Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Vann.
Hi Zach, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Began as a date night with another couple and had a ton of fun. A few weeks later, Zach joined a league at another axe house. He told Alexsha he wanted to open an axe house because there weren’t any entertainment options nearby, so she said “go for it”. – – Zach was born and raised in Houston, and there was always things to do. Moving to Ellis County we had limited options and we saw this as a problem for all.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
– The pandemic slowed the timeline for opening, as the building that the Midlothian location is in was not yet constructed. We waited months then were plagued with more construction delays due to leaking/flooding during storms.
– Business was booming our first year due to the excitement. We learned our high and low seasons through experience – marketing was a new area to us, and we are self-taught.
– The axe throwing community is supportive. We have other axe houses that have assisted us with set up, running our large tournaments, and sharing successful business practices.
– Juggling our full time careers (Zach- Director of Health Health, Safety, and Envirniment for a wireline (oil/gas) company, Alexsha- Behavior Analyst providing therapy for Autistic individuals) and owning a business has been one of the continuous bumps in our road. We are an owner-operated venue as we believe owner involvement is the difference in success and failure
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
– Most known for: What are we known for: in the axe throwing community we are a highly regarded venue. We host tournaments, with our most recent being a National Tournament attracting the top throwers from all over the United States.
– Proud: We have sent 10 throwers to the World Axe and Knife Throwing Championships. Zach is one of the top knife throwers in the world, achieving 3rd worldwide in Knife Duals last year. Our 16 year old, Adam, placed second in Hatchet at the final National Tournament of the Year, beating out current and former world champions. He recently placed first in Big Axe discipline in another Tournament.
– Specialize in: axe and knife throwing, affiliated with the World Axe (WATL) and Knife Throwing (WKTL) league – large events and team building
– What sets us apart: venue cleanliness and craftsmanship, customer service, involvement in the community, building leagues and creating pro throwers
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
– What makes us the most happy is seeing other people having a good time and enjoying themselves at our venue. Watching them fall in love with the sport and helping them improve makes us even happier.
– We are proud to be able to say that we are a world-renowned WATL venue. Our league members become our family and
– We love being a staple in the community, being known throughout the area as an award-winning fun venue, and providing entertainment to people of all ages.
– Alexsha is proud to see Zach’s vision come true. While there are moments of doubts and fear of trying something new there are many moments of awe and we can sit back and feel “we did it”
Pricing:
- $24.99/per person 1hr – $39.99/per person 2 hrs
- $450 Team Building Special – up to 20 people – all day Thursday or before 5pm on Fridays
- Party Packages/Food & Drink Ticket Options
- Half to Full Venue Rentals – we’ve done an elementary PTO mother/son night, wedding rehearsal dinners, and various birthday/holiday parties
- Mobile Trailer Option, 2nd location (soft opening 1/2/2026)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dfwbattleaxes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dfwbattleaxes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dfwbattleaxes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dfwbattleaxes
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/battle-axes-midlothian
Image Credits
I have emailed a zipped file of 8 photos. This system only allowed me to add 3 additional.
The featured photo, with the JL logo, is JayLu Photography (Joseluis Urbano) – the rest where taken on my (Alexsha Vann) cell phone
