Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Fisher.
Hi Dan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I worked in corporate America for over a decade and wound up losing my job at the start of 2019. I visited an axe throwing facility in Atlanta and thought it was really fun and potentially something that I could do even better so I wrote a business plan, found funding and opened our first store in January 2020.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For a business that opened in January 2020, it was a very challenging time to have to combat COVID-19, being required to close our doors within 3 months of when we opened. As the owner, I chose to cut my salary in half so that my employees could still pay their bills even though we were closed to the public – a decision that has helped contribute to us having zero turnovers from that staff. With business recovering very slowly, we decided to build a mobile axe throwing experience so that we could take our show on the road and provide service to customers in an outdoor setting. This decision helped allow us to provide a sales option to people who were concerned about visiting American Axes because of COVID-19.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Axe Throwing industry is erupting with new ranges opening across the country – it’s a very exciting time and we are positioning ourselves to become a larger brand with a multiple site presence, we want to be a lasting brand within the Axe Throwing community. What sets us apart is our customer experience. We really put a strong emphasis on coaching and staffing appropriately to educate new customers on how to throw axes. What tells us that we are successful is when customers return to visit us again.
Opening a second location in the Atlanta market is going to be a huge step for us, it will be our first attempt in a heavy retail location and with access to excellent food and beverage, we will be uniquely positioned to offer something that no other axe throwing range in the area can offer. Getting here has not been easy, especially with the pandemic happening in our first year of business. Growth was slowed tremendously because of the Pandemic, but the goal of growth within the Atlanta market is something that we are extremely proud to accomplish in opening a second store and will hopefully accelerate our opportunities in the future.
In the process of growing, treating potential partners with respect and taking many sales calls have been things that we have done. We may not end up purchasing a product, but if there is a chance that someone might have a product that can make our business better, we will at least consider it.
Treating job applicants with respect is another thing that we are proud of. We may have had to say no to hundreds of people, but when we do, we invite them to come to our store to throw axes for free to get to know more about us. We ended up hiring an employee that way and made a few new fans of our business in showing that we cared enough to offer more than sending a cold auto reply.
I want the world to know that American Axes goal as a business is to create fans of axe throwing – we want to transition our customers from being curious about trying something new to enjoying the game enough to do it again and again. Axe Throwing is easier to learn the basics when compared to bowling or driving ranges and because of that, we believe it will continue to grow. Our experience will always be around the basis of proving to our customers that Axe Throwing is Safe, Easy & Fun and an activity that is repeatable.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Our employees deserve a tremendous amount of credit for where American Axes is today. Our best-in-class experience makes us stand out in an increasingly crowded market for the entertainment dollar. I am very thankful to our staff for having fun every day and making a difficult time in America much easier because of the community we have at work.
Pricing:
- Costs start at $25 per person for 1 hour of axe throwing
- VIP Room Experiences with two targets and different types of axes (up to 12 people) start at $240/hr
Contact Info:
- Email: info@american-axes.com
- Website: https://american-axes.com/
- Instagram: @americanaxes
- Facebook: @americanaxes
- Twitter: @americanaxes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KNRETWeAsfKT8NbjrimZQ
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/american-axes-marietta?osq=Axe+Throwing
Image Credits:
Jordan Lentz
