How much does a Axe Throwing Venue cost to buy?

A typical Axe Throwing Venue sells for 1.5x to 3.5x seller's discretionary earnings. With estimated SDE of $103K, expect to pay roughly $154K to $360K before adjustments for assets, debt, growth, and local market quality.

How much does it cost to start a Axe Throwing Venue?

Startup costs range from $80K to $300K depending on location, equipment, and scale.

Physical

Axe Throwing Venue

The bar that fights back — $468K/year from people chucking axes

Bottom line

Worth studying, but do not buy without strong local proof.

Axe throwing venues charge $25–$40/person per hour to hurl axes at wooden targets in supervised lanes. The sport exploded from zero venues in 2016 to over 400 in North America by 2024, generating an estimated $300M in industry revenue. The model is a hybrid of entertainment venue and bar — group events, corporate team-building, and bachelor/bachelorette parties drive peak revenue. A 10-lane venue operating at 50% capacity can generate ~$468K/year before alcohol upsells, which can add 20–30% more.

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Acquisition score

Margin · multiple · SBA data

59Strong

Avg revenue

$468K/yr

$200K–$800K range

Profit margin

22%

~$103K SDE

Multiple

1.5–3.5×

of SDE

Est. buy price

$154K–$360K

startup: $80K–$300K

How It Works

Customers book lanes (usually 1–2 hours) via online reservation software. Trained 'axe coaches' supervise each session, handle safety briefings, and keep the energy high. Revenue comes from lane fees, group event packages, alcohol sales (where licensed), merchandise, and league memberships. Corporate team-building events are the highest-margin bookings — often $1,000–$5,000 per group with minimal marginal cost.

BizBite verdict

Worth underwriting

Axe Throwing Venue has enough high-level data for a first look, but BizBite has not assigned a category-specific operating model yet. Treat the score as preliminary.

59Strong

medium data confidence · 52/100medium financing fit

Why it may work

+SBA dataset shows 66 recent comparable loans

Be careful

!Source link status has not been verified yet
!No last-checked date yet
!No category operating model yet

SBA 7(a) data

Real acquisitions in this category

Change-of-ownership loans · NAICS 713990 · All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries

Deals tracked

141

66 in last 24 mo

Median loan

$603K

$233K–$1.6M p25–p75

Implied deal size

$709K

median · ~85% LTV

Charge-off rate

—

not enough resolved loans

Deal size distribution

<$150K

$150K–500K

$500K–1M

$1M–2M

>$2M

Deal flow over time

12-month momentum

−11.4%

deal volume vs prior 12 mo

Median loan Δ

+12.9%

31 recent · 35 prior

Financing profile

Median rate

9.50%

15% fixed · last 24 mo

Median term

120 mo

standard 10-yr

Collateralized

of loans secured

Median jobs

supported per deal

Top lenders in this space

Live Oak Banking Company10

The Huntington National Bank9

Northwest Bank6

Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company4

First Internet Bank of Indiana4

Where deals happen

TX12

MN9

OH7

GA6

NJ6

MI6

PA5

CO5

WA5

IN5

Franchise vs independent

Franchised acquisitions finance at $854K median vs $506K for independents — a +69% franchise premium. Franchises make up 23% of deals tracked.

Recent comparable deals

Closed	State	Loan	Implied deal	Jobs	Franchise
Mar 2026	NJ	$350K	$412K	—	—
Mar 2026	PA	$335K	$394K	8	—
Feb 2026	CO	$970K	$1.1M	—	—
Jan 2026	NJ	$3.9M	$4.6M	—	—
Jan 2026	MI	$4.6M	$5.4M	8	—
Jan 2026	NJ	$5M	$5.9M	70	—
Jan 2026	IL	$60K	$71K	2	—
Jan 2026	AZ	$5M	$5.9M	126	—
Jan 2026	PA	$567K	$667K	3	Altitude Trampoline Park
Jan 2026	KY	$483K	$569K	10	—

Volume rank #55/544Deal-size rank #323/544Momentum rank #215p90 loan: $2.8MData as of Mar 2026

Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA dataset, filtered to acquisitions (loans where business age is "Change of Ownership"). Implied deal size assumes an 85% loan-to-purchase ratio, a common SBA change-of-ownership structure. Charge-off rate shown only when 10+ loans have resolved (paid in full or charged off). Interest rates reflect last 24 months only. Actual deal values vary with equity injections, seller financing, and working capital terms.

Deal Calculator

Priced off $103K SDE — can this deal service its own debt?

2.89×

DSCR · Lender-comfortable

Purchase multiple — 2.5× SDE ($255K)

Category range: 1.5×–3.5× SDE

Down payment — 10% ($26K)

SBA minimum equity injection is 10% for change-of-ownership

Interest rate — 9.50%

SBA median for this category: 9.5%

Loan term — 10 years

SBA median for this category: 120 months

Purchase price

$255K

2.5× of $103K SDE

Cash to close

$33K

$26K down + ~3% closing

Debt service

$3K/mo

$36K/yr on $230K loan

Cash-on-cash

203%

cash back in ~6 mo

Debt service coverage · what the lender sees

2.89×+$6K/mo after debt

Most SBA lenders want ≥1.25× coverage; 1.5×+ is a strong file.

SDE = revenue × margin estimate for this niche; it includes owner compensation, so budget your salary out of cash flow. Excludes working-capital injection, capex reserves, and taxes. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower.

Pros

+Strong group booking revenue — one corporate event can fill a Tuesday night
+Alcohol upsells add 20–30% on top of lane fees
+Social media-friendly — customers market it for you
+Low recurring inventory costs once axes and targets are purchased

Cons

-Fixed overhead is punishing — $191K+/year before you throw a single axe
-Heavily weekend/evening dependent — low weekday utilization is common
-Liability insurance and safety compliance add complexity
-The novelty factor means you must actively drive repeat visits with leagues and events

Best For

Hospitality-minded operators with event sales skills in mid-size cities with limited entertainment options

Operating Costs

Major costs: rent ($8K–$20K/month for 5,000–10,000 sq ft), 3–6 staff per shift, axes and target replacement (about 34% of revenue), liability insurance ($15K–$30K/year), and booking software. Alcohol license adds $2K–$20K depending on state.