Rich Berberian throws an axe at Big Dog's Mobile Axe Throwing as patrons celebrate Locktoberfest at Lock City Brewing Co. Saturday, September 25, 2021, in Stamford, Conn.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut MediaMILFORD — The city will soon feature a nine-lane axe-throwing lounge after the Planning and Zoning Board approved the application on Tuesday.
The new business will be located at 975 Bridgeport Ave. and occupy 2,832 square feet of the existing shopping center. The center already houses Kim’s Yami Sushi, Dragon 168 Chinese Restaurant, Viola Wine and Liquor Store and the Iglesia Fuego y Uncion church.
Jonathan Klein, attorney representing applicant Leonard Alterio, said axe-throwing lounges have become more prevalent in the state and around the country.
“I can analogize axe-throwing to darts, except you are using a hatchet instead of a dart,” Klein said. “It’s not the kind of hatchet that you would use to chop wood. It’s not as sharp, and these things are designed specifically for this activity.”
The hatchets are about 12 inches, and throwers aim at a wooden target, Alterio said.
“There are rubber mats on the bottom, on the sides and on the top, so there’s not going to be any recoil or ricochet back at a patron that is throwing it,” he said. “It’s going drop to the ground.”
The plan for the axe-throwing lounge is to have four people per lane, a total of 40 patrons at a time, with an open waiting area. The majority of the floor space is dedicated to the throwing lanes.
The lounge is primarily going to be an evening use with the proposed hours Wednesday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
Klein said the lounge also could feature a shooting simulator similar to the training devices police use.
“There are no firearms involved,” he said.
Klein noted Alterio is a police officer from Bridgeport with almost 24 years of experience.
“Safety, security and consciousness are uppermost in his mind,” he said. “It just so happens that his wife is a nurse so safety and health are important to them.”
The topic of parking came up in the meeting since four other tenants are currently located in the shopping center.
Klein said the center has 41 parking spaces for the six tenants. He said that should be “plenty sufficient” for what’s planned.
“All these other uses are in-and-out uses,” added Klein. “There are the two take-out places, the wine and liquor store and infrequently used church space. Because of the in-and-out use here, there’s going to be very little overlapping with the proposed use of the axe-throwing lounge.”