- December 25, 2024
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Updated April 21 to correct the name of the co-owner, which is Jeremy Pombier.
Jeremy Pombier, Tony Russo and David Kimble already owned one restaurant together — the Portugal Wine Bar & Grill in the Island Walk Shopping Center.
They realized there weren't a lot of entertainment options in the county, and there also weren't many high-end steakhouses.
That's how the idea for the Tomahawk Tavern originated.
"We wanted to bring the axe throwing concept to town," Pombier said.
The tavern opened in October at 2535 N. State St., Bunnell, in the building that was most recently the Moose Lodge.
"We took over the lease, updated the kitchen and built out the axe room," Pombier said.
The sound-proof axe room is 30 feet by 30 feet and has six lanes. Four people are allowed to share a lane. Each target has a digital display in which customers can select duck hunting, zombie heads, tic-tac-toe, Connect 4 or a normal target.
"A lot of people relate (the digital display) to the Topgolf experience," Pombier said.
The axes are about 17 inches long and weigh between 1 to 2 pounds, Pombier said.
There are axe throwing coaches, and staff that will show you how to operate the computer.
You must be at least 14 years old to throw axes at the Tomahawk, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. All participants must sign a waiver before entering the room. Price options include $10 for 15 minutes of axe throwing, $15 for 30 minutes or $20 for an hour. The 15-minute rate was added recently.
"Axe throwing has been a big hit so far."
JEREMY TOMBIER, co-owner of Tomahawk Tavern
"Axe throwing has been a big hit so far," Pombier said. "That's why we added the 15-minute option."
The tavern has been very popular during the six months it has been open. But the ownership has also experienced some snags.
They recently closed for a few days after firing their head chef because of internal issues, and three cooks left with the chef, Pombier said. They hired new executive chef Matt Kross and also added a new general manager, Joe Russo.
"We had a few hiccups," Pombier said. "We have new management now. We decided it was better to close down for a few days and get everybody trained up to speed rather than learn on the fly. We paid the staff while we were closed."
On the Tomahawk Tavern's Facebook page, one woman commented that she made a reservation for her husband's surprise birthday party and was never informed that the restaurant would be closed that day.
"We're reaching out to her," Pombier said. "We're going to make it right. (The reservation) fell through the cracks, which is why we're going through the changes we're going through."
The tavern's building has been sold, and the tavern owners are now on their second set of landlords. The building needs new roofing. They are waiting on materials, Pombier said.
While the restaurant has a new chef, the menu, which features a variety of burgers and steaks and a peach bourbon glazed pork chop, hasn't changed.
Burgers and sandwiches start at $14.95. The most expensive entree on the menu is the Tomahawk Tavern Titan (32-ounce) Ribeye with three sides for $79.95.
Pombier said they are looking into adding a lunch menu with some faster and less expensive items.