Topeka Night Out: Axe & Ale

Photos by Emma Highfill, Rose Wheat Photography

Topeka’s downtown is coming to life with new businesses and an infrastructure makeover. The growth and revitalization happening in the heart of our city is what inspired Tom Cox, Reid Cox, Brady Hight, Lew Spring, and John Deleye with the idea for Axe & Ale, an axe throwing bar in the heart of the action.

Try your hand at throwing axes, or just relax with friends and watch a game. Beer fans will be glad to hear that Axe & Ale keeps 12 beers on tap, as well as more varieties in bottles and cans. You are likely to find local and regional brews such as Blind Tiger, Free State, Norseman, Iron Rail, Happy Bassett, and KC Bier, as well as your usual domestic favorites, and at least one cider.

SKETCHED ON A NAPKIN

“Axe & Ale started as a lake house discussion on Labor Day 2019 that moved to a sketch on a napkin, and
a few months later an incorporated business in Kansas,” Tom Cox said. “We were talking about how great our downtown is developing and what it was lacking. Someone mentioned an axe throwing bar like Kansas City, Lawrence and Manhattan had. We all agreed, and the rest is history. We opened our doors on July 31st of this year.”

The group looked at a lot of locations as potential sites, but when they visited the former location of Hillmer’s Luggage, it just felt right.

“We restored the historical Hillmer’s Luggage building, an address most Topekans have visited in their lifetime, but now they can get a beer instead of luggage,” Cox said. “We created a fun space and new activity for Topekans and visitors to do near Evergy Plaza, and we also had an opportunity to honor and preserve this historic building that has been a part of Topeka. This location checked all of our boxes.”

ALWAYS A DOWNTOWN VISION

From the beginning, the group envisioned their business in terms of how it would work downtown.

“We didn’t want to just open an axe throwing bar, we wanted to open one downtown. We didn’t even consider a non-downtown business,”community and help downtown thrive. We want to be a part of this community and the renaissance that is happening down here.”

Right away, the group joined the Greater Topeka Partnership to work with other businesses and investors who are passionate about the success of Topeka’s downtown district. They also connected with an informal group of downtown businesses that get together regularly to strategize and collaborate for the success of all of its members.

“Success for downtown means success for all of us,” Cox said. “All ships rise with the tide, and we’re working together to help each other thrive.”

None of the partners has previous experience in operating a bar, which posed the biggest challenge for the group.

“There were a lot of forms to submit,” Cox said, “and there was a big learning curve with understanding what goes into building a bar, complying with city ordinances and getting all of the details right. There were so many little things we wouldn’t have thought of, like changing a certain pipe to be an inch lower, for example.”

Cox is thankful to city inspectors, who didn’t just arrive to say yes or no, or check off boxes. Inspectors gave feedback, made suggestions and ensured that the group knew what was needed to get everything right. The city and state agencies that worked to get the group licensed to sell alcohol were very helpful, too.

“The axe throwing side of things was easy after all of that,” Cox said. “Learning an entire industry in a few months was a steeper hill to climb but was exhilarating as well. The more we learned, the more excited we were about the project. When faced with challenges, we just hit them head on and looked at each challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow.”

SAFE AND REGULATED

So, is an axe throwing bar safe? It’s not as strange a concept as it seems. Axe throwing is a regulated sport that is very popular in many countries, and axe throwing bars are popular attractions in many cities. Cox is confident that Axe & Ale has gone above and beyond for safety.

“We built the lanes to exceed the recommended standards for safety,” Cox said. “We made our lanes longer and wider than required, and the lanes are well away from the bar area. We also have axe throwing coaches that go over safety, teach throws and keep an eye on the lanes. We are watching to make sure that people follow the rules, so that everyone is safe, but also to see that they are enjoying themselves and enjoying the experience.”

LONG TERM COMMITMENT

2020 turned out to be a difficult time to start a business, with the uncertainty of safety guidelines and restrictions, but Cox and his partners are undaunted.

“We are here for the long-term and will get through COVID and continue to thrive in this community,”
Cox said. “Building this business has been difficult and exhausting, but it is so rewarding in the end. Every day we walk in and we cannot believe the difference from when we started.”

In the near future, watch for Axe & Art nights with local artists, food partnerships with area restaurants, tournaments and league nights