Sports bars, brewpubs, and craft breweries have struggled for a variety of reasons since the Covid-19 pandemic, including declining foot traffic and rising costs of products and labor, driven by inflation.
In some cases, an establishment closes for a mysterious, undisclosed reason.
Axe-throwing sports bar chain Dueling Axes has closed all of its locations as a result of circumstances outside of the company’s control, according to WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio.
Dueling Axes closes all locations
The company did not indicate what circumstances caused it to shut down all five locations as of July 31.
A spokesperson for Dueling Axes was no immediately available for comment.
“The closures resulted from circumstances outside our control and we are deeply saddened that our eight-year journey has ended this way,” Dueling Axes said in a statement. “For now, founders Paul and Jess are focused on responsibly wrapping up the company’s operations and moving forward into their next chapter.”
The Columbus-based axe-throwing sports bar chain has not filed for bankruptcy at last check, and the owners have not revealed their future plans.
Axe-throwing bar opened in 2018
Dueling Axes was founded in 2018 by co-owners Jess Hellmich and Paul Sherry in Downtown Columbus. The sports bar consisted of axe-throwing lanes with targets, separated by netted barriers to protect participants, a full bar, and plenty of, mounted large format television screens for sports fans to watch their games.
The axe-throwing sports bar also opened locations in New Albany, Ohio, and Las Vegas in December 2020, Grove City, Ohio in July 2025 and Cincinnati in August 2025, according to WCMH.
The Downtown Columbus location didn’t sell food, but allowed outside food to be brought in. Other locations had kitchens, such as the Cincinnati Dueling Axes, which offered axe-throwing deals with a food menu that included flatbread pizzas, Cuban sandwiches, Paninis, and appetizers such as nachos and tots, according to its website.
Farewell messages from owners
The Dueling Axes New Albany webpage posted a closing message for customers:
“This location has permanently closed. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our New Albany/Hamilton Quarter location,” the message read.
“We are incredibly grateful to every guest, team member, neighbor, and partner who supported this location over the years. Thank you for choosing us for your nights out, celebrations, team events, birthdays, date nights, and everything in between.
“Thank you, New Albany. We appreciate your support more than you know,” the message concluded.
Dueling Axes posted a similar farewell message on its Las Vegas webpage, but its Columbus, Grove City, and Cincinnati webpages did not include messages.
While Dueling Axes has not given a reason for shutting down its axe-throwing bars, many other alcoholic beverage businesses have blamed declining alcohol consumption for their economic woes.
There is no indication that declining consumption was the reason for Dueling Axes’ closing.
Alcohol consumption declines
A Gallup annual Consumption Habits survey, conducted in July 7-21, 2025, found that that the percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest level by one percentage point in nearly 90 years, according to the public opinion survey company.
Gallup has tracked Americans’ drinking behavior since 1939 and their views of the health implications of moderate drinking since 2001.
At least 60% of Americans reported drinking alcohol in surveys from 1997 to 2023, with 62% saying they consumed alcohol in 2023. American consumption declined to 58% in 2024 before falling further to 54% in 2025.
The lowest American alcohol consumption level before 2025 was recorded in 1958 at 55%. The highest levels recorded between 68% and 71% were all recorded from 1974 to 1981, with the highest in 1978 at 71%.
In the craft beer industry, brewery closures in 2025 outpaced openings with 434 closing and 268 opening by mid-December, Brewbound reported.
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