Essex axe-throwing bar gets alcohol licence
The new bar would be in the Bond Street shopping and restaurant development
A new adventure bar in Chelmsford that will feature Bavarian axe-throwing and beer pong has been granted a licence by the city council.
The new Boom Battle Bar would be in the heart of the Bond Street shopping and restaurant development over two storeys at 106 Bond Street.
It previously accommodated a branch of Ellis Brigham, which specialises in walking and trekking equipment.
Entertainment at the new bar is set to include beer pong tables where players try to land a ping pong ball in a cup of beer at the other end, as well as axe throwing and darts.
Chelmsford City Council – which met to discuss the application on Friday, June 4 – has since granted permission for the sale of alcohol between midday and 2am, seven-days a week.
The premises will need a change of use after a planning application.
Boom Battle Bar, which already has venues in Norwich and Lakeside, is seeing rapid expansion across the UK with applications in Aberdeen and Swindon.
Although Boom Battle Bar has received concerns about potential crime associated with the business elsewhere in the UK, it has received just one letter of objection to its plans in Chelmsford.
Essex Police has agreed conditions that include operating an extensive CCTV system throughout and at all entrances and exits, as well as a vigorous anti-drug policy – including hourly checks on toilets.
The premises must also operate a ‘Challenge 25’ scheme whereby any person who appears to be under the age of 25 is required to produce ID.
The company says it will be investing £1.2 million into the site, which has been vacant for a number of years.
With its unique gaming, the company says it is adding more than just financial investment – but a family friendly indoor gaming facility that will increase footfall to the area.
The company adds that it attracts customers that would rather spend time socialising than simply going to the pub.
Data from its other venues show 89 per cent of games are pre-booked and alcohol sales only account for 18 per cent of revenue.
Allan Cook, Boom Battle Bar’s head of operations, said:
"There’s no kind of scrum in and scrum out because it simply would make an operation like this unviable.
"You just couldn’t process it.
"That is because everyone is captured at reception.
"You can’t get into the venue without going past reception."