By Hamilton Richardson
Elmore/Autauga News
For those in Prattville that feel like they’re at their wits end, are stressed out or have something important to get off their chest, there is a place in the city where those frustrations can be safely and effectively dealt with.
Smash It Prattville is just such a place but it’s not just for those who harbor frustrations. It’s also a place where it’s just fun to break a lot of stuff, said owner Sara Compton.
“We can accommodate a party of up to 20,” she said as she explained how the business works. “We usually give them some furniture items, usually one or two furniture items, one or two electronics to break and a bunch of dishes and we give them weapons like sledge hammers and baseball bats.”
The business is located in the Food Outlet shopping center near downtown Prattville, having just moved from a smaller office on Memorial Drive. The new location offers more space in which to destroy things.
But Smash It is actually about more than just destroying things.
“This is what people really like a lot,” she said. “It’s my favorite thing too. We give them a bunch of dishes and they write something they hate on it. It’s a therapy thing. I wrote cancer on mine because I just got over cancer. As soon as I opened this business, I found out I had cancer. The reason I started Smash It was because I was grieving my mom who passed away from cancer. I left my job to take care of her.”
The business owner said that she was angry about what happened with her mother and also having a very stressful job.
“I was really mostly like angry about my mom passing away,” Compton said. “It was during the pandemic so getting her cancer treatments– it was always delayed. I blame it on the pandemic for her dying of cancer because of it being such a delay or the nurses were too busy with the covid people.”
Compton said she is now much improved from her diagnosis and has a positive attitude about all that has happened.
“You have to. Because I get to break stuff all the time,” she said, laughing. “You have to turn everything into a positive thing. “
Some customers come to Smash It to let out some stress by breaking things, to just feel the rage for a moment, or to grieve something in their lives and then let all the anger out on a dish or a cup or a television.
“It’s all about the crash noise,” she joked.
Compton said they clean up the piles and piles of broken dishes and furniture every week to keep up but she sees it as recycling.
“We love to help the environment. That goes to our scrap metal guy and a lot of stuff goes to two different artists,” Compton explained. “One of them makes mosaic cement tiles and one of them makes stuff in resin. We try to reuse and recycle. We’re kind of hippie like that.”
Compton, who said that she has contracts with local thrift stores to purchase items in bulk, added that her business idea has turned out much better than she envisioned in the beginning.
“I have sat here and cried with people. I’ve gone into another room and cried for people, too, because they’re in here crying,” she commented. “I mean, you would be surprised what they write on there. Things that they want to banish or get rid of or crush. It’s very therapeutic.”
She added that she also tries to open up for all groups that might benefit from Smash It, including inviting people with disabilities.
“We can have all ages and all abilities,” she said. “We have a blind person that comes. We have people in wheelchairs. They can break stuff. We have little kids. Elderly people.”
Compton also explained that there are safety precautions that customers must take to participate such as wearing face shields and gloves to protect their eyes and hands.
Smash It is open every day but those interested must contact Compton and schedule a trip before they go. To schedule a visit, go online to
or visit them on their Facebook page.
