Local Shop Combines Ax Throwing, Archery, Alcohol Under One Roof

BOLINGBROOK, IL — After visiting all the ax-throwing facilities in the Chicagoland area, Eric Eggersdorfer took a whack at his own version of the business, focusing on creating the safest possible environment for the customer.

It seems to be working out. Master Axe is opening a new, larger facility in Bolingbrook Saturday, after being located in Downers Grove for the past year.

Master Axe, at 623 E. Boughton Road, is home to ax-throwing lanes and an archery facility that also serves alcohol. It’s the only one of its kind in the Chicagoland area, according to 23-year-old Eggersdorfer, the business’s owner.

“If you’ve never done it or you haven’t been there, it sounds scary, and I’m not blind to that,” he said. “At one point in time, I wanted nothing to do with ax throwing; I just thought it was dangerous and then I actually saw it and how responsible people were and how safe you can make it. … I was always opposed to the idea until we actually did it.”

In terms of safety, seating is on the side of the throwing lanes instead of behind them, and whoever is throwing is in an enclosed space. Eggersdorfer said customers are encouraged not to get their axes while someone is throwing. But if they still do, there are walls to protect them from other flying axes.

“I’m explaining some of the things that we’ve done to make it 10 times safer than anything else, because I do believe it is dangerous, and it’s something that a lot of people aren’t used to because every other facility is, in my opinion, designed flawed,” he said.

The building houses four ax-throwing lanes, as opposed to the 12 lanes typical at other locations. Opening it up allowed for more safety precautions, especially with alcohol involved, Eggersdorfer said.

Safety and the customer experience are the top two things on Eggersdorfer’s mind when it comes to his business, he said. To him, the customer “is everything.”

Two months prior to COVID-19 hitting the area, Master Axe opened in Downers Grove with only three ax-throwing lanes. When the business was able to be open during the course of the pandemic, Eggersdorfer was the one running things, and he said he took every chance he got to ask customers for their feedback.

“We’ve got hundreds and hundreds of reviews, and there’s not a single four-star review out there from Downers Grove,” Eggersdorfer said. “That’s probably one of the things I’m most proud of, and I credit that to just shutting up and listening to the customer.”

Some things customers suggested were getting a liquor license and adding an archery facility, so when his lease was up and he moved to the Bolingbrook Promenade, Eggersdorfer made those requests a reality.

“With COVID and everything that happened, this was kind of a Hail Mary,” he said. “Although it wasn’t necessarily the perfect time to do it, it was kind of like a now-or-never-type deal.”

Eggersdorfer had the thought to open an array of ax-throwing spots to fund his own haunted house. As a kid, he would volunteer at local not-for-profit haunted houses and dream of owning his own. But he fell in love with ax throwing along the way. While he said there are still obstacles to owning his own haunted house, he might still pursue that dream in the future, but for now is focused on Master Axe.

Since alcohol and axes can be a lethal combination if done poorly — something Eggersdorfer acknowledged — the owner said he worked with the village to regulate the offerings. The result: only wine and beer are for sale at Master Axe, and customers are limited to how many drinks they can purchase.

If you’re there for one hour, you can have two drinks, and if you're there for two hours, you can have three drinks.

Eggersdorfer said some places have licenses that allow people to bring their own alcohol, but he didn’t go that route since he wanted to be able to monitor how much people drink to keep things under control.

“People are coming here for some sort of an experience,” he said. “The response from our customers and the community has been awesome, especially in Downers Grove. … [Archery and alcohol is] really ultimately what everyone’s been asking for.”

To celebrate the new Bolingbrook location, Eggersdorfer said there will be free ax throwing all day at the facility, and customers can enter a raffle to win $1,000.

One-hour ax-throwing bookings, with up to 10 people per lane, cost $19 per person Sunday through Friday and $24 per person Saturdays. One hour of archery, with up to six people per lane, costs $24 per person each day.

Those interested can reserve a spot for Saturday’s grand opening or learn more about the business at its official website.