Ax-Caliber prepares for ‘ax-pansion’
Still, looking for somewhere to eat? How about shoot virtual machine guns? Because Ax-Caliber, Polk County’s only ax-throwing venue, is getting an expansion.
The first phase of the venue’s expansion was the addition of three more ax-throwing pits in the back of the building, which opened in mid-July. Joyce Woodrow, who owns and runs Ax-Caliber with her husband, Kraig, said the pits were needed to mitigate crowds.
“On the weekends, we’re extremely busy, and sometimes we have two- and three-hour waits,” Woodrow said. “We were turning away a lot of people so we decided to add three more pits to hopefully manage that when people come in on the weekends.”
The Woodrows rented the other half of the building they use to operate Ax-Caliber, which also functions as a restaurant and coffee house. With the expansion, Ax-Caliber totals 13,000 square feet nearly double its opening square footage. The unused space will be transformed into The Range: A Virtual Experience, the county’s first virtual gun range. The Woodrows originally wanted to open a gun range before going with their ax-throwing venture.
At The Range, customers will hold realistic fake guns fitted with lasers used to shoot at a projection on the screen in multiple gameplay modes. There will be four shooting lanes that can accommodate up to four shooters each, Kraig said. While the guns are non-lethal, they will have the weight and recoil of real weapons.
He added that while the main focus of The Range will be recreational, customers could also learn how to shoot in a concealed carry class or space could be used for training purposes for local police agencies.
The Range’s projected opening is in late August or early September. While guests will be able to walk through Ax-Caliber’s current space to access it, there will also be another entrance and lounge area on the other side of the building.
The Woodrows are hoping their expansion will help them keep the 60 to 80 customers they say walk away each weekend because of long waits.
“We really want to keep our customers here in downtown Lakeland,” Joyce said. “We don’t want them to walk out the door and go find some other place to play. We want them to play here.”