BROKEN BOW – A new partnership has formed to bring visitors to Broken Bow a new dining and entertainment option. Crackerjacks Sports Bar & Grill and Axe Kickers have joined forces in the west end of the Tumbleweed Cafe building.
Those wanting to get a look at the new business partnership have been invited to a Grand Opening celebration on Halloween night. Snack foods off the menu will be served, and door prizes will be awarded every half hour with a big prize at 9 PM which you must be present to win.
Carmen Bumgarner, owner of Tumbleweed Cafe and the new Crackerjacks Sports Bar & Grill, told KCNI/KBBN the partnership was born when she and her family had an axe throwing Christmas party across town. Axe Kickers owners Kendall Teichmeier and Noah Grubtill made mention of their desire for a new location, and Bumgarner only let her mind think a short while before suggesting the possibility that night.
The suggestion was partially born out of Bumgarner’s love for cooking in the evening.
“When I decided to close at night over there (at the Tumbleweed Cafe) I didn’t have enough help. So I needed something a little bit smaller, and thank goodness for my sisters. They’re going to be very involved in this and helping me out on this end,” she explained.
Add to that her family’s love of the baseball and softball diamond, and the theme and name for Crackerjack’s soon followed. Help from collector Mike Evans brought several decorations out of storage.
“Our family is very involved in baseball and softball, it’s a big part of our life and family time together. So when we decided that we were going to decorate in baseball and softball spirit wear, we thought this would be a great opportunity to show off all of these trophies that we’ve had. Because really, there’s not any place in town that showed off all the trophies that the Legion or the softball (had won),” said Bumgarner.
Crackerjack’s has a wide variety of food items on the menu to go with a great selection of drinks. Visitors will find options like onion rings, flatbreads, taquitos, corn nuggets, chips and queso, cheese curds, chicken tenders, wings, and more.
As far as the entertainment at Axe Kickers? Teichmeier and Grubtill said the move and then re-assembly offered the opportunity to build for the future.
“Everything is just built a lot sturdier, a little less shaky when you throw now. It’s going to take quite a bit to knock anything over in this place,” Grubtill laughed.
The room also features a pinball machine, televisions, and a pool table that the two said can accommodate a lot more people.
“.. and then we’ve expanded, we don’t just throw axes anymore. We’re throwing ninja stars now and we’re throwing saw blades, and we’re going to be adding a few things to that soon,” said Teichmeier.
Two digital targets that hold a multitude of game opportunities are available, as well as two traditional targets. Teichmeier and Grubtill will have one dollar games of tic-tac-toe for visitors on Thursday night.
The three agreed that the coming together of the two businesses was something the community needed, citing their desire to commit to consistent hours that customers can depend on. Bumgarner said the grill will be on until close each night, and hopes that the location will become a regular destination after area sports games.
As for the future? Crackerjack’s and Axe Kickers will be open weekdays from 5 PM to 10 PM and weekends from 5 PM to 1 AM. The booking of Christmas parties has begun, Bumgarner said, with the ability to serve a big dining room everything from a buffet to prime rib. A new two person throwing league starts at Axe Kickers November 10th, which will compete on Sundays at 7 PM and run for 10 weeks.
