Ax-throwing bar was lax about safety rules, liquor-control panel says

Hub Stadium's liquor license was suspended for one day due to safety concerns, reports said. (Facebook via Hub Stadium)

The liquor license of an ax-throwing bar in Michigan was suspended for a day earlier this month after the state probed the safety of alcohol-consuming customers, reports said Tuesday.

Members of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) ordered a one-day suspension of Hub Stadium’s liquor license, which happened Sept. 10, the Detroit News reported. The venue is located in Auburn Hills, about 34 miles north of the Motor City.

The commission launched an investigation into the company on June 21 when they found a safety concern involving its policy of allowing up to 10 customers in enclosed ax throwing lanes, the paper reported.

Investigators saw people jumping out of the way to avoid axes hitting them, the Detroit Free Press reported. They also did not find any strict enforcement of those wandering in and out of the throwing zones.

Investigators also found the 30,000-square-foot venue lacked lane monitoring and did not limit the number of axes that could be thrown at a time, the Detroit News reported.

Patrons of the venue were also taking alcoholic drinks into the ax-throwing areas even though the venue's policy does not allow that, the report said.

Hub Stadium also apparently did not tell the MLCC that it would offer ax throwing as part of its license application, Commission Chairman Andy Deloney said, according to the paper.

"It is our job to make sure that the health, safety and welfare concerns of the public are taken into account wherever alcoholic beverages are sold in the state of Michigan,” commission chairman Andy Deloney said in a statement.

"We were not made aware by the licensee during the licensing application process of any plans for ax throwing at the establishment. When it came to our attention, we investigated the licensee thoroughly and took appropriate disciplinary action.”

The commission said the suspension would give the company time to make “numerous structural” changes. But it was not immediately clear what those changes are.

Hub Stadium could not be reached for comment by the Detroit Free Press.