The axe-throwing trend is coming to LaFayette, where local residents Brian and Kim Carlock are opening That Axe Throwing Place in the town's newly revitalized Mars Theatre District.
"It's really just a way to get people to stay in LaFayette and come back to LaFayette and reinvest in the community," Kim Carlock said of That Axe Throwing Place, which they expect to open in about a month.
The business will be located inside the two vacant storefronts to the right of the Mars Theater and will be opened in two phases, with the storefront on the right containing six axe-throwing lanes opening first. Eventually, they will connect the two storefronts, and with the extra space they will add more games such as darts and cornhole.
They envision the business providing entertainment to a variety of age groups, where area residents could host a birthday party for 8- to 12-year-olds on a Saturday morning, couples could go after dinner at Station House for a date night or families could spend time together on a Sunday afternoon.
Eventually, the business will host tournaments and leagues for people who want to get a little more competitive with their axe-throwing, Brian Carlock said.
While they plan to serve alcohol if city ordinances are changed, they stressed that the business is family-oriented and not a bar.
This is the couple's fourth business in Walker County, where they also own LaFayette Nutrition and That's so Mimi Boutique in downtown LaFayette as well as Chickamauga Nutrition in Chickamauga.
"We want to keep money in LaFayette," Kim Carlock said. "The downtown is really growing in the city, so we want to keep reinvesting here and watch the city keep growing."
The city has applied for grants that have money earmarked for building sidewalks to connect the square in downtown LaFayette to the Mars Theatre District, where the Carlocks and Robert Wardlaw, who owns the buildings in the district, plan to build a stage to hold concerts in the outdoor space behind the storefronts. Wardlaw also plans to open a barbecue restaurant in the district.
Originally from Rome, Georgia, she moved to Walker County 12 years ago when she married Brian Carlock. The couple has lived in LaFayette for about four years with their 8-year-old son, and his 18- and 23-year-old sons live in the area as well.
"It's important to me that we have a place for people to go," Kim Carlock said. "When our kids grow up we want them to come back here and we want them to love LaFayette and give back to the city of LaFayette by opening businesses here and having families here and working here."
They said they feel there is a renewed interest in supporting local businesses with the COVID-19 pandemic, with people wanting to stay closer to home as well as help their area businesses to survive the economic downturn.
The first check the couple plans to write from That Axe Place's business account will go to support local youth sports, Kim Carlock said, as they are passionate about LaFayette schools and sports programs in addition to the city's business community.
That Axe Throwing Place will be located at 119 N. Chattanooga St. in LaFayette. For more information visit the business's Facebook page.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.