Axe Throwing Comes to Mississauga

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Published May 4, 2015 at 8:08 pm

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Have you ever wanted to demonstrate what a bad ass you are by throwing an axe with speed and accuracy at a defenseless (but inanimate, fortunately) target? You probably have. Or maybe you’ve never thought about it. But even if it’s never occurred to you to toss a weapon in a safe environment, you’re definitely thinking about it now and imagining how amazing it will be to strike fear into the hearts of your loved ones (who might also be your secret enemies). 

Starting this in May, you’ll be able to toss an axe with friends, family or co-workers at the brand new Bad Axe Throwing facility at Tomken and Eglinton. The group-oriented activity (you need to book with a minimum of eight people and will still be charged for eight if your party is smaller) also allows you to bring your own snacks and canned liquor — did you ever think, in your wildest dreams, that you’d be able to pair beer with axe-related fun?

We recently chatted with Bad Axe Throwing founder Joel Melnichuk about what you can expect at Sauga’s first axe throwing joint. 

1) How long has Bad Axe Throwing been around?

We launched in November 2014. We started with one location and soon saw the need to add more across the GTA.  People love the concept of axe throwing and we are excited to be able to host all kind of events!

2) Who founded the company? How did he or she come up with the concept?

I did (Joel Melnichuk) along with the help of my brother in-law, Mario Zelaya.  We loved the idea and concept of axe throwing and wanted it to be accessible to as many people as possible. When we opened up our first location, we were hooked and wanted to start expanding as interests & inquiries in other cities grew.

3) What made you decide to open a location in Mississauga?

Mississauga is a great city with so much to offer.  Since we have locations in Burlington, Kitchener and Toronto, we saw a big gap and Mississauga fit the bill really well.  We also had a ton of requests for people looking to throw some axes a little closer to home!  You’ll notice that throughout the year, we’ll constantly be adding more and more Bad Axe Throwing locations to our website.

4) How has the buzz surrounding your upcoming Sauga opening been? How have you been getting the word out? How has the response in the community been?

Word of mouth has been huge for us.  We are booking up really fast at our Mississauga location and getting lots of calls about the grand opening.  We’ve already got a lot of major corporate bookings for the location (and we’re not even open yet).  I think people are really excited to be able to have a location so close to home where they can get together with friends and have a great night out while not having to travel too far.  The response has been phenomenal and I think it’s heavily attributed to the fact that word-of-mouth has spread very quickly from our Burlington location.   

5) What are some major safety issues that people should be aware of before coming to Bad Axe?

Contrary to what many people believe, axe throwing is really safe!  We always have one of our event hosts present and will take each group through an orientation session before anyone starts throwing.  We have men and women of all ages and fitness types who come through our doors and absolutely love their experience. There are no safety issues whatsoever.  

To be honest, the majority of our inquiries aren’t related to safety (we wouldn’t be in business if it wasn’t safe).  For the most part, people used to call us with general info about what they can bring, pricing, booking info, policies, etc.

6) What rules and regulations should be aware of before or while visiting your facility?

We want everyone to play safe so our first rule is listen up during the orientation session.  Our event hosts will walk each group through on how to safely throw an axe as well as how to make sure everyone stays clear of the throwers.  We also welcome our guests to bring their own food and alcohol (as long as the alcohol is in cans!) No glass and no hard stuff!  

7) Who is your major demographic? Businesses? Groups of friends? Do you tend to attract more men or younger people, or are your fans more diverse?

We host a lot of corporate events; axe throwing is a great team building activity.  We also host birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties and just groups of friends looking for something a little different to do. We recently hosted a group of hockey moms who were excited to try something new.  Our guests are so diverse; axe throwing isn’t just for lumberjacks. It’s very popular with both men and women of all ages.

8) How has axe throwing gained popularity? Is there any particular reason the trend is taking off that you can identify?

We really like to describe axe throwing as darts on steroids! It’s such a thrill and stress reliever for so many.  The trend of axe throwing is gaining popularity because people like having the option of participating in an activity rather than just going for dinner or to the movies.  Bad Axe Throwing gets people involved and is a great team activity.  I think it’s the unique nature of the sport that we’ve developed that’s helping it take off.

9) What do you have planned for your official opening?

We are already booked up for opening day so we intend to have a ton of fun with the groups who will be joining us that day.  It’s important to note though, we will be hosting a few open houses, one specifically for those who are interested in signing up for the Bad Axe Throwing League.   

10) Do you have group packages or discounts? If so, what are they?

We do offer group pricing for parties over 40 people.  We regularly host events for groups of 25 – 30 people.

11) Will the pricing at the Mississauga location be the same as in other locations?

Our pricing will remain the same at every location ($44.25 + tax per person).  We want our customers to know the Bad Axe brand and that includes keeping the same look, atmosphere and pricing at every location.

12) How large will your facility be and what will it look like?

Our Mississauga location will be one of our largest!  We will have four targets which means we can host parties of up to 60 people!  We’ll also be posting more pics on http://badaxethrowing.com

 

Click here for map and contact info>

 

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