After opening its doors late last November, FlannelJax finally hosted its grand opening event, which invited members of the community to participate in a range of lumberjack-themes activities.

“This is just an opportunity for us to celebrate and invite the community in to see who we are and what we do,” said Vice President of Franchise Services and Operations Terry Stewart.

The main event for many were the various axe throwing stations, which pinned eight participants in a fun competition to score most points. Lumber Jacks and Jills worked with groups to teach them throwing techniques and safety rules. Picking either two-handed or one-handed forms, participants hurled axes at wooden boards, splintering wood to try and earn points for their team.

Other events included a crosscut saw, where pairs of participants each held one side of a massive saw. Under the pressure of a clock, they attempted to work together to cut a portion of the log faster than the previous record holders.

Those waiting could also take on a group of friends in Thump the Stump, which involved taking turns driving a nail into a stump. Each participant was allowed one good swing before passing the hammer onto the next group member.

Between lumber sports activities, food and drink, the event features a steady flow of community members, including business teams looking for a bonding activity to local residents checking out the new location.

“The (community’s) response has been fantastic,” Stewart said. “We’ve been well-received by the community. Each week we’re growing more and more customers… We’re just really happy with how the community has shown us support. Hopefully we continue to be very successful here in Grand Rapids.”

The location sits within eyeshot of Grand Valley State University’s DeVos Center in Grand Rapids, which makes it accessible for students via the Rapid or those who live nearby. Stewart said that FlannelJax provides a service that college students will really enjoy, with activities that they may not experience anywhere else nearby.

“It’s a great outing,” Stewart said. “It’s reasonably priced. It’s an opportunity for you to come out and experience something maybe you haven’t done before and it’s a great way to get together with friends to have a good time.”

While FlannelJax has other locations around the country, Stewart said they strategically chose Grand Rapids to place their next franchise. With that choice has come great success thus far, and that’s something they hope to carry into the rest of the year.

“We love the community, the demographic, the nice college atmosphere as well,” Stewart said. “It’s got a good solid base of corporate head offices, so that’s really what we look for when we plan one of our locations.”