TIMBER Axe Bar & Bowl Officially Opens Its Doors
The Upper Cape’s first axe-throwing bar, located just off Main Street in Town Hall Square in Falmouth, opened to the public last weekend.
Talk of TIMBER Axe Bar & Bowl has been buzzing around town since word of the idea got out last summer. Standing on the site of what was formerly Ryan Family Amusements, which closed in 2020, the establishment was purchased by local developer Mark Bogosian under Bogosian Development, LLC in March 2021.
“When Ryan Family Amusements closed, we realized there was an opportunity to maintain the charm of the old bowling alley while incorporating something new and exciting,” said Michael Mueller, one of TIMBER’s business partners. Mr. Mueller told the select board last year that he had tried axe throwing while out of state, which was how the idea for TIMBER was born.
“This is inspired by some of the more fun entertainment facilities throughout the country, something the Cape has nothing like,” he told the Enterprise. “And we’re not just giving someone a pair of bowling shoes and an axe. This is an environment where you can spend hours of fun. It’s about creating a place that I’m excited to bring to my hometown.”
TIMBER is set to be a place for families and friends from all over to enjoy, Mr. Mueller said. Whether it is their final destination or just a stop along the way for a snack and a drink, TIMBER aims to have something that will appeal to everybody.
“It’s a great place to go whether you’re waiting for a table for another restaurant downtown or want to have food and drinks while bowling with your friends and family,” said Mr. Mueller’s business partner, Jacob Avakian.
To welcome new customers this week and weekend, TIMBER is offering a free 30-minute session of either axe throwing or bowling. At TIMBER, patrons will have the ability to rent a lane for either axe throwing or bowling, which are located on opposite ends of the building. Two axe-throwing lanes are for single throwers and three are for doubles, making a total of eight lanes. Patrons will be able to rent the lanes for a certain amount of time and be able to work with certified axe attendants to learn basic techniques and safety procedures, as safety is paramount at TIMBER.
The bar has a full menu of craft cocktails and local bites to snack on as well, prepared mostly in local kitchens by TIMBER’s many community partners. Casual dining favorites are on the menu, with highlights including a lobster roll, focaccia flatbread and pulled pork sandwiches.
“We don’t have a large kitchen so a lot of it is just easy prep items, nothing that goes too deep into fryolators or too greasy foods like that,” TIMBER general manager Devan Muttard said. “A lot of it is just clean, good eats; high-quality food from local kitchens and businesses.”
A list of local beers and specialty crafted cocktails will be available as well. The goal, Mr. Muttard said, has been to create a menu of drinks that are both fun and wholly Cape Cod, encapsulating the summery vibe that the region has to offer. The Smoking Strike Martini, for example, will combine lemon and basil vodkas with champagne, blueberries and dry ice for a smoky summery cocktail.
“We’re doing a lot with dry ice; it’s going to be smoky fun cocktails, a lot of fruit,” Mr. Muttard said. “We’re just looking for fun drinks—both that go with the people here on Cape Cod and the atmosphere that the summer brings. A lot of people that come down in the summertime aren’t local and are looking for a fun experience, so we’re just trying to incorporate that and be a little different. That’s something that I think is important: everything we do, we want to be fun.”
Live music will also be added to the mix in the future, Mr. Muttard said, but that will take some time as TIMBER would like to have all of the necessary equipment in-house.
“We’ll see how it goes and what develops, what fun things the people enjoy,” he said. “We’re open to it all. We’re open to continuing to grow and make this a really fun place. We really want it to be a special, fun place for everybody.”
Being such a niche offering, TIMBER partners are hoping to attract a whole new demographic of people looking for enjoyable on-Cape activities that appeal to the whole family. TIMBER even proved to be a great place to watch the Celtics game last Sunday, and partners are hoping to continue that momentum to host more viewing parties as the series continues.
The team that has worked to bring TIMBER to where it is now is made up entirely of locals, Mr. Muttard said, which played a big part in shaping the culture of the bar.
“You have your local Kings and stuff like that over the bridge in Plymouth, but that’s a drive for most people on-Cape and the atmosphere there is definitely different from the local feeling that you might get when you walk in here,” Mr. Muttard said. “In a way, I’d say it’s definitely filling a void.”
TIMBER will be open this weekend from 4 PM to midnight. Information on axe throwing and bowling, as well as current food and drink menus, can be found at www.timberaxbarbowl.com.