Casabella Fireworks is lighting up the west side of town. The new business venture for the Kuegels is now fully operational in what was previously Golf Land U.S.A.
Golf Land provided memories for the people of Owensboro for over 30 years. The attraction featured a golf shop, driving range, mini-golf and go-kart racing and was operated by Robert Kuegel from 1985-2015. Kuegel eventually sold the business to Justin McKee who closed operations in 2018 with some of the final remnants being auctioned off this past week.
Robert Kuegel has leased the land for Golf Land from his cousin Rod Kuegel who hopes that Casabella Fireworks is equally as successful. Rod’s sons, Luke and Clay, along with their wives, Samantha and Kelsey, operate the new fireworks shop.
After several conversations with pyrotechnic Stuart Snow, who produces several of the large firework shows in the Owensboro area, the Kuegels decided it to be a worthy adventure. Robert Kuegel acknowledged that the population on the west side of town is growing and there was a need for more retail options.
“There’s not a firework store on this end of town,” Rod said. “We tried to set up something last year, but the timing wasn’t right, and this year we’re glad to have the opportunity.”
Snow partners with Jared Casabella out of Lanesville, Ind., who also played a pivotal role in the opening of the store.
“He [Jared] is a great guy who’s easy to work with,” Rod said. “He and Snow have been working together for years — he had this vision last year.”
Rod believes that the development of the new subdivisions and the increase in traffic on the west side should play a pivotal role in their future success.
“In the past, the west side of town has been primarily agriculture, but now we have Whispering Meadows and Woodland Ridge [subdivisions],” Rod said. “We think this is a great opportunity.”
The family hopes that this adventure will lead to a more permanent option in the future.
“We would like to make this a retail point of interest,” Rod said. “My cousin, John, has always wanted to open an ice-cream store and we’ve considered that too.”
Ultimately, the family cares about Owensboro and wants to see the west side of town continue to grow.
“We just want people on the west side to have the same opportunities that people on the east side have,” Rod said. “This will be a great start for us.”
