30 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021
W
hen business
owners Geoff
Kretchmer and
Brian Siegel opened Detroit
Axe in Ferndale in 2017, they
knew axe-throwing would be a
hit, but they never anticipated
it to become popular enough to
eventually open a third location
just four years later.
Joining the original Ferndale
location and a newer spot in
Clinton Township’s Partridge
Creek that opened in 2019,
The Yard in Detroit’s Corktown
neighborhood is now open for
business. The 8,000-square-foot
attraction will be complete with
board games, an outdoor patio
and, of course, plenty of axe-
throwing.
“The Yard in Corktown is a
phenomenal, interactive space,
”
says Kretchmer, 54, who is also
president of event planning and
production company Star Trax.
He calls it a “combo” space,
one that will blend the original
elements of Detroit Axe (think:
axe-throwing) with a full-
fledged kitchen.
“We bought an Airstream
[trailer] and we tricked it out
in the kitchen,
” Kretchmer
continues. That means The
Yard, which has partnered
with Ruckus Taco Co., will be
serving up tacos, burrito bowls,
nachos, churros, french fries
and more straight out of the
trailer, with a full bar nearby.
Like the Ferndale facility, The
Yard will have 12 axe-throwing
lanes. It will also offer a selec-
tion of more than 500 board
games, plus fire pits for bonfires
and cornhole on its outdoor
patio.
Eventually, Kretchmer
dreams of also adding an area
for volleyball or a pool table,
making The Yard a one-stop
shop for all enter-
tainment needs.
“It’s a fun space,
”
he says, “where peo-
ple can hang out in a
comfortable setting,
kind of like a giant
tailgate.
”
BRINGING AXE-
THROWING TO
THE DETROIT
VENUE
After opening the
first Detroit Axe
location in Ferndale
and seeing the suc-
cess of axe-throw-
ing, Kretchmer and
Siegel had their
eyes set on finding
a perfect location in Detroit
proper to one day bring their
business to the city.
“We love the crowd,
”
Kretchmer says of Detroit.
“We love what has
happened to the city,
especially in the cen-
tral business district.
”
In Corktown, they
found the ideal build-
ing that Kretchmer
explains “fit their
style,
” and it just hap-
pened to be right on
Michigan Avenue,
which goes through
the heart of the neigh-
borhood.
“It just felt like
our sweet spot,
”
Kretchmer says.
While Kretchmer
runs the day-to-day
operations of the
three venues, Siegel,
who serves as CEO of the
Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit, is the
creative mind behind the busi-
ness.
OUR COMMUNITY
Come Play at The Yard
New 8,000-square-foot axe-throwing facility opens in Corktown.
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTOS BY THE YARD
Geoff Kretchmer,
top, and Brian
Siegel, above.
PHOTOS BY JOHN HARDWICK