Fetch me my ax. Trendy new ax-throwing bar coming to Modesto’s Village One Plaza
Let’s be honest, 2020 has been a lot. So amid the tension and the stress and the worry, why not blow off some steam throwing a big ax at an inanimate object?
In Modesto, you’ll be able to do just that soon. Smart Axe, which opened in last year in Rancho Cordova just east of Sacramento, is coming to the city later this summer. The ax-throwing bar is in the works on Floyd Avenue in Village One Plaza on Floyd Avenue. The bar is moving into a 3,000 square-foot corner space near the Raley’s supermarket that was once home to River City Bank.
Ax-throwing bars have become all the rage in bigger cities across the country. Drink some beer. Throw some axes. It’s a pretty simple concept. Now, the Northern San Joaquin Valley will have its very own venue to chuck hard steel at wooden targets for fun.
The venue appears to be the first and only ax-throwing bar across Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties. Sacramento and Fresno counties have seen similar bars crop up recently.
Smart Axe owner Doug Link is expanding his business with locations in Modesto, Davis and Roseville all expected to open this year. He said they chose Modesto because of its large commuter population which might already be familiar with the concept, and to bring another entertainment option to the region.
“People come in and say, ‘That felt so good throwing an ax into a big piece of wood.’ There’s something about having that metal stick into the wood; it’s satisfying,” Link said.
A 75-minute session at Smart Axe will cost about $25 per person. The venue will allow minors ages 12 to 17 to participate with an adult present. All customers must sign a liability waiver — these are real axes, after all. Then the only other requirement to throw is you wear closed-toe shoes.
But, don’t worry, they won’t just hand you an ax and let you start chucking it around. Customers will first go through a safety session, and then be taught the rules of some games to play. Single throwers or groups of up to six can play in one lane.
The hatchet-like axes come in different sizes and all have steel heads and wooden 12-to-18-inch handles. They weigh between 1-to-1.5 pounds and you can even buy your own to play with.
The bar plans to have ax-throwing leagues, just like bowling leagues. They are affiliated with the World Axe Throwing League, which promotes urban indoor ax-throwing as a competitive sport with championships and more.
The games share some similar rules to darts and cricket. Link said people pick up how to throw the axes pretty quickly, and most can start sinking them in the target in their first session. People from all stripes have been coming into the Sacramento area bar, and it has also proven popular for business and corporate events.
Now you’d also think having axes flying through the air might be ripe for injuries. But Link said since they’ve opened and seen some 7,000 people come through their Rancho Cordova site, there haven’t been any incidents.
“To date, the most serious injury we’ve had here is a splinter,” he said.
He said he’s hoping to have the Modesto bar open in about 10 weeks, putting its debut near the start of August. Once open and allowed to be at full capacity, it should be able to hold about 60 people. The Davis location is expected to open sooner, in about eight weeks or mid-July, followed by the Roseville location around September.
Link expects to hire 10 to 12 employees, which should happen in July. Once open Smart Axe will serve beer, but no food — unlike its original Rancho Cordova site, which has a kitchen.
For more information on Smart Axe visit its website at www.thesmartaxe.com.
