Jay Stogsdill is ready to make his dream come true with a diverse business venture that brings one of the hottest recreation trends to Allen County — ax throwing.
“It’s a fun activity that’s kind of like bowling was in the past,” he said.
But his business will be much more than that. He plans to open a restaurant and bar, a retail gun store and, eventually, an indoor firing range. The business will be located just south of Iola on the old highway toward Humboldt.
He plans to name the business Liberty Landing.
For years, Stogsdill, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, imagined opening a retail gun store.
“It’s something I’ve always been interested in. I’ve spent quite a bit of time around guns,” he said.
As he started to develop a business model, Stogsdill realized he needed to diversify his revenue stream.
A restaurant made the most sense. His wife, Sarah, owns a food truck and catering business, Simply Delicious, with her partner Jenni Ware. This allows them to settle into a brick-and-mortar store.
“We want to put down some roots instead of just a food truck,” Stogsdill explained. He’s usually the one who drives the truck and works in it. “It’s a lot of work.”
NEXT, Stogsdill envisioned an ax-throwing business.
Indoor ax throwing as a recreational activity began in Canada and has been growing in popularity in the U.S. in recent years. Think of it as extreme darts — it takes skill and the right equipment to hurl a hatchet at a wooden target.
Ax throwing is an activity his entire family enjoys. The Stogsdills have four daughters, and they’ll all visit an ax-throwing range sometimes when looking for a different kind of adventure for birthdays or during trips to places such as Kansas City. But on a weekend, it can be difficult to find an open lane.
“I think the appeal is that there is a little bit of danger, but it’s generally safe,” he said.
“If you sit down in the restaurant and watch, you’ll see it isn’t so bad and it’s a lot of fun.”
The business will feature six ax-throwing lanes with a see-through divider between them and the restaurant, to allow guests to share in the fun but minimize noise.
STOGSDILL hopes to have the business open by late fall.
