PHOTOS BY THE YARD
OUR COMMUNITY
Come Play at The Yard New 8,000-square-foot axe-throwing facility opens in Corktown. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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NOVEMBER 4 • 2021
He calls it a “combo” space, one that will blend the original elements of Detroit Axe (think: axe-throwing) with a fullfledged 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 selection 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
“We love what has happened to the city, especially in the central business district.” In Corktown, they found the ideal building that Kretchmer explains “fit their style,” and it just happened to be right on BRINGING AXEMichigan Avenue, THROWING TO which goes through THE DETROIT the heart of the neighVENUE borhood. After opening the “It just felt like first Detroit Axe our sweet spot,” location in Ferndale Kretchmer says. and seeing the sucWhile Kretchmer cess of axe-throwGeoff Kretchmer, runs the day-to-day ing, Kretchmer and top, and Brian operations of the Siegel had their Siegel, above. three venues, Siegel, eyes set on finding who serves as CEO of the a perfect location in Detroit Jewish Community Center of proper to one day bring their Metropolitan Detroit, is the business to the city. creative mind behind the busi“We love the crowd,” ness. Kretchmer says of Detroit. shop for all entertainment needs. “It’s a fun space,” he says, “where people can hang out in a comfortable setting, kind of like a giant tailgate.”
PHOTOS BY JOHN HARDWICK
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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 axethrowing. “The Yard in Corktown is a phenomenal, interactive space,” says Kretchmer, 54, who is also president of event planning and production company Star Trax.
