MATTOON - Abel Delgado believes if you give teens a safe place to hang out, it will keep them out of trouble.

So, in recent weeks, he's opened a teen club he's calling Play Too!

The new club is housed at the Ramada Inn in Mattoon and has its own entrance at the east side of the building.

Play Too! is specifically geared for young people age 14 to 20. It is an alcohol-free, smoke-free establishment, complete with things young people live for: Music, video games and food.

A stage is set up for a live band; a smaller DJ set is nearby. The dance area is sprinkled with round tables.

Another section offers coin-operated video games, foosball, air hockey and golf; two 52-inch screen TVs for Play Station II, Rock Band and Guitar Hero III sets.

Delgado is renting the area most recently housed by the Taste of Italy restaurant, and he plans to have regular monthly drawings for prizes such as Xbox 360 game stations and weekly drawings for iPod Shuffles.

The club offers beverages, food and snacks for purchase. Anyone with a middle or high school ID gets in for $3. Otherwise, entry fee is $5.

Other future plans are to have a fingerprint scanner to better track patrons.

"Once this system is in place, it will help us keep track of the kids. It helps us and parents know who's here and who's not," Delgado said. "It also allows us a way to either deny or keep a watchful eye out on someone."

Later, his plans include opening an adult bar, but with a separate entrance, away from the teen club. It is to be called, Play!

A tentative grand opening for Play! and Play Too! is May 9.

Although he grew up in Georgia and Florida, Delgado has lived in Ashmore for three years. In the cities, going to teen clubs was a norm.

"When I moved here, it was June, almost three years ago, and I would see kids around, at Wal-Mart or running up and down streets with nothing to do. I thought we needed to get them off the streets and give them something to do," he said.

He's taken on this new venture at age 25 and wants to give Mattoon-Charleston area youth a safe place to be with friends, dance, eat and enjoy being a young person.

He's optimistic the business will be a hit.

Mattoon businesswoman Nancy Keating has had a similar experience with teen clubs.

"Mattoon is an awesome town, and it needs something like this," she said.

The former owner of E.L. Krackers in Charleston offered a teen night once a week for many years.

"I think it is a great idea, but we had our problems. But that's not to say it will happen here," she said.

Play Too! is situated a distance away from where Play! will be, so younger patrons won't ever be mixing with the adults, Delgado said.

The only people over the age of 20 in Play Too! will be staff and parents who choose to visit.

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The club is open from 8 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Parents are encouraged to come in starting at 7 p.m. to look around and to find out more about the club, Delgado said.

Keating's son, Mattoon High School sophomore Alex Keating, was among the first customers to enter the club.

"There were kids of all ages there, but mostly middle school ages. There was also a high school dance that night. I heard the next night (last Saturday) was a bigger crowd."

Keating said the $3 entry fee (with his school ID) was "a pretty good value."

Delgado said a group of friends - John Blake, Carrie and Jason Sluder, all of Ashmore, and Delane Young of Kansas - are helping to get the club off and running.

The group is concentrating on getting the right music in the club. Opening night featured Oakland's Christian rock band, fortyminusone.

His staff wants to offer live music and recorded music spun by a DJ. Play Too! wants to bring in other area bands of different genres.

Delgado said after the staff understands exactly what the teens are interested in by way of music, games and food, it could determine its destiny.

"We have to be able to give what the youth want in order to be successful," Delgado said. "After our first weekend open, the kids are saying they had a blast. They had a wonderful time."

Dawn Schabbing can be reached at dschabbing@jg-tc.com.