The Yard at Corktown will be the next home of Detroit Axe, an 8,000-square-foot entertainment venue dedicated to the sport of axe throwing.
Scheduled to open on Oct. 15 at 1375 Michigan Ave. (8th Street), the facility will feature 12 axe lanes where competitors throw hatchets at wooden targets. The lanes are separated by fencing, with rules and safety standards enforced.
The venue also will offer more than 500 board games, a variety of classic bar games, pinball machines, and shuffleboard courts.
It will be the third Detroit Axe in the region, joining locations in Ferndale and Clinton Township (Partridge Creek Mall). The venues draw families, friends, informal corporate gathering, and recreational leagues.
The axe throwing phenomenon first became popular in Canada and has since expanded to the United States. Detroit Axe is part of the International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF). In the past two years, Detroit Axe has had two players place in the top five for axe throwing from around the world at the International Axe Throwing Federation championship.
The Corktown location, made up of indoor and outdoor spaces, will include a full-bar and casual food from Ruckus Taco Co. Menu items range from street tacos to burritos to nachos.
The chef is Jeremy Kalamus, owner of Ruckus Taco, who has worked at Local Kitchen and Bar, Forest Grill, Novi Chop House, and Northern Lakes Seafood Company. He is a graduate of Johnson and Wales Culinary.
“We’re excited to be the first dedicated axe throwing facility in downtown Detroit,” says Brian Siegel, a partner of The Yard at Corktown and Detroit Axe. “Each community that has experienced the exhilarating activity has made it part of their go to places to eat and be entertained.”
Detroit Axe in Ferndale and Partridge Creek as well as The Corner Grill, Bar, and Game Room in Ferndale were started by Geoff Kretchmer and Brian Siegel, who collectively own and operate Star Trax Events and Joe Dumars Fieldhouse.
“We are thrilled to be part of the Corktown community and bring a new exciting community space, entertainment and restaurant to the area,” says Geoff Kretchmer, a partner at The Yard at Corktown and Detroit Axe. “This concept and all of our Detroit Axe concepts are designed for groups and couples looking for a fun night out, or a company-wide activity. And once you try axe throwing, you will be surprised at how addictive and challenging it can be.”
The Corktown venue is located six blocks east of Ford Motor Co.’s emerging mobility innovation district set on 30 acres in and around Michigan Central Station. Ford’s campus for around 5,000 workers revolves around four buildings: Michigan Central Station; the Book Depository, which sits just east of the station and is being revitalized into a maker space; The Factory, which is home to the company’s autonomous vehicle business unit; and a future development to the west of the station.
Overall, Ford’s vision includes creating an open platform for innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, and other partners from around the world to develop, test, and launch new mobility solutions on real-world streets, in real-world situations. The Book Depository is scheduled to open next spring, while the train station will be ready in the first quarter of 2023.
For more information, visit DetroitAxe.com.
