'We have to design a place': Brothers bring cornhole indoors with Toms River business

TOMS RIVER - The backyard game cornhole was an ever-present part of the lives of brothers Eric and Matthew Gershey as they were growing up.

"I grew up playing this game my whole life, my brother and I did," Eric Gershey said. "Every summer, that is how we would bond, that is how we would spend time together."

Now the Gershey brothers have turned their love of the game into a business and have opened Fun Bags Cornhole Lounge at 452 Route 37 in Toms River. The lounge gives corn tossers a place to play year round, either a relaxed game with family and friends, or tournament play.

Cornhole is similar to horseshoes but instead of horseshoes and metal stakes, players toss a pellet-filled bag onto a slanted box called a cornhole platform. The first one to score 21 — with a toss in the hole scoring a three — wins, according to the American Cornhole Organization.

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The idea for a new cornhole venue came in June as Eric Gershey watched the American Cornhole League on ESPN at his brother's home in Toms River. He knew there were businesses like escape rooms and hatchet-throwing places. Why not one for cornhole? asked Gershey, a Montville resident. "There is no place to enjoy cornhole year round," he said. "I said to my bother, 'We have to design a place.'"

In July, they signed a lease for a 3,600-square-foot space on Route 37 across from the Toms River Diner and opened in September. "We had an idea to bring cornhole to a retail location in Toms River where guests can play year-round," Gershey said. "We wanted a place where the average player and their families could have fun on a weekend."

Gershey said the lounge offers a place for parties, corporate events, networking as well as leagues and tournaments. "It is really family-oriented," he said. "It is all about bonding and building relationships."

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David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for more than 20 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Fun Bags bringing indoor cornhole lounge to Toms River NJ