Tired of having to go out of town to throw axe, play mini golf, or compete in an organized cornhole tournament? Then look no further than CAPPS Entertainment, located in the former Wilson Family YMCA building on Airport Boulevard.
CAPPS Entertainment opens its doors to the public on Monday. Regular opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
CAPPS Entertainment is a family-owned business offering a new variety of fun never before seen in Wilson. The name CAPPS is derived from the company’s four major attractions: cornhole, ax throwing, mini golf and pins (bowling).
“A lot of the things we brought to this particular business are things we enjoy doing,” said co-owner Rob Brothers. “For some of these things we travel an hour, an hour and a half. We met in mid-February and visited different places in different cities to try bowling, ax throwing and the like. We found this location by chance and everything fell into place.”
Brothers said the idea for an entertainment business came from Cornhole. His son-in-law, co-owner Anthony Collins, is a cornhole enthusiast and wanted to find a way to bring the backyard classic to Wilson in an organized manner. Brothers wasn’t sold on the idea of just offering cornhole and gathered his family to consider other game options. CAPPS was the result.
CAPPS is certified by the American Cornhole League, meaning the company can host tournaments and competitions at all levels of play.
Ax throwing is not a traditional tool-to-wood throwing experience. CAPPS uses projectors to set up games where customers can compete head-to-head by throwing precise axes. The company can go through a range of games including Connect Four and Darts.
Mini bowling, also called pins, uses shorter lanes and 4-pound balls without holes. Brothers said a solo pin game could last as little as 8 minutes.
The highlight are the mini golf courses. CAPPS features two nine-hole blacklight courses that offer immersive themed experiences. The Pirate Course takes you through the adventure of searching for Davy Jones’ treasure at the bottom of the ocean, while the retro theme takes you on a journey back in time, including everything that defined the ’80s and ’90s. My favorite holes include a Hot Wheels-style ramp and a glowing Rubik’s Cube obstacle. The walls are full of pop culture references and art that you could spend half an hour exploring before you even make a putt. With that in mind, it’s easy to understand why CAPPS Entertainment suffered months of delays before opening.
“It was very, very difficult,” Brothers said. “There were a lot of delays. You get estimates and prices for everything, and when the time comes, the prices are 15% higher than expected. People tell you two weeks and it takes five, so it’s been very stressful for all of us but we’re in the home stretch now.”
In addition to fun and games, CAPPS offers a snack bar with classics like hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and ice cream. The company also partners with local restaurants for some of its dishes. CAPPS will sell pizzas from Frankie’s New York Pizzeria and cookies from Big Boy Bakery, currently sold at Pretty My Party. CAPPS will also sell sodas, beer and single-serve wine at the snack bar.
“I’m really excited,” said co-owner John Yarolin. “I want to see what my time was worth and if everyone likes everything, but I’m scared. I know just from our Facebook likes and people trying to come in thinking we were open even though we weren’t close yet, I’m excited but also nervous.”
CAPPS Entertainment already had more than 2,200 Facebook followers before opening. Brothers said some of those 2,200 have already made contact about renting CAPPS’ two available party rooms. The private rooms can accommodate 20 people each.
“It’s bigger than we thought,” Brothers said. “We thought it would be something that would make it, but we think with the support we’ve seen, we have a really good chance of having something special here.”
Christopher Long is a business reporter for the Wilson Times. If you have ideas for this weekly column, contact him at 252-265-7821 or [email protected].