Ax-Caliber, first ax-throwing venue in Polk County, opens in Lakeland with coffeehouse – The Ledger

Maya Lora|The Ledger

How to throw an axe

Plaid & Timber Axe Throwing Company's co-owner shows the proper form for a one-handed throw.

LAKELAND For their 33rd wedding anniversary, Joyce and Kraig Woodrow decided on a grand, if strange,gift for one another: their very own ax-throwing venue.

Ax-Caliber is the first ax-throwing joint in Polk County. The new business features a combination caf and restaurant, 14 ax-throwing lanes, two pool tables and other assorted games. You have to be at least 18 years old to throw, or 14 with a parent or guardian present.

While axthrowing has found a home in Orlando and Tampa, Joyce Woodrow thinks the coffeehouse and restaurant additions make Ax-Caliber unique.

"You're not really going to find something like this anywhere, I don't think, in the state of Florida," Woodrow, 64,said. "We just want to be different. We just think it'd be kind of, you know, iconic to have something like this which nobody else has."

Ax-Caliber, on East Orange Street near the 214 S. Tennessee Ave. parking garage, has been in its soft opening phase since Nov. 20. The grand opening is Friday.

Originally, the Woodrows were looking to open an indoor gun range that would have featured a few ax-throwing lanes. They were inspired by Kraig's twin brother, 59,who owns a gun range and ax-throwing business in New Jersey.

An uptick in shootings a few years ago made it impossible for the Woodrows to get bank cooperation on the idea, so they nixed it. The business venture was reborn as Ax-Caliber, where customers can throw axes supervised by an expert to their heart's content while sipping coffee, beer and wine.

And on Tuesday night, first-time customers had nothing but rave reviews.

"You can have fun while doing something and hanging out, you know what I'm saying," said Aaron Reese, 26. "It's not just sitting still. It's actually being interactive and stuff and not just sitting here, getting tired of talking."

Reese was throwing with his wife and two local friends. They all loved the food and coffee and said they'd definitely want to visit again. And their advice? Throwing the axis much more about the way you flick your wrist than the muscle you put into the act.

Even though Dixieland residentDavid Leslie, 50, built his son a place at home to throw axes and knives, he was still willing to pay to do it at Ax-Caliber with Sam Leslie, 18. The two split their timeinside between axthrowing and games of pool while munching on a pretzel and loaded fries, the latter of which they especially recommend.

The venue has drawn business interest. Joyce Woodrow said her December is pretty much booked up with corporate Christmas parties.

The "caliber" part of the name may seem a leftover from the abandoned gun range butit actually comes from the family-owned Caliber Coffee. The Woodrows have operated Caliber Coffee exclusivelyonline for the past four years. But now, you can snag bags of beans or a crafted drink at the caf situated in the front of Ax-Caliber.

While it mightmake them unique, the coffeehouse portion of Ax-Caliber calls for early mornings and late nights for the Woodrows. They open at 7 a.m. most mornings (except for Sundays, where they roll in at 10a.m.) and operate until 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Joyce Woodrow said the owner of the building always wanted to see a coffeehouse down below so workers in the area wouldn't have to trek into downtown for a morning cup of joe.

"And we're like, we got that," Woodrow said. "So they took a chance on us because they thought this would be pretty epic here in Lakeland and Polk County."

Ax-Caliber was originally slated for an August opening. But coronavirus-related delays in shipping equipment kept pushing the opening back until the Woodrows decided to just get some version of the venue open before the holidays.

As of now, customers are encouraged to wear masks, there are paper ones available for free at the front, and employees are masked up. But you will not be asked to leave if you don't want to wear a mask until you get to your table or throwing lane. It's a position many businesses have taken without a citywide mask mandate to guide them.

While she has long-term plansto expand into other locations, Joyce Woodrow wants to focus on building up this first spot and making it a place where everyone feels welcome, good and safe, despite the effects of COVID-19. And throughout the night, she seemed to make good on her promise of a welcoming environment, greeting each customer that walked in and asking every customer about their experience on the way out.

"It's a dream of ours that we wanted for a long time and it happened and I still can't believe it," Woodrow said. "And I go home every night crying and I look at my husband and I'm like, it's actually happened! And I cry and God is good. He's truly blessed us."

Maya Lora can be reached at mlora@gannett.com or 863-802-7558.

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Ax-Caliber, first ax-throwing venue in Polk County, opens in Lakeland with coffeehouse - The Ledger