A recently shuttered axe-throwing bar and lounge is suing its former landlord, Area15.
Dueling Axes, which closed its doors in July, is suing its former landlord Area15 for breach of contract, among other allegations. The lawsuit alleges the property had been engaging in competitive conduct with Dueling Axes and implemented systems that benefited insider tenants, at the expense of independent tenants, like the axe-throwing bar.
Filed in Clark County District Court on June 4, the lawsuit is asking for declaratory relief; it claims breach of contract, contractual breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.
Recently, the Cleveland, Ohio-based axe-throwing bar and lounge permanently closed all five of its locations nationally, including the one inside Area15. According to a legal representative from Dueling Axes, “all of the closures stem from the dispute underlying the lawsuit.”
Area15 didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the lawsuit, Dueling Axes opened its Las Vegas location in December 2020 and “was among the first tenants to commit capital, build out its space, and commence operations” at Area15. By early 2022, the axe-throwing bar started generating six-figure profits monthly, said the lawsuit.
In 2022, according to the lawsuit, Area15 began implementing experience passes, which bundles access to multiple attractions into one ticket. The experience pass system “were intended to, and had the effect of, promoting and benefiting certain insider-tenants” at Area15, “at the expense of independently owned tenants such as Dueling Axes,” it alleges in the lawsuit.
Area15 continued to make changes to the experience passes, which Dueling Axes claims were designed to benefit insider tenants, to the detriment of independently-owned tenants like Dueling Axes, said the lawsuit.
The filing also alleges Area15 “actively discouraged” visitors in written statements from buying entry to independent operators, such as Dueling Axes. This led to competition between Area15 and Dueling Axes, who also alleges the property has been using “Marketing Money to fund its Competitive Conduct rather than marketing the Property as a whole.”
“As a result of Area15’s conduct, Dueling Axes has lost numerous contracts with prospective customers, resulting in enormous losses of revenue and profit, to the point that Dueling Axes is suffering substantial losses each month,” said the lawsuit.
Dueling Axes had put Area15 on notice of its material breaches of the lease on “numerous occasions,” including a formal letter on March 31, but, according to the suit, the property has “refused to cease its Competitive Conduct.”
Dueling Axes is asking for general and special damages in excess of $15,000, declaratory judgement, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, exemplary or punitive damages, pre-and post-judgement interest and such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper.
Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.
