Businesses are always looking for new ways to provide entertainment to the public, and that is exactly the case for Stumpy’s Hatchet House, which recently opened a location in the Springfield area of Jacksonville.
The idea for the business came about in 2015 through the most grassroot of circumstances.
Owners Stu and Kelly Josberger were living up in the Northeast and had been looking to start a new business venture.
They were hanging out at a friend’s house in the backyard when suddenly Stu started chopping wood from a tree that had fallen during Hurricane Sandy.
Eventually it led to the friends throwing the axe at a stump and the group created a game out of it and they realized how much fun it was.
“There had been a business model for it in Canada, but not in the U.S.,” Stu Josberger said.
As a result, the first location was opened in 2016 in Eatontown, New Jersey.
“Being the first in the country, we realized we quickly realized we were onto something,” Kelly Josberger said.
The sudden interest continued to grow to the point where they decided to franchise the company just one year after opening it.
“It’s pretty unheard of to franchise a business after one year, but the demand was there and it was an opportunity we could not pass up,” Stu Josberger said. “We sold 30 (locations) and built 28 in four years.”
Despite being a franchise, the Josbergers still own two of the 32 locations open across the states, with Jacksonville being one of them.
Choosing to introduce Stumpy’s to the Northeast Florida area was an easy choice for the couple, who now call Jacksonville home.
For the Josbergers, it is obvious why the business became an instant hit, because it is so unique in so many ways.
“Not many people have usually thrown a hatchet or even picked one up,” Stu Josberger said.
The hatchets used are 14 inches and the location consists of seven “pits” that have two targets each and can hold up to 10 people.
“They get super excited when they ring the bullseye bell,” Stu Josberger said.
Everyone is required to receive training prior to entering the playing whether they have experience or not.
The training not only teaches about proper throwing techniques but also gives tips and rules with safety in mind.
However, it is not just hatchet throwing that customers can take part in, but the location also has shuffleboard and giant ganga.
“We offer rustic games that help people get away from social media,” Kelly Josberger said. “They put down their electronic devices for the most part while they’re here.”
According to Stu Josberger, more than 800,000 people have gone through the 32 locations over the years with no major incidents to report.
Private and corporate team building events can be reserved at the location.
“We encourage people to try it out,” Stu Josberger said. “Once they do, we’re sure they’ll be back for more.”
For more information about the business, go to Stumpy’s social media outlets @Stumpy’s Jax on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
