sheβs reimagining the former Railgarten space as a vibrant destination where play isnβt just for kids, parents can actually relax, and community is at the heart of everything.
How would you describe Stomping Grounds to someone whoβs never heard of it?
Stomping Grounds is an indoor and outdoor gathering place for families. Kids can climb, explore, imagine, make friends, and truly play, while parents can drink coffee, eat real food, talk to another adult, or simply sit down without someone asking them to open a snack.
It is play for kids, but it is also care for parents. We want it to feel thoughtful, safe, fun, and very Memphis. It is not a place where parents have to survive the outing. It is somewhere the entire family actually wants to be.
Was there one moment or experience that made you realize Memphis needed a space like this?
It was less one lightning-bolt moment and more a million little parent moments stacked on top of one another.
Stomping Grounds was [co-owner and neighbor] Andrew Mathewesβs idea first. Our families would spend evenings outside watching our kids play while he talked about his dream of creating a place for Memphis families.
We would all talk about what it could become, and before long, I was completely drawn into it. I started sending Andrew random ideas from my teaching background, things I noticed as a mom, and tiny details I thought could make the experience better. Eventually, he asked me to become his partner, and it felt like the most natural βyes.β
Whatβs one feature youβre most excited about?
I am most excited about the adult side of Stomping Grounds. I know what it feels like to want your child to play and burn energy, but not want to spend the entire outing feeling exhausted, overstimulated, and counting the minutes until itβs time to leave.
I want parents to walk in and think, βWait, I actually want to be here, too.β Between the food from Wild Beet, the tap wall with coffee, craft soda, wine, and beer, and comfortable places for adults to sit and connect, parents are part of the experience rather than an afterthought.
What is your role at Stomping Grounds?
My title is Chief Play Officer, which is exactly as fun and ridiculous as it sounds. I am also the Director of Operations, so my job is a combination of big-picture vision and extremely real daily details. Basically, I live somewhere between preschool teacher, operations manager, brand storyteller, and the person who notices when the vibe is off.
Launching a business is a huge job. How has your day-to-day life changed over the past year?
My brain has about 78 tabs open at all times now.
After teaching, I stayed home with my daughter, so moving from stay-at-home-mom life into building a business this size from the ground up has been a huge shift.
No two days look the same. Some days, I help shape the play experience, programming, family experience, staff training, operations, social media, and community partnerships. Other days involve spreadsheets, permits, construction details, endless emails, and decisions I did not even know existed before this.
Iβve learned that opening a business isnβt one big glamorous moment. Itβs hundreds of tiny decisions, conversations, problems, and late-night notes in your phone. But I wouldnβt trade it. This is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and I have never believed in something more.
Youβre creating a place thatβs all about community. What do you think makes Memphis a good fit?
Memphis is a relationship city. People know one another, cheer for one another, ask how your people are, and remember your story. It is creative and scrappy in the best way. People here donβt just want something shiny. They want something with heart.
Memphians are also willing to become part of something before it is completely finished. They show up, give feedback, tell their friends, share a post, bring their children, and help shape what it becomes.
That has been one of the most beautiful parts of Stomping Grounds. It already feels like it belongs to more than just us.
Whatβs something people assume about opening a business that couldnβt be further from the truth?
People assume you have one clear checklist and simply work your way down it until the doors open. And I love a checklist! But opening a business is not one neat list. Itβs a million moving pieces that all affect one another. Construction affects operations. Operations affect staffing. Staffing affects programming. Programming affects marketing. Marketing creates customer questions. Customer questions occupy your entire brain at 2 a.m.
It is more like building an airplane while also painting it, naming it, hiring the crew, and making sure toddlers will not lick the emergency exit.
Whatβs one small daily ritual that brings you joy?
A good pen and good paper. I love writing things down: lists, ideas, reminders, and tiny things I do not want to forget. My brain feels better when everything has somewhere pretty to land.
Also coffee. Always coffee.
Whatβs the best piece of advice youβve ever been given?
My grandmother always said, βPretty is as pretty does.β I grew up hearing it, and it has stayed with me. To me, it means that how you treat people matters more than how anything looks from the outside.
That feels especially important while building Stomping Grounds. Of course, I want it to be beautiful, creative, and special, but what matters most is how people feel when they are there. I want families to feel welcomed, cared for, and completely comfortable being themselves.
LIGHTNING ROUND!
Where do you take out-of-town guests for dinner? The Bar-B-Q Shop. It is casual, very Memphis, and everyone is happy when barbecue is involved.
Whatβs a great book youβve read recently? The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.
Favorite local small business to support? The Art Project. They will be joining us at Stomping Grounds in October, which makes me ridiculously excited.
A self-care item you canβt live without? A fabulous outfit. Getting dressed in something that feels like me can completely change my mood.
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Gaye Swan
As a professional writer of over 20 years, Gaye is an avid traveler and enjoys highlighting food, culture, and attractions around the South. While Gaye is passionate about life in Memphis, she grew up in Meridian and is still a Mississippi girl at heart.