The CEO of a local recreational axe-throwing company said they do hope to locate on Norman Street in Everett, and are excited to bring the newest trend in social activity to one of the hottest areas of Everett.
He also said they might seek a liquor license for the establishment, which he hopes to have up and running by April.
“We do hope to have our building permit this week,” said Greg DiLullo of Revolution Axe Throwing, formerly Patriot Axe Throwing. “We’ve been to City Hall to talk about our plan, and we’ve been talking to officials about seeking a liquor license and how they would feel about that.”
DiLullo said he and several friends happened upon the sport of axe throwing some years ago on a trip to Toronto, as it is very popular in Canada. As they ruminated on the trip, they felt like they might be able to be the first local group to bring axe throwing to Boston. Having spent a great deal of time in the Fermentation District at Night Shift, Bone Up and Short Path, they felt like they had found the perfect place for their venture.
Working with landlord Gerry Berberian, they have secured a space next to the SkyZone in a warehouse on Norman Street, where they plan to build out 10 lanes for axe throwing, and install partitions between the lanes and all of the other things necessary to have a first-class facility.
DiLullo said many young people and working professionals seek out physical activities when away from work – which often includes working with technology, computers and cell phones. Some of the other activities they seek out, he said, are shuffleboard and rock climbing. He said one of the reasons that the breweries are so popular is that they offer games and trivia and social activities, along with the beer.
That, he said, is why having beer is a piece of the business they’d like to offer, but one that has many in the City wary – as hoisting axes and drinking alcohol seem to go against every natural convention.
Yet, at the same time, DiLullo said it’s not the emphasis, and axe-throwing venues have not logged any major incidents as a result of mixing the two.
“Drinking is not going to be the focus,” he said. “The focus is going to be axe throwing…It’s crazy, but it’s a lot of fun. People have fun when they do it. It’s a great way to get together with friends and meet new people…The gist is that we want to bring a fun new activity and a fun new community to Everett. While we want people to have fun, safety is going to be our top priority. We will have coaches on staff to supervise people and teach them the sport in a safe manner. We want people to be able to have a beer if they want to, but that’s not going to be the main part of this space. The first thing is axe throwing…It’s actually not as dangerous as people think.”
DiLullo said they are surveying the area before applying for any such license, but they said they are confident that it won’t conflict in the way that people initially think.
Beyond that, he said he is really excited to be coming to Everett with the business.
He said the Village area and Air Force Road have become such a fun place to be, and they are excited to be in on the ground floor. Living in Malden and Brookline previously, he had never really been to Everett until visiting the breweries. Now, he said he’s there all the time and hopes to make it the home for his new business.
“I never thought I’d be going to Everett,” he said. “I lived in Brookline and Malden, and now I live in Boston. It wasn’t somewhere I went. Now the amount of times I’m in Everett is amazing. I’m there two times a week if not more. It’s amazing what’s happened there.”
For more information, visit www.revolutionaxe.com.