Columbus toy store owners hope to bring fun to all with second location downtown. See it.
Customers have been asking the owners of HobbyTown/Archery Connection about opening another location in Uptown Columbus.
The idea of bringing their family-owned business downtown was always appealing, co-owner Janice Smith told the Ledger-Enquirer, but up until recently they’d never pulled the trigger.
But the growth of the area with new businesses and restaurants like the Mixed Market did not escape their notice.
“It was just constantly on my heart,” Smith said. “Gosh, every time we go down there it was just something that kept saying, ‘If you build it, they will come.’”
They now plan to open a second, satellite location for HobbyTown at 1025 Broadway that offers something for all ages in downtown Columbus.
“We just feel like there is a need to have something down there that has to do with fun,” Smith said. “Our slogan is ‘we make free time awesome.’”
The plan is to open around June 15, she said, in time for customers to shop for Father’s Day gifts in the new location. A grand opening is expected to follow the initial opening in the coming weeks, she said.
Janice and her husband, Steven, began their archery business in Phenix City 44 years ago. Steven started the business in their backyard, she said. They moved it to 7607 Veterans Pkwy. in Columbus because they needed more space.
They became HobbyTown franchisees eight years ago, Smith said. It’s the only HobbyTown franchise location that is a co-branded store.
The business has continued to be owned and operated by the couple along with son Mason and his wife, Lauren.
HobbyTown, founded in 1985 in Lincoln, Nebraska, specializes in toys and gifts that people typically can’t find in other stores.
Customers can find wooden puzzles and classic old toys like pick-up sticks, yo-yos and jacks.
“These were old-timey toys from back in the day,” Smith said.
But along with the nostalgia, customers can also find more modern toys including remote control cars and vehicles. Customers familiar with HobbyTown’s Mini-Z track for remote control cars can expect to find a double-decker version of it at the business’ new downtown location.
They hope the shop will provide a fun, interactive experience for families downtown.
“We’ve got such a good common area down there where kids can get out there and fly a kite, play with a Frisbee or play a game,” Smith said.
HobbyTown’s toys and games are not just for children, she said.
“There’s a lot of adults that come in and do this stuff,” Smith said.
The Broadway location will offer only products from HobbyTown, she said, although there will be a small archery inventory. But they encourage ArcheryConnection customers to continue visiting the store’s main location for supplies and services.
While the downtown area has restaurants, bars and women’s boutiques, Smith said, it’s limited when it comes to businesses that are explicitly about offering this type of entertainment.
“This is a store for everybody,” she said. “And we know that Uptown will make free time awesome.”
This story was originally published June 13, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
