PHOTOS: First Look at the Massive Rec Room Entertainment Facility Coming to Square One in Mississauga

Over the years—more than 40 of them, in fact—Square One has grown from a more modest place-making destination to a rapidly expanding shopping mecca that’s home to some of the world’s most famous affordable, mid-range and luxury brands.

Indeed, one thing that makes the shopping centre unique–especially in recent years–is its diverse array of stores that appeal to both luxury and budget-minded shoppers. At Square One, shoppers can choose between Walmart and Holt Renfrew, and once upon a time, they had a Target location at their disposal.

And when Target left a huge void in the mall (and in Canada in general), residents fretted over what would take its place.

Well, a massive entertainment facility is about to call the mall home.

And construction is well underway.

One of the biggest additions to Square One’s roster (and it’s expanding quite rapidly) is the Rec Room, a Cineplex-owned entertainment complex that revealed its plan to open in the shopping centre in 2017.

The facade

When that news broke, it was huge. If you haven’t heard of The Rec Room, Cineplex defines it as “Canada’s newest hotspot for ‘Eats and Entertainment.’”

It’s a major (and much loved) entertainment complex that fuses food and activities. The Square One location will take shape in the north end of the complex (right where Target was located) and will occupy about 44,000 square feet of space and two full floors.

Rec Room’s future patio

As far as food goes, The Rec Room will boast the Three10 restaurant—an upscale casual resto named after Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories. The menu will feature wood-fired oven pizza and Canadian-inspired cuisine with a twist.

The establishment will also feature The Shed, a quick-service food stop that includes a poutinerie that offers such gourmet toppings as porchetta, smoked brisket, lobster and wild mushrooms. Some very on-trend and tasty doughnuts can also be found at The Shed.

The Hall live entertainment space

Guests who want to drink can also check out a bar area that boasts a few big screens that will broadcast sporting events. As far as drinks go, Cineplex says there will be multiple bars throughout the space that will serve wine and over 32 draft beers (including a few local craft brews).

As far as activities go, the location will also feature The Yard—an attractions area that will offer 90 amusement games. Credits earned while gaming are tracked on RFID wristbands and can be redeemed at The Trophy Case for a variety of prizes, including retro candy, drones, whisky stones, portable speakers and more.

One of Rec Room’s wood fired pizza ovens

Bar area

Other attractions include virtual reality space The Void and a four-lane bowling area (which is not available in Toronto).

Guests can also check out race car simulators, air hockey, pool and ping pong. There will also be multiple performance spaces offering both live and programmed entertainment.

The massive Grillworks grill

Multiple private dining rooms will also be available for guests interested in booking parties.

The Mississauga location follows the opening of a Rec Room in South Edmonton and Toronto.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that The Void is not available in Toronto. We regret the error.