6

8ISSUE AT HAND

Addicted to BowlingBy Scott Frager

10SHORTS AND

MEDIA WATCH• LaVerne Carter

Remembered• QubicaAMF and

Bowltech join forces• Zot and Bowl-Star

• One center closingis a lesson learned

• Scott Bennett

16A GLANCE BACK

Celebrity LanesThe concept and how

it all beganBy David Forsyth

20COVER STORY

X Marks The SpotBowling by the Bay is

back in a big wayBy Robin Breuner

CONTENTS

28MEMORY LANEDream TeamBuilding a bowling center“dream team”By Paul Lane

30PROFILEGadget GuyBill Lish is bowling’sgadget guy and makesit accessible to allBy Mark Miller

35REMEMBER WHEN1964Bowling, Fun and Winston

39BEYOND BOWLINGSPECIAL SECTION• Andy Bartholomy

transforms hisbowling business

• Bowling FEC 101• GPNY: An interview

with Bill Diamond

36 Showcase

52 Datebook

53 Classifieds

VOL 20.5

39

THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

IBI May 2012

20

30

PUBLISHER & EDITORScott Frager

frager@bowlingindustry.comSkype: scottfrager

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISINGChris Holmes

holmes@bowlingindustry.com

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTGregory Keer

keer@bowlingindustry.com

OFFICE MANAGERPatty Heath

heath@bowlingindustry.com

CONTRIBUTORSRobin BreunerDavid ForsythPatty Heath

Chris HolmesPaul Lane

George McAuliffeMark Miller

Jackie Wyckoff

EDITORIAL DIRECTORJackie Fisher

fisher@bowlingindustry.com

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTIONDesignworks

www.dzynwrx.com(818) 735-9424

FOUNDERAllen Crown (1933-2002)

12655 Ventura BoulevardStudio City, CA 91604(818) 789-2695(BOWL)

Fax (818) 789-2812info@bowlingindustry.com

www.BowlingIndustry.com

HOTLINE: 888-424-2695SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy ofInternational Bowling Industry is sent free toevery bowling center, independently ownedpro shop and collegiate bowling center inthe U.S., and every military bowling centerand pro shop worldwide. Publisher reservesthe right to provide free subscriptions tothose individuals who meet publicationqualifications. Additional subscriptions maybe purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50per year. Subscriptions for Canada andMexico are $65 per year, all other foreignsubscriptions are $80 per year. All foreignsubscriptions should be paid in U.S. fundsusing International Money Orders.POSTMASTER: Please send new as well asold address to International Bowling Industry,12655 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA91604 USA. If possible, please furnishaddress mailing label.Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2012, B2B Media,Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprintedwithout the publisher’s permission.

MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

Cover photo courtesy of Lucky Strike

8 IBI May 2012

THE ISSUE AT HAND

Last month I announced, teasedreally, that something big washappening with me and with mycompany, B2B Media, Inc. I hintedthat after 19 years of publishing IBIand a half dozen managing theBowling Centers ofSouthern California,my professionalsearch for bowling“nirvana” was notcomplete. And while Icouldn’t share theexact details lastmonth, I am so excited to be ableto announce, formally, that mycompany and I were brought aboardto manage Pinz Bowling Center,an amazing 32-lane facility locatedin Studio City, CA.

The opportunity could not beany more perfect. I had beenexploring the possibilities ofexpanding my company for sometime. We’ve looked to grow bystarting a new publication,acquisition of another publicationas well as other concepts. But, atthe end of the day, none felt quiteright. However, this opportunity is

different. It makes perfect sense to all parties. Needless to say, I am thrilled to be able to learn about the

industry from a totally new perspective. As publisher and editorof IBI, I will be able to use what I learn on the lanes, behind thereception desk and in the back office to assure that IBI continuesits mission as the premier source for relevant and compelling

content to the trade.As executive director of the

Bowling Centers of SouthernCalifornia, I will now be able to putlocal, state and national programsinto place and get a better feel forwhat works, what doesn’t and why.

As General Manager for Pinz, Iwill be able to use all of the knowledge and skillsets learned aboveto help Pinz continue to grow as one of the premier bowlingcenters in southern California.

By the time this is delivered to your door, International BowlingIndustry magazine and the Bowling Centers of Southern Californiawill have moved offices to Pinz. You can check out our newcontact information online at www.BowlingIndustry.com. We areofficially all bowling, all of the time.

My staff and I are truly, officially andcheerfully addicted to bowling!

– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHERAND EDITORfrager@bowlingindustry.com

Addicted to Bowling

�THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.comFacebook’s Bowling Fan

started in the West, but let’s notkeep it a secret! It states right atthe very beginning, “A place forbowlers to gather and discussthe sport they love—BOWLING!”

As bowling businessaficionados, we should load thatbaby up! Make it a leadingFacebook page full of all things bowling: photos, contests,customers we love, high scores, and of course centers, centers,

centers! Your center. So go aheadand post, view and “like”—aworld of “likes” in a world ofbowling. Don’t be shy. Upload,upload, upload.

10 IBI May 2012

SHORTS

GO

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WIL

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With all the publicity that the documentary, “Bully,” has fortunatelystirred, Nutmeg Bowl in Fairfield, CT, is helping to get the word out.The Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield Countyhosted a family event which aimed to educate children and teensabout the dangers of bullying.

The Minuteman News Center pointed out that this year, 18 millionchildren will be bullied; 160,000 students in the U.S. will refuse to goto school each day due to physical and verbal aggression of theirpeers; suicide rates among adolescents have grown more than 50percent in the past 30 years. Marie Francescani, an event committeemember, said, “Bullying is a very important issue, and the earlier kidsunderstand how harmful it is, the better.”

So much community activism within the bowling industry and so littlespace to acknowledge each and every center, however, below are a fewof the more unique fundraisers held around the country during the pastmonth. Take a look; be inspired!

• “Bowling for the Dogs,” helping Guide Dogs of America, washeld at Hazel Bowl, Hazelwood, MO.

• Gravity Alley, Honesdale, Pa, hosted an event benefitting autismresearch.

• Valencia Lanes, Valencia, CA, was the venue for a fundraiser forPleasantview Industries, a local, non-profit which helps individuals withdevelopmental disabilities.

• Hope for Horses, the fifth annual fundraiser to help stop horse crueltytook place at Kenmore Lanes in Kenmore, WA.

• Spanda Inc., a local non-profit covering optometry and otherhealth care needs hosted its first ever “Frame by Frame” bowlingtournament to support concussion awareness for area athletes. It washeld at May City Bowl in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Host of TV’s “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef”touts the food of Central Ohio’s boutique TenPin Alley along with three bowling chains.

The April edition of Food Network magazineand Chef Anne Burrell shared some outstandingbowling center food with recipes to boot! Tocelebrate her recent book, Cook Like a RockStar, Burrell bowled at Lucky Strike Lanes &Lounge in New York City. She also shared someupscale takes on old favorites.

Chef Andy Shelley at Ten Pin Alley and Spikesof Hilliard, OH, achieves the perfect “Alley Fries”with balsamic glaze. Bowlmor shared “Big DishO’ Nachos” from Chef David Burke. LuckyStrike’s Chef Bill Starbuck offered “Apple andBrie Quesadillas.” The final bravo went to

Ten Pin Alley’s Alley Fries with balsamic glazeare a game changer.

Splitsville and Chef Tim Cushmanof O Ya restaurant in Boston withhis “Beef Sliders with HorseradishCream.”

Excuse me, I have to go EAT!!!!

TV CHEF GIVES OUT HIGH MARKS FORDISTINCTIVE BOWLING CENTER FOOD

In the April 2012 issue under GoodwillCentral, we touted the “Pens & Pins”Charity Bowling Tournament held atCrafton-Ingram Bowling Lanes. Thiswas the fourth annual event organized andrun by the Pittsburgh Penguins WivesAssociation, with all proceeds includingfunds collected from an auction and bakedgoods, being donated to the Make-A-WishFoundation of Greater Pennsylvania andSouthern West Virginia. $54,000 was raised.

It was brought to my attention that Ireferred to the Penguin hockey team asthe Philadelphia Penguins. You would thinkI would have caught that as I am a hockeyfan. Needless to say, the Penguins are thePittsburgh Penguins and many kudosshould go both to them and Crafton-IngramBowling Lanes for this outstanding event.

My apologies,Patty Heath

Letter to Our Readers...Oops

U.S. WOMEN’SOPEN’S “OFFICIAL

THIRST QUENCHER”The BPAA announced that it has

partnered with PepsiCo and 100%Natural Lipton Iced Tea making Liptonthe “Official Thirst Quencher” of the2012 Bowling’s U.S. Women’s Open.

“This is a tremendous partnershipbetween two great brands—PepsiCo’siconic Lipton Iced Tea and the brand ofbowling,” said Steve Johnson,executive director of the BPAA. “Theall-natural ingredients found in 100%Natural Lipton Iced Tea make it theperfect beverage choice to satisfy ourathletes during this year’s hotcompetition under the bright lights ofReno.”

With competition open to all femaleyouth and adult bowlers, the U.S.Women’s Open will culminate in a finalsevent on June 27 underneath thefamous Reno Arch in downtown Renoduring International Bowl Expo 2012and airing on ESPN2.

12 IBI May 2012

SHORTS

Bowl-Star of Germany to market ZOT Pinspotter Controller Chassis productsZOT Pinsetter Parts, Inc. president, Roger Lindblad, has announced that Bowl-Star,

a German based, full-line, full-service company, is the exclusive distributor for itsPinspotter Controller Chassis products for AMF equipped bowling centers inGermany, Austria and Switzerland.

Hendrik Motzer, president of Bowl-Star, said that his company is planning anaggressive marketing campaign to inform its customers and that it has the supportmechanism in place to handle all aspects of installation and qualified technicalsupport for this Zot product line.

ZOT’s Lindblad added, “We are excited about this arrangement as Bowl-Star hasan impressive level of knowledge and expertise in the area of pinspotter electronics,which is essential in supporting their customers’ needs.”

The Denver-based ZOT is a leading manufacturer and supplier of unique electronicand mechanical parts, assemblies and control systems for AMF and Brunswick equipped centers, and the manufacturer of theGlossBoss Ball Conditioner.

Scott Bennett shares his thinkingcap with Michigan’s AssociationImpact magazine

Scott Bennett, executive director of Independent Bowlingand Entertainment Centers Association in Michigan snaggedthe January/February cover ofAssociation Impact published by theMichigan Society of AssociationExecutives.

Editor Carla Kalogeridis’ article“Passageway to the CreativeSolution” begins “When it comes tolaunching new member programsand initiatives, it’s impossible for anassociation leader to get it rightevery time. But then again, maybeyou’re not supposed to.” Thisis the mantra of David KordMurray in his book BorrowingBrilliance which suggests thattrial-and-error is actually theavenue to the creative solutionto any need or problem.

Bennett in his role of executivedirector has regularly adopted thisapproach. “You have to trydifferent routes to overcomeproblems.” Directing an associationof bowling proprietors is fraught withchallenges, and Bennett opens upon how he uses creative thinking to find solutions.

DEMISE OF A LANDMARKBECOMES A LESSON

Riverside Bowl in Camas, WA, met its end in flames.However, these flames were not an accident but purposefullyset as part of a training exercise put on by the Camas-Washougal consolidated fire department. It was one of thelargest practice burnsconducted in the areawith 25 to 30firefighters takingpart.

Riverside Bowl hadhad a colorful paststarting in 1947 whenit opened as WagonWheel Park, a skateand dance hall, onthe banks of theWashougal River. It was “the” place to be on Friday andSaturday nights. Besides local groups entertaining, guestperformers included country music singer and actor TexRitter; pianist and band leader Stan Kenton; and singerWillie Nelson, who worked at the time as a disc jockey at aradio station in Portland. It was purported that Willie got hisstart at the Wagon Wheel.

In the late 50s, the building was sold and new ownersreopened it as Riverside Bowl which it remained until 2007when it closed its doors. No closing is a good closing.However, this one matched the excitement that each venuebrought. Wagon Wheel/Riverside Bowl rest in peace.

Photo by Nick Swinhart, Camas, WA, Fire Chief

Story credit: Mark Bowder, Asst. Metro Editor of The Columbian, Washington

Hendrik Motzer, president Bowl-Star

Joe Poelking, a third generation proprietor, has beenselected to receive the 2012 Bowling Centers Association ofOhio Mike Hennessy Meritorious Service Award to be givento him at the BCA of Ohio convention in May. Joe is the

second Poelking to receive this award as hisfather, Jim, was honored in 2001.

Proprietor of Poelking Lanes South, hehas been in the bowling business over fourdecades ever since his father, proprietor ofPoelking Lanes on Wilmington Pike, wouldwake him up on Sundays at 5 a.m. to helpat the center wiping down tables andgathering trash. As he shared with Debbie

Juniewicz of the Dayton Daily News, it was Mass first and thenoff to the center.

Poelking has been active in the Bowling Centers Associationof Ohio (BCAO) since the late 1980s. He was elected toserve the state as a BPAA director in 1992. His state officeshave included president, chairman of the executive board andsecretary/treasurer as well as chairperson of severalcommittees. He also served on the state YABA board. In2010 he was elected as the BCAO’s representative to theBPAA Board of Directors.

PEOPLEWATCHING

Joe Poelking

14 IBI May 2012

SHORTS

LaVerne Carter, the first wife ofthe late PBA superstar Don Carter,passed away in early March at theage of 86. As Bill Vint, PBA writer,noted: “The former LaVerneThompson, who achieved stardomon her own in the formation years ofthe professional women’s bowling,was a member of the United StatesBowling Congress (1977) andProfessional Women’s Bowling Association (1995) Halls ofFame. She earned the nickname ‘the Blonde Bombshell’ for hercolorful, high-kicking showmanship on the lanes.”

Andrew Hurley in his book, Bowling Alleys, pointed out thatLaVerne came up in the era of male dominance. Women werefighting for their place in the sport. Very much like the tennisworld’s Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs, one of her celebratedmoments was a Chicago exhibition match against Ace Caulderwho did not hold back in exclaiming that “No blonde or brunetteor even a redhead “ was going to beat him. Of course, LaVerneproceeded to beat him in six of seven one-game matches.

LaVerne Carter is survived by son Jim (Nancy) and daughterCayce and three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

R E M E M B R A N C E S

QUBICAAMF EXPANDS ITS SWEDISHMARKET WITH BOWLTECH

QubicaAMF Worldwide announced an expandedagreement with Bowltech to be its full-line distributor inthe Swedish market as well as representing it in Denmark.Bowltech will be responsible for Modernization sales,New Center Development and Service. This is acontinuation of the collaboration of the two companieswhich began in 2009.

To celebrate the expansion, Bowltech will be organizinga unique Trade Show in Copenhagen on May 3rd forcenter operators from the region. Attendees will be ableto take a look behind the scene in the Copenhagen Bowl& Event Center, meet the Bowltech business partners andsee the latest products available in the industry.

Bowltech is headquartered in Made, The Netherlands,and is a major European distributor of bowling products.QubicaAMF is a leading manufacturer and marketer ofbowling and amusement products located in Richmond,Virginia and European headquarters in Bologna, Italy.

Bowling down Main StreetWhen time lays heavy on a town, fun things can happen.

That is what Rachel Brougham of the Petoskey News foundout in Harbor Springs, MI. She related that it all beganabout 13 years agowhen a couple of guyswere sitting aroundduring spring break.One said to the other,“Hey, it’s really quiet intown right now … I betwe could bowl downMain Street andnobody would notice.”

In the ensuing years, students, parents and businessowners from around the community come out to watchchildren go for a strike down Main Street. The event is freeand around 80 children have been known to show up androll a ball at the pins.

Due to Leap Year this year, Friday, March 30 wasselected to begin this town’s rite of spring. On otherdays when Main Street is busy, Northern Lights Recreationis the place to bowl.

Main Street, Harbor Springs, MI, kicking offspring with kids bowling in the street.

Editors note: As seen in IBI’s March issue covering the NEW CelebrityLanes in Denver, with the demise of one center dream anotheremerges. We thought it would be interesting to go back and take alook at the first Celebrity Lanes aka Celebrity Sports Center with aretrospective taken from an article written by David Forsyth andpublished in Colorado Heritage, Autumn 2007.

16 IBI May 2012

A GLANCE BACK

By David Forsyth

nce, when speaking about the entertainmentempire he had built, Walt Disney said, “I onlyhope that we never lose sight of one thing—that

it was all started by a mouse.” Although his enterprises were huge successes, Disney

never let that success slow him down because, as hesaid once, “I can never stand still. I must explore andexperiment.”

That desire for exploration, with the financial backingof the mouse, brought Disney to Colorado on severaloccasions, and it led him to launch one of hiscompany’s major experiments in Denver.

By the late 1950s the Denver area was one of thefastest growing in the United States, and somethingboth new and old residents needed wasentertainment. There were plenty of options, butone problem plaguing these was that, to varyingextents, foul weather could hamper one’senjoyment of them. In late 1959 a group ofinvestors joined forces on a project that could offerhours of amusement regardless of the weatherwhile also improving the lives of the area’s young people.

On November 15, 1959, The Denver Post announced that

O

The original Celebrity Lanesin Denver was the conceptand inspiration of WaltDisney. Take a glance backon its unique developmentandrealization.

The Old Celebrity Lanes

17IBI May 2012

A GLANCE BACK

a “huge play center” was in the works for southeast Denver. Thecenter would be owned and operated by Celebrity Bowling, Inc.,a recently formed corporation based in Los Angeles, and wouldinclude an eighty-lane bowling alley, a massive indoor swimmingpool, restaurants, a lounge, and a health salon.

What was unique about the future Celebrity Sports Centerwas its ownership. The facility took its name from the fact thatit was owned by a number of Hollywood celebrities, among them

Jack Benny, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Burl Ives,Bing Crosby, Spike Jones, ArtLinkletter, and John Payne. And therewas one other major investor, whomvisitors sometimes encountered at thesite once construction got under way—Walt Disney.

With the groundbreaking ceremoniesfor the 122,600-square-foot facility, thedetailed plans were unveiled. The bowlingequipment, which alone cost $1,250,000,was “the largest single order for suchequipment in U.S. history.” The bowlingalley, as planned, would be capable ofseating at least 2,000 people at the majorbowling tournaments the owners expectedto attract. The 165-foot-long swimming poolwas to be housed in a building with aremovable skylight and a retractable glasswall (never realized) that allowed access to apatio for sunbathing and other activities. Theparking garage, together with outdoor parking,was to provide space for 700 cars. Plans alsocalled for the construction of the $1.25 millionAqua Bowl Motel across the street from Celebrity,but for reasons known only to the investors, themotel was never built.

Walt Disney, speaking to Post reporters, “hailedthe project as a ‘new dimension to familyparticipation in sports and recreation.’” He went onto say that it was “only fitting” that the projectshould be built in Denver, as it was one of the fastestgrowing cities in the country.

While Celebrity would primarily serve the recreationalneeds of the growing population, the owners had othergoals for it as well. Disney and his fellow investors hopedto attract national bowling and swimming events to thecenter, and, in order to accommodate these, the plans forthe building included all the equipment necessary for

coast-to-coast television broadcasts.���

The time was right for such a project for reasons other thanDenver’s impressive population growth. A careful marketingprogram that stressed new automatic pinsetters and air-conditioned buildings that were becoming standard, succeededin making bowling an attractive family activity. Bowling gainedso much popularity that Life magazine described it as thecountry’s most popular sport—for some, even a way of life. Bythe mid-1950s there were more than 20 million regular bowlersin the United States.

Bowling at Celebrity Lanes proved to be a very popularattraction even before the bowling alley opened—night leagueswere already 80-percent full. League schedules for earlier in theday from Monday through Friday were completely filled, twomonths before the bowing alley was even opened.

A year following the opening of the bowling lanes, theswimming pool, first called “Olympic Swim,” opened in July1961. Quickly nicknamed “the swamp” by Celebrity employees,

Micky and Pluto arrive inDenver for the grandopening of Celebrity Lanes. An ad for Celebrity Sports Center highlights the slot car racing and Walt

Disney taking a turn rolling the ball.

18 IBI May 2012

A GLANCE BACK

the pool held 500,000 gallons of “constantly filtered and heatedwater,” had five diving boards, boasted nine swimming lanes insteadof the usual eight. It was housed in a 32,000-square-foot buildingwith indoor locker rooms, a floating snack patio and spectatorstands. Admission in 1961 was one dollar for children under sixteenand $1.50 for adults. Swimming suits and towels were available forrental. The opening of the swimming pool marked the completionof the $6 million Celebrity Lanes as called for in the original plans.

In the years following, the recreational activities at Celebritycontinued to expand as new and different phases of the project wereadded and completed. One of the major, and most popular,additions was an expanded video-game arcade, housing a total of300 games. Three water slides wereadded to the pool around 1980.

���Among the high-profile owners,

Walt Disney outshone all others.He was a frequent visitor, whetherfor anniversary celebrations,dedications, or simple inspectiontours. As in his other businessventures, Disney was mindful of thedetails at Celebrity, even the

smallest ones. He was so concernedthat things be just right that he evenassigned an art director who hadworked on Disneyland to oversee newdevelopments at the center in order toguarantee that everything was to hisliking. As Disney executive RobertAllen said in 1966, “practicallyeverything at the center… bears themark of Disney’s personal touch.” Onthese visits Disney did find time forsome fun, such as the occasionalbowling game.

While Walt Disney and hiscompany were committed to

ensuring Celebrity’s “continuing acceptance by theresidents of the Denver area,” they were also coming upwith other plans for the facility. At about the same time,Disney was in the early stages of planning for his mostambitious project—Walt Disney World in Florida. CelebritySports Center would play an important role in these plansby becoming the training ground for future managementof the Florida park. While Walt Disney’s death in 1966 putan end to his direct influence at Celebrity, the companycontinued to operate Celebrity as a primer for futureWalt Disney World employees for the next thirteen years.

The Disney era at Celebrity came to an end in 1979

Guests checking in at thefront desk get the full“Disney” treatment.

The indoor swimming pool,affectionately called “the Swamp” by

Celebrity Lanes employees, was amarvel of modern architecture and

engineering. Its opening marked thecompletion of Celebrity Lanes as

called for in the original plan.

19IBI May 2012

A GLANCE BACK

David Forsyth lives in Denver, CO while pursuing his Ph.D. inhistory at the University of Colorado—Boulder. He is the directorof the Gilpin Historical Society in Central City, CO. He has publishedseveral articles for the Colorado Heritage, published by theColorado Historical Society.

when the company decided to sell the property. With newowners came a new name, “Celebrity Fun Center.”

���The bowling alleys thrived through the 1970s and 1980s as

schools and bowling leagues from around the state held gamesand championship tournaments there. One of the biggestwas the 1976 Women’s International Bowling Congress annualtournament, with more than 9,200 teams competing. In 1978

the Japanese American National Bowling Association held itstournament at Celebrity.

By the 1980s, commercial development was on the rise, andthe Celebrity property became more and more attractive.When it started to lose money in the early 1990s, Celebrity’sfate was sealed. In 1994, Celebrity was sold to a real estateinvestment group who paid $10.8 million for it, and, in turn,replaced it with a $20 million retail center anchored by Builder’sSquare and Best Buy stores. The wood lanes found new life asthe floor of the ballroom at the Oxford Hotel in Denver.

In its thirty-five-year history Celebrity Sports Center servedas a sign of its times, from the renewed popularity of bowling,the rise of public swimming, the creation of video-gamearcades, and even the economic redevelopment that broughtabout its demise. And even though Celebrity is gone, it is stillfondly remembered by the people who owned it, the Disneyemployees who worked there, and the many who played thereas children and adults. ❖

This rendering illustrated the possibilities of expanding the swimming pool to addan outdoor component. This addition was never completed.

20 IBI May 2012

COVER STORY

owling in San Francisco has long been a cherished pastime. In its heyday during the 1950s and early60s, there were an estimated 13 alleys in and around the City. With the closing of Haight Ashbury’sfamous Rock-N-Bowl in the 1990s followed by the shuttering of Japantown Bowl in 2000, SanFranciscans and tourists were left with only two options for bowling entertainment – twelve lanes

in the Yerba Buena complex downtown and twelve lanes at the funky Presidio Bowl in the defunct Army baseon the western side of town.

Last month, the bowling scene in the City by the Bay came alive again in an eye-popping way. Two new,cutting-edge bowling centers celebrated their grand openings. Lucky Strike, the Hollywood glamour center,opened in the former Border’s space on the ground floor of the Beacon at 3rd and King Street across fromAT&T Park, and Mission Bowling Club opened at 17th Street and South Van Ness in the hip Mission District.

Residents and visitors are not only in for a delight of the senses when patronizing either of these specialclubs, they are also helping to make the San Francisco community in general just a little bit better.

���

B

Mission Bowling Club co-owners

Molly Bradshaw, left, and Sommer Peterson,

right, enjoy the new lanes. Photos of the Mission Bowling Clubcourtesy of Myleen Hollero.

By Robin Breuner

21IBI May 2012

Mission Bowling Club is the brainchild of two creative young women, SommerPeterson and Molly Bradshaw, co-owners of Mini Bar in the Western Additionneighborhood. Both Peterson and Bradshaw live in the neighborhood and weredetermined to find a local location for their business. “We kept coming back to thisone because it was the most central in the Mission,” said Peterson. “We wanteda sense of community in a warm, wonderful location. We looked all around the cityand kept coming back here.”

Peterson’s dream of opening a bowling center was inspired by her grandfather.“My grandfather just turned 87, and he’s still in a league in South Lake Tahoe,”she said. “We wanted to bring the fun and the interactive elements of bowlingto San Francisco.”

The women said that they have established a San Francisco type environment forbowling in the 8,000 square foot space by creating a restaurant with well-known chef,Anthony Myint of Mission Chinese and Commonwealth fame, a chic but comfortableneighborhood bar and six lanes of bowling. Their goal is for it to be nice butaccessible with each element able to stand on its own. “Our focus is on hospitalitywith all angles – in every sense,” said Bradshaw. They also said that they are takingthe bowling aspect seriously and have installed the best, state-of-the-art equipmentprovided by Murrey International.

The space evokes a masculine but comfortable attitude featuring a mezzanine

level overlooking the expanse of thebanquette-filled dining room, separate bar,open kitchen and bowling lanes adorned

Lucky Strike owner Steven Foster, right, and

his wife, Gillian left, share a smile at the

recent opening of Lucky Strike San Francisco.

Photos of Lucky Strikecourtesy of Lucky Strike.

COVER STORYCOVER STORY

22 IBI May 2012

COVER STORY

other restaurants. “One of the things that has reallyattracted us to Anthony is his sense of socialcommitments,” said Bradshaw. The group plans todonate a portion of the food proceeds to youth-related programs.

The community based, holistic philosophy thatPeterson, Bradshaw andMyint share defines thecompany and the way the

MBC will be managed. “A restaurant or bar can defineand anchor a neighborhood. We’re one block over fromthe scene of Mission and Valencia and there’s notmuch here. We’re hoping to become the anchor for thisarea,” said Myint. “We’re adding some beauty vs.blight,” said Bradshaw. “We’re hoping to light up theplace.” “We’re hoping to create a few jobs with thiswhich is good for the local economy, too,” saidPeterson. “You can’t have a strong business without astrong community. Our neighbors are our people.They’re the ones who are going to be here.”

���

On the other side of town, down by the ballpark,the swanky, 23,000 square foot Lucky Strike openedon March 8th with its own brand of charity. The grandopening party was dedicated to helping Tipping Point,a local organization dedicated to helping Bay Areafamilies break the cycle of poverty.

Lucky Strike founder and CEO Steven Foster saidthat they’d been looking in San Francisco for a locationfor years. They wanted to find the right spot, andwhen they found it, decided to elevate and transform

The artistic, hand-made bowling themed chandeliers add a dramaticeffect to the entrance and the dining loft upstairs.

with inviting leather sofas. The mezzanine is available forsemi-private parties. The space also extends to a sunnycovered patio for outside dining. Chef Myint said that theessence of the restaurant is “technique-driven comfort food”.He said that the food is innovative and smart, not pretentious,with budget in mind.

Peterson said, “We’re encouraging people to ‘Walk andRide’, our motto, and we have on-site bicycle parking availablenext to the patio, which is really important to us.”

Another major aspect to Mission Bowling Club is its seriouscommitment to community building and youth. They call themselves “for-profit with a non-profit heart.” “We will be inviting local youth programsto bowl during our off-hours. We want to dedicate private time tobenefit kids,” said Peterson. “We hope that other businesses will followour lead in trying to build community.” Another example of MBC’s non-profit heart is the planned partnership with Root Division, an arts andeducation non-profit located across the street from MBC that will becollaborating with them to display its art on a rotating basis. Myint hasbeen involved in charitable endeavors such as hunger relief through his

Chef Anthony Myint, far right, keeps a close eye on his kitchen.

The formal dining room at the MBC has a clean design.

The “Living Patio” with itsstriking tower of plantslends an edge to thecovered outdoor area.

24 IBI May 2012

COVER STORY

many of the elements that they historically incorporate into theirbrand and concept. “Lucky Strike is a complete socialentertainment experience focused on creating positive, joyfuland infectious energy and there is not a more fitting place toaccomplish this than San Francisco,” said Foster. Lucky Strikehas 21 other locations across 14 states and two countries.

San Francisco is well known for its often difficult developmentprocess. Foster said that they had been apprised of the challenges,so their expectations were set at a very high level of communityoutreach. He said that he knew that The City by the Bay was verysensitive to its delicate pulse, particularly as it relates to a businessof this magnitude going into the ground floor of a residentialbuilding. He knew that they would have to do a lot of outreachwith the residents of the Beacon District.

Over a period of several months, Foster and his wife, Jillian, along with a team ofhis employees, met with the residents, the neighborhood association, theredevelopment authority and the police. They made themselves completely availablefor any questions and concerns. The net effect was that they had no protestors at anyof their hearings, which is an unusual phenomenon in San Francisco.

The company interviewed an estimated 1,500 applicants for 100 job openings.When asked if he thinks that there is a mini-renaissance of bowling in San Francisco,he responded, “It’s like life: if you believe in synchronicity, often times things happensimultaneously. I love the fact that Mission Bowling Club is opening right around thesame time that we are. I support them wholeheartedly.”

Foster said that they’re reallyapproaching San Francisco as a rebirth.Their menu is entirely different. Thereisn’t a single item that they’ve ever servedat another Lucky Strike. Every item ismade to order. He said that where it canbe locally sourced, it will be, and whereit can be organic, it will be. Every beerserved is a locally sourced, craft beer.“We want to be a community center thatprovides entertainment and food andbeverage in an extremely magicalenvironment, pulsing with art and sensoryexperience and delight,” he said.

In addition to a sushi bar with adedicated sushi chef, the restaurantserves authentic Belgian French fries,gluten free mac and cheese balls andsurf and turf sliders to name a few ofthe mouth watering delectables. Fordessert, some of the offereings includeorganic soft serve ice cream from StrausCreamery and macaroons from popularlocal baker L’Artisan.

The interior of the San Francisco LuckyStrike doesn’t follow the typical LuckyStrike mold. Foster said that the artthey’re curating in the space as well as forthe digital presentation screens is all newand local. “The whole feeling and designaesthetic is different than any other LuckyStrike that has existed. It’s brand new.Very relevant to San Francisco inparticular.” said Foster.

Ray Azoulay, owner of ObsoleteGallery and interior designer for the

The QubicaAMF lanes at the Lucky Strike are both chic and comfortable.

decision, and then they modify it and makeit better. There aren’t a lot of people makingdecisions. It’s just been Foster and him.“Nobody tells you why you can’t dosomething in that company. They’ll just get it

done. It’s kind of amazing,” he said.“I’ve spent almost every waking minute on

this, and I don’t think there’s anything else likethis including any previous Lucky Strike. Thisis a groundbreaker,” said Foster.

Even in choosing the bowling equipment,Foster and his team were sensitive to theissues that San Franciscans care about, likeenergy efficiency. The new center boaststwelve bowling lanes which include a newbowling system provided by QubicaAMFcalled the TMS 10 string machine that reducespower consumption by 60% and is quieterthan traditional pinspotters.

For all of the proprietors and entreprenuersin the San Francisco bowling rebirth, theprojects are driven by not only economicopportunity, but by the sincere desire to makethe community stronger, better, more solid.From job creation to supporting the arts, thesecenters are changing the fabric of theirrespective communities. ❖

26 IBI May 2012

COVER STORY

Robin Breuner is a freelance writer and afrequent contributor to IBI. She lives inMarin County, California.

project, described the space as modern meets industrial, although they cautionagainst it falling into any specific theme. “We looked at materials such as zinc forthe bar, so there’s a gray tone to it, and that complements the concrete floor andthe white, high gloss ceiling, which is different than the typical blacked-out drop-down ceiling in their other spaces” said Azoulay. “We created these wonderful,perforated-back, metal industrial chairs and for comfort added a thin leather seatcushion. We found a table in Northern France that came out of a postal office andcreated our community tables out of this amazing new dining height.”

Other creative touches include an enormous antiqued mirror hung on anentry wall to reflect the grandness of the space, and giant lampshades measuring5 feet by 5 feet by 3 feet floating over the tables like the canopy of a tree. “SanFrancisco is a very cerebral, artistic community, and especially with the techindustry there, we wanted to make sure that’s being addressed. It’s a little bit ofa thinking man’s place,” said Azoulay. To that end, both Azoulay and Foster spokeeffusively about the Einstein Room created as an adjunct to the bowling toentertain the thinking man, woman and child. The room offers two pool tables,a flat screen trivia quiz table, vintage chess and checker game tables, Chinesecheckers, NY Times crossword puzzles, Etch-a-Sketches and Rubik’s cubesimprinted with Einstein’s face.

Azoulay said that of all his different projects, he’s been most excited about thisone because it has evolved from week to week. He said that they make a

The bar in the restaurant area.

Guests can lounge on sofas or take a seat at the bar.

The Einstein Room entertains the thinking man,woman and child by offering pool tables, a flatscreen trivia quiz table and other classic games.

28 IBI May 2012

MEMORY LANE

My Public Relations director wouldbe the late Victor (Vic) Kalman, AMF’sPR man in Europe throughout the1960s, and great idea person whocreated the QubicaAMF BowlingWorld Cup. Vic was also the formerBowling Editor of Sports Illustratedmagazine. And great ideas are whatVic was all about.

My choice for an advertising directorwould be advertising agency guru, DavidOgilvy, who Time magazine has called"the most sought after wizard in thebusiness" Ogilvy literally wrote the bookon advertising (Ogilvy on Advertising,Random House, 1983).

Who betterfor me to have as my resident

pro/instructor than my close friend ofaround 35-years, Dick Ritger, a formertouring PBA player and member ofboth the PBA and USBC Halls ofFame, and the first to be inductedinto the USBC's new BowlingCoaches Hall of Fame in June, 2008.

Another goal ofmine would be tofill the lanes inthe morningsand afternoons

with schoolbowling as

part of the curriculum.Who better to be my school

program director than Frank Sisson former owner ofthe Silver Dollar Bowl in Calgary Canada?

I arrived at Dick Weber Lanes andasked the receptionist where I wouldfind Dick. “Oh! He’s in the bar,” was thereply. Not only was Dick in the bar, hewas behind it, serving drinks, andsigning autographs, and having hisphoto taken, in a bar full ofenthusiastic fans. No contest: DickWeber is my bartender. Entertainerextrodinaire.

My choice for a receptionist would beDiane Sawyer. Yes! Diane Sawyer, thecurrent anchor of ABC News flagshipprogram, ABC World News. Hey! This isa dream team, right?

My choice toround out theteam would be Donny Davenport, aformer AMF Bowling Center technicianwho is presently the Chief mechanic atthe new Celebrity Lanes in Denver,Colorado. Former PBA member andUSBC Hall of Famer Jimmy Schroeder,who also heads up the bowling sectionfor the Special Olympics, would be my

choice for the pro-shop. For more years than either of us careto think about, Jimmy set up and ran the AMF pro-shop for 100-plus days a year, at the annual ABC National Championships,plus he ran his own pro-shop and marketed a fine line of JimmySchroeder pro-shop tools. ❖

By Paul Lane

Paul Lane is former Director of Marketing and Marketing Servicesfor AMF Bowling, Inc. He has been the director of 18 AMF WorldCups, an officer in national and international trade associations,and a pro bowler during a career that spans more than 60countries and 50 years.

his is the season of fantasy teams! Hereat IBI, we were wondering how wouldyou create your ‘”fantasy” bowlingcenter? We asked our very own Paul

Lane to share his thoughts on creating his idealcenter. Maybe this will get your creative juicesflowing too!

It’s that season again: picking your fantasy dream team. Why

not do it for bowling? Here are Paul’s picks for his dream center.

T

30 IBI May 2012

PROFILE

ome bowling coaches specialize in coachingyouth, while others focus on college and highschool age. A majority prefer to coach at theprofessional level. There is a very small minorityof coaches that can instruct at all three levels. BillLish belongs in the latter category and the

methods he employs make him one of a kind. The 68-year-old Carrollton, Texas, resident uses about 80

gadgets, most he designed himself, to visually display what hewants his students to learn through his Coach's Eye Internationalpro shop inside Lakes Lanes in The Colony.

"I needed to know how to explain visually what I had in mymind," said Lish, a United States Bowling Congress silverlevel coach and the sport's 2003 Developmental Coach of theYear. "When I use a coaching aid, people get it, becausethey can see it faster. It helps me fix their problems in waysthey understand.

Lish's aids range from the simple to the complex. Heorganizes them into 18 latched cases of different sizes that heputs into a grocery shopping cart to wheel from his pro shopat the center's entrance to the lanes where he teaches. "Tomany coaches and players, it's all about equipment ratherthan the mechanics and fixing or correcting problems," he said."It's all about new equipment to buy which can get expensiverather than teaching them the right way to bowl. If it's allabout the equipment, stand up there, throw the ball, and theequipment will do what I want it to do. I fix bad habits. Youcorrect what a person doesn't like or is doing wrong."

His lessons are done individually, in groups during his youth

league program, and weekly two-hour Sunday sessions. Thecost: just $10, well below what many coaches charge. "I'm nottrying to earn $195 once from each person," he said. "I'm tryingto get people to come back every week. Our job as coachesis to get people to like bowling and come back to bowling andstay in bowling."

Lish likes to use analogies or celebrities to whom his studentscan relate. "My analogies change every year," he said. "I haveto give them something they identify with. Each person has akey word that lets them get it."

He also knows his youth students think differently than hisadults and seniors. For example, youth keep time digitally, adultswith the numbers 1-12 on the hands of a clock and the seniorswith Roman numerals. So Lish designs his many aides to fit hisdiverse clientele. S

Contraption,

Whatsis, Doohickey

or Thing-a-ma-jig?

By Mark Miller

Texan Bill Lish uses his

unique coaching aids to make

the game accessible to all

levels of players.

Lish demonstrates an appliance directly on the arm of a student.

32 IBI May 2012

PROFILE

Lish is a firm believer that abowler is on offense on the strikeball and on defense inattempting to spare. On offensethe bowler needs to hook theball, on defense to throw itstraight. To demonstrate howfinger action determines theproper strike and spare shots,he's developed several aides.One is a small wood ball on aquarter-inch metal rod with ahandle. By itself the ball won'thook but using the fingers it will. Anotheris a bowling ball with two small wheels.There's also a 24-ounce beer can foradults and an old 16-ounce soda canfor kids. They prove how twisting thefingers makes shots curve for strikeswhile keeping them straight makes theball go straight for spares.

"There are so many ways peoplelearn," Lish said. "While one gets thePepsi can, another person gets the balland tires. Whatever way it takes to geta person to understand is what I use."

Among his other coaching aides are:� Two handles glued with a peep

sight in the middle to demonstrate thedominant eye.

� Modified laser sunglasses to helpwith shot focus.

�Bowling balls cut in half with plastictubes and pinballs inside to demonstratearm swing.

�A clipboard with a white hand andball moving through phasesof the slide and balance tohelp with follow through.

� Small paint can-sizedbuckets of water with a smallweighted ball to displaybalance.

� An old fashioned stopwatch and radar gun tomeasure ball speed.

Lish uses these aides tohelp him emphasize agradual path to success. Hepreaches patience. He seeksto take bowlers at a young

age and work with them throughouttheir lives.

Like many of his generation, Lishbowled for the first time as a teenagerwith his father and stepmother in 1958in Sepulpa, OK, near Tulsa. But his truelove was designing and building customautomobiles. "That's key in that mydesigning of my coaching aids camefrom drawing up custom cars 1,000 timesbecause I've always been visual andcreative," he said. "I take an idea andturn it into a coaching aide."

He moved to California after highschool to attend junior and businesscolleges. Realizing he couldn't makemuch of a living as an illustrator ofarchitectural drawings, he took a jobwith General Telephone Company. Hereturned to bowling in the late 1970swhen a friend he worked with askedhim to join a league. His bowling

Lish on the lanes with one of his creations.

Lish’s contraption helps to illustrate a technique point to a student.

34 IBI May 2012

PROFILE

improved to the point he considered joining the Professional BowlersAssociation. "Like a lot of PBA players, I would want to be a touring probut I had to decide if I wanted a wife and kids or be out and be a touringplayer," he said. "I also had hurt my back when I was 16 and had neverbeen physically or athletically able to be consistent enough fortournament play."

So Lish married, welcomed two children and continued with GTE. Hetransfered to North Texas in 1989, retiring from GTE in the early 1990s,and later worked on car phone engineering for MCI. He spent two yearswith a New York City startup company before returning to Texas.

In the meantime, he found bowling enjoyable enough to want to learnmore. So he attended Dick Ritger camps where he learned from the hallof famer and another teacher named Bob Rea who suggested Lish gointo coaching. "I went home and started perfecting his course and beganteaching," Lish said. "He re-inforced things like CPR and first aid, sportspsychology, how to know your athletes. I loved his system and still usehis system which focuses on the physical game and being aggressiveand smarter."

He added knowledge from other top instructors like the late hall offamer Don Johnson, former Team USA Coach Fred Borden, pro guruJohn Jowdy and ball driller Mo Pinel. He talked with sports psychologistsDr. Dean Hinitz and Dr. Eric Lasser.

Lish gradually fulfilled the requirements of the then-USA Bowlingcoaching program – Level 1, Level 2, Bronze and Silver. With the helpof the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association, helearned how to drill bowling balls for each person individually bylooking at the hand and hand structure. Too many others, he thought,did so generically. He put everything he learned into another visual aid,a color pie chart.

Now he was ready to open his first pro shop in 1999 at AMF Lewisvillenorth of Dallas. He quickly noticed too much coaching was being doneby well-meaning but untrained parents and grandparents, the resultbeing the youth left the sport too early.

He also observed too many trained high level coaches were not takinga hands-on approach with their students, concentrating on equipmentand often on only one ability level.

"Some of these coaches were teaching the science of bowling rather

than teaching someone how to bowl," Lish said."They won't stay with you long enough." So Lish,who coached Saudi Arabia's national team in 2005 andBahrain's in 2006, quickly decided he'd be differentthan what he observed.

"I decided to start at the youth level with kids whoI could work with throughout the years," he said."That way I'm growing my own students anddeveloping them at each level. I worked with everyonebut concentrated on the ones I knew would do wellover the years."

He added experts like Tony Sewell (left-handers),Ray Freeman (lane play) and future wife Denise Smyser(girls and women) to his program because bowlers maylisten better to them than to him. All stayed with himwhen he moved 10 miles east to The Colony in 2009."You have to work with someone long enough tostay with you and be with you each week," Lish said."You get to know them long enough to tell them tosit down and shut up like a Dutch uncle. Some prosare not willing to do that. People like us are not goodbowlers. There's too much information to spread sowe're not worried about having to do well to win atournament."

Lish averages in the 190s in Friday night couples andThursday senior leagues but even as he's concentratingon knocking down his own pins, he's still looking fornew ways to help his students knock down theirs. "Ican't give it up," he said. "Even then, I'm trying to helpthe people on both sides of me." ❖

Mark Miller is a freelance writer from Flower Mound,Texas. He is the national and Dallas-Fort Worth bowlingwriter for Examiner.com and a columnist for theBowling News Network.

A shopping cart full of tools of Lish’s trade help accommodateand modify the sport for students.

Students pay close attention to Lish’s coaching.

36 IBI May 2012

SHOWCASE

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PERMA FASCIAPRODUCTSPerma Fascia Productsserve both practical andcosmetic purposes. Fromcustom ball racks to updated approach areas, Langlo will fulfillyour center’s needs. They also offer a glow-in-the-dark option.In addition to fascia, we manufacture USBC approved HDPEreplacement parts, flat gutters, pin deck edge boards, kickplates, and much more. For additional information, please callDon Lundgren at 800-553-6606.

40 IBI May 2012

t was always fun watching the old movies showing thelaunching of a newly built ship. The beautiful actresssmashes the champagne bottle, the ship magically

starts its smooth glide down the ramp, its sleek hull barelycausing a wave as it enters the water.

We may not have beautiful actresses, and we don’t wantto waste the champagne, but it’s still exciting to be part ofthe launch of Beyond Bowling. I’ve been an admirer of ScottFrager’s, and more recently Chris Holmes’, work atInternational Bowling Industry. I’ve had the pleasure of gettingto know them and the IBI staff over the last few years, andlearning a lot about the bowling industry in the process. Ourfriendship began as I contributed several articles to IBI in recentyears, reporting on the growing development of what we nowcall the “BEC” the Bowling Entertainment Center. I’ve comeat this as a family entertainment guy. I started in operationsin the mall arcade business which, in the late 80s, evolved intobigger box, more diversified, FECs or family entertainmentcenters. We took a long look at bowling as an FEC attractionas early as 1991 but couldn’t quite pull the trigger. It was 1998before I was personally involved in the management of afacility combining bowling and traditional FEC attractions. Thatwas Sports Plus in Long Island, NY, which was an early pioneerbut did not quite integrate all the great FEC attractions withthe fun and magic of bowling.

That’s all changed now. The model has been refined andits economics proven. The BEC is here to stay. Having beena part of these developments over the last few years, Pinnacleand IBI believe there is a crying need to establish a vehiclewithin IBI that will showcase and bring focus to BEC issues,trends, and best practices. We willwork together to earn your trust,your loyalty as readers, and yourrespect as proprietors as we worktogether to build Beyond Bowlinginto an industry force.

Hope you enjoy it,

According To George Chris’ Corner

INTRO

I hen I came to IBI all of 15 months ago, myperspective of the bowling world was that ofmost average Americans: “a bowling alley is

any place that has bowling.”Little did I know that the business had been evolving for

a number of years to spawn a variety of facilities that haveso much more to offer than just bowling that the term“alley” would not do them justice. From BowlingEntertainment Centers, to ultra-cool bowling lounges, tobowling bistros, there is so much more to the bowlingbusiness today than just rental shoes and pinsetters.Traditional bowling houses are incorporating different kindsof amenities to get customers in the door and keep themthere. Whether it is the latest in arcade gaming technology,the hottest new attraction, eye-popping theming ideas ordelicious food and beverage options, there are more reasonsthan ever before to head to a bowling center.

Beyond Bowling was created to bring stories of thepeople and centers that are on the cutting edge of thebowling world’s evolution. I hope that the information willinspire you to think of the next step in your center’sdevelopment to make it more appealing to customers andthus more profitable. Partnering with George McAuliffe onthis new endeavor, there is no doubt you will not have anydifficulty finding that next gem of an idea.

This first installment of Beyond Bowling is just thebeginning, and I encourage you to actively participate ingrowing this project. Join the Beyond Bowling group onwww.bowlingindustry.com for the chance to feature yourcenter in a future edition of Beyond Bowling.

To the future and beyond!

W

Chris HolmesDirector of Advertising,International BowlingIndustry

George McAuliffePresident, PinnacleEntertainment Advisors

42 IBI May 2012

ndy Bartholomy didn’t set out to become one ofthe kings of the modern Bowling EntertainmentCenter, or, BEC. It was a classic case of necessity

being the mother of invention. In 2006-07, at the start of theeconomic downturn, Bartholomy Bowling’s Tulsa, OK, RiverLanes was an 80-lane building with a 40-lane business. Theyneeded to beef up the ancillary profits but were not sure howso they decided to check into the growing familyentertainment business, or FEC.

Before jumping in with both feet, Bartholomy and hispartners certainly did their due diligence. They discussed thepossibilities with their management team, spoke with otherproprietors and then met with Kurt Harz, John Roush and theirteam at Brunswick. In the emerging BEC market, there was

no set template to follow. They attended the IAAPA(International Association of Amusement Parks andAttractions) and other non-bowling FEC trade shows.

After weighing all the options available, Bartholomydecided that an indoor electric go-kart facility would be theperfect anchor. The sports theme tied in nicely with theexisting center, the capacity was just right, the team likedthe excitement the new venue would generate and itwould be a great opportunity to package a fun new productfor birthdays and corporate parties. While Bartholomy and

Transforming a Business GOING BEYOND By Jackie Wyckoff

Proprietor Andy Bartholomy, Brunswick and Pinnacle EntertainmentAdvisors team up to transform a chain of bowling centers to BECs.

A

Andy B’s all lit up and ready for a busy night.

The ”command center” of Andy B’s is the best of form and function.

his team didn’t exactly reinvent the BEC wheel, theycertainly set the standard and created a working model forhow to do it right.

Once Bartholomy’s team was committed to the BECconcept, adding a redemption game room was the naturalevolution. A well-planned, designed and operatedredemption game room is a solid investment with very goodreturns and good risk management. When they researchedfamily entertainment attractions, they discovered there arevery few profit options which spans both the age and genderappeal that a redemption game room can provide. RiverLanes developed its own in house game room team, initially

Andy Bartholomy receiving the Brunswick Center of Excellence award from JohnRoush, left, regional director for Brunswick, and Sharon Moony, right, the generalmanager of Andy B's Tulsa.

44 IBI May 2012

including general manager Sharon Mooney andgame room and go-karts manager Saul Scribner.Bartholomy has found that redemption revenueaverage per game was consistently higher thanvideo games, and redemption sales held steadyover longer periods of time.

With the new attractions, transformation of theexisting building and reinvention of the business,River Lanes became “Andy B’s” in April of 2008.But this was just the start of the Andy B’s story.The results at Andy B’s, Tulsa, were an excellentreturn on investment. The redemption arcadeconcept integrated so well into the businessthat the team wanted to apply it to the otherBarthlomy Bowling centers. They immediatelybegan to modernize the existing game room and added a redemption arcade tothe 36-lane Broken Arrow center in Broken Arrow, OK.

In 2010 Bartholomy addressed entertainment in his Starlite Lanes in Lebanon,MO. Even though Starlite is a small center and had no room for a game room, hemodernized where he could with 12 brand new games. In December, 2011, hemodernized the game room in his home base location, Battlefield Lanes inSpringfield, MO, adding approximately 28 games and a redemption center. A fifthcenter, Bartlett Lanes in Bartlett, TN, is currently undergoing a full renovation witha state of the art redemption game room on the scale of Andy B's in Tulsa.

Redemption games have a high entertainment value which is defined as the sumof every sensory input that a game has, plus the time of play. It is a complicated

formula, but the ticket payout percentand hit frequency of each redemptiongame in a location must be set inrelation to all the other redemptiongames. This will ‘balance out’ eachgame so it has an equal opportunityof giving customers ‘fair value’ fortheir money and time. Of course, thebetter games will still earn morebecause their higher entertainmentvalue exceeds a small reduction intheir ticket payout percent. The rightmix of games and attractions keepsvisitors engaged and buying.

The floor plan, attraction selection,and theme development can have anenormous impact on the bottom lineof a family entertainment center.Bartholomy credits PinnacleEntertainment Advisors for helpingto enhance the center’s layout tomaximize profitability and guestsatisfaction. They worked directly withthe architect/design firm CornerstoneArchitechture to create a modern,vibrant floor plan that keeps guestsinteracting within the facility, increasingrevenue and higher probability forrepeat visits.

The Andy B’s team trains thecenter staff on Bartholomy Bowling’sgame room standards and systems,with Pinnacle’s help on the operationsside. Saul Scribner of Andy B’s, Tulsa,is the director of the in-housetechnical support department andtrains the new centers’ staff ontechnical standards.

The indoor go-karts area has been a big draw to Andy B’s.

46 IBI May 2012

technical support department and trains the newcenters’ staff on technical standards.

The last of the major factors in how they executetheir redemption game rooms is the Debit or“swipe” card system. They have used the EmbedCard system in three of the five centers where theyupgraded game operations. Bartholomy is a bigbeliever in the power of debit card systems totransform the business, and not just in the gameroom. Andy B’s integrates every aspect of thebusiness into the debit card system from gameroom, bowling and other attractions to food andbeverage. It’s an important part of the Andy B’sexperience.

Bartholomy cautions proprietors that aredemption arcade requires the same commitmentof management time and resources as any otheraspect of a business. It is important to recognize thatthis isn’t just “open up your game room and come

High design brings a sophisticated effect to the bowling lanes.

in once a week to collect the money.” Do yourhomework; understand how the game roomand family entertainment attractions in generalcan be integrated in a way to transform yourbusiness. Get some professional assistance inareas you don’t know and understand all thealternatives. Bartholomy Bowling has hadexcellent results in the four centers where they

added redemption game rooms and, thanks to meticulous planningand execution, expect the same in their Bartlett, TN, Andy B’s

Andy B’s Tulsa BEC earned the 2009 Brunswick Center of ExcellenceAward. Bartholomy Bowling centers include Andy B’s and BrokenArrow Lanes, Tulsa and Heritage Lanes in Oklahoma City, OK;Battlefield Lanes in Springfield, MO, Buckhorn Lanes in Waynesville,MO, and Starlight Lanes in Lebanon MO; locations in Tennessee areWinchester Bowl in Memphis and Bartlett Lanes in Bartlett – whichis currently in the process of modernizing and transforming into anAndy B’s. ❖

Photos courtesy of Cornerstone Architecture.

A clean and free-flowing redemption area is inviting to patrons.

The redemption counter looks chocked and full of prizes yet organized and isaccessible from all areas of the center.

Jackie Wyckoff, who started bowling in 1968, is a San Francisco (CA) Bay Areanative, avid Giants fan and gourmet chef. She was President of the BowlingWriters Association of America, 2009-2011. Wyckoff has worked andvolunteered in the bowling industry since 1972 with jobs including CenterManager, USBC (WIBC) Association President and Writer and Promoter forall things Bowling. She was a PWBA Regional Player with several state andlocal titles to her credit.

48 IBI May 2012

owling-anchored FECs are the hottest trend in thefamily entertainment center industry. Bowling is theleading asset to the mix; it is the prime draw and

anchor. Bowling appeals to a wide age group as shown inbowling leagues from toddlers to seniors. The appeal extendsto both genders and every segment in terms of age diversity.With the addition of redemption arcades, laser tag, miniaturegolf and even theater screens, that appeal is widened and helpsdiversify the audience. Bowling FEC attractions provideentertainment capacity for parties and groups, including aserious corporate component.

With many bowling centers in their fourth and fifth year ofredemption operation, we have a track record to examine.There are two models to draw comparisons: (1) newconstruction, ground-up bowling FECs and (2) traditionalbowling centers that convert existing space into familyentertainment. Because the market is mostly from the secondcategory, let’s focus on the traditional center thatadds/converts space to family entertainment.

The Game MixEach center is personalized for its market, but today’s

numbers often reflect a game mix of roughly 80% redemption(including cranes and merchandisers), 10% video and 10%miscellaneous novelty pieces like photobooths, air hockeyand others. Within that mix, we create sub-sections of gamecategories to serve different age groups. Our objective is todraw the whole family, both together as a unit and separatelyas individual members. A good attraction mix will expandappeal which helps to eliminate “veto votes” and gets thewhole family in the car for a visit to the local FEC.

Investment LevelsBoth new and traditional centers have similar economic

considerations. The process starts with space allocation and“right sizing” the gameroom. Many bowling proprietorsmake a common error in building the wrong size game room,often too large. Sales volume does not necessarily equate tonumber of games. For example, a center might reach$800,000 in annual sales in a 1,200 square foot game roomwith only 25 games. “Right sizing,” which takes into accountthe center’s overall traffic, maximizes the return on investment.

The game mix dictates the game investment, and this is

where a professional would be helpful. By knowing thegames that will perform best at the lowest cost will give thegreatest value to proprietors. With this game performanceknowledge, the proprietor can choose the most cost efficientgame, ie. Game A which may cost $5,000 and should average$300 per week, vs. Game B with the same sales productionat a cost of $10,000. Including good used games fromtrusted sources to average down the overall game cost is asmart move for proprietors. With the mix of new andrefurbished games, the cost generally averages about $6,500per game. With a gaming professional, the proprietor canmaximize the “player-station-to-game-cabinet” ratio,maximizing player capacity with the selected games.

Operating EconomicsIllustrated in the example below is the arcade size in

comparison to bowling lanes. Excess lanes can be convertedto arcade space, and this chart help create some perspective.Here’s a snapshot estimate P&L for a 2,400 square footredemption game room:

Economic Analysis: A bowling lane consumes 690 squarefeet; four lanes equals space for 40 games. A state-of-the artselection of 40 games plus other items such as a debit cardsystem, merchandise inventory and other consumablesshould be just north of $310,000. Sales per game per weekcould be as high as $200 or more, but this illustration usesa realistic number of $150. That yields a little over $300,000

The Bowling FEC 101: How to Begin

B

BEC/FEC BASICS By George McAuliffe

Investment –– 2,400 sq. ft.�# Lanes Displaced(690 SF per Lane).............................................................4# Games .............................................................................40GameCost ($6500)..................................................$260,000Other .........................................................................$50,000Total Investment ................................................$310,000Sales at $150 Game per Week ...........................$312,000

Merchandise Cost of Sales (15%).............................$46,800Other Cost of Sales (3%)..............................................$9,360Direct Labor (15%).....................................................$46,800Parts & Service ($100 per Game/Year) ......................$4,000Total Expenses ........................................................$106,960Gross Profit .............................................................$205,040Less Reinvestment in New Games

(5% Year) ...................................................................$30,000Net Income From Games...................................$175,040Cash On Cash Return ................................................56%

in sales. Using operational economics,the games should be able to deliver$175K in net income (gross profit lessthe cost of new games), a healthyreturn on investment.

Reinvestment in new games is oftenoverlooked but is a key to maintainingrevenues at a high level over time.The recommended budgeting is 5% ofannual sales (net of trade in). Adiversified bowling center deliversadditional revenues and benefits.Multiple attractions draw more peopleto the site where they bowl, eat, drinkand play games. The center tends todo business in more day parts. Pricepackaging allows for delivering morevalue and fun. When that happens,people stay longer and come backmore often. Parties and groups areattracted to the wide appeal.

Financing the InvestmentThere are three basic ways to

finance the state-of-the-art redemptiongame room:

1. Center owns: cash or classic loanthrough bank or game-asset-basedlenders. If the center is willing to learnthis new business segment and providequality management time andattention, this is the most profitableapproach.

2. Center owns/leases: essentiallysame as the first option except thefinancing is structured as a lease(much like a car lease).

3. Contract with a third-party gameoperator: A game operator providesgames and service. If a center owner

49IBI May 2012

does not have the capital or is not willing to invest in learning game operationsup front and commit to managing the game room, then an outside operatorcan be the best choice.

There are pros and cons to all three approaches, and a goodprofessional on the proprietor’s team can help the proprietor decidewhat will work best for each project.

ConclusionCertain businesses, those that are capital intensive with mostly fixed costs,

qualify for the term “top line businesses.” With the up front investment in games,a predictable labor cost to staff the room, constant rent or occupancy costs, anda formula reserve for new games, most redemption game rooms are top line

businesses. Once breakeven is achieved, a huge percentage of each additional salesdollar flows to net profit.

The percentage cost of merchandise sold is what determines the value equationfor the customers, or better known as players. Once merchandise is “right sized”for the game mix and the operation, it should be treated as a fixed expense andleft alone. Once the cost of sales is zeroed in, a great redemption operator’s focusshifts to driving the top-line sales.

We commonly plan for the player’s redemption games to pay out tickets witha merchandise value equal to about 18% to 20% of their sales. Since there is a naturalfloat in tickets paid out but not redeemed (tickets are taken home and saved, lost,etc.), the value of tickets actually redeemed to equal about 15% to 18% of theredemption sales.

This means that once the breakeven is attained, for every $1 in sales the playerspends, they receive back 15 cents in wholesale merchandise cost. IF the job is doneright, the player will be happy with their winnings, and the proprietor will be happywith the profits.

Doing the job right involves having a good system to pull together the many movingparts required to create a high-perceived value experience in the arcade. ❖

By George McAuliffe, President of Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors

The redemption area at the new Lucky Jack's in Traverse City, MI.

50 IBI May 2012

1. So, tell me about Grand Pix New YorkGPNY is a 120,000 square foot family and corporate

entertainment complex in Mount Kisco, New York, that hasindoor go-kart racing, bowling, arcade and carnival area, afull restaurant & bar, and finally, a large event space for200+ people.

2. How did you get into the business?We decided to build a premier indoor go-kart facility with

a focus on corporate events. We are located in WestchesterCounty, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut is rightnext door. Both are affluent counties with strong corporatepresences, plus we are located within 30 miles of New YorkCity, and we felt that there was an opportunity to cater to theregional demand for entertainment based event space.

3. You have a beautiful bowling boutique. How did thatcome about?

Racing was successful, but we quickly saw that social eventswere a much bigger part of our business than we originallyexpected. We felt that we could increase revenues further bybroadening the product mix and becoming a more familyfocused facility. We added bowling, and now the arcade andcarnival areas. We use Brunswick for the bowling alley and theyhave proven to be a truly fantastic partner.

4. So you are actively evolving your business. Whatdrives your thought process in considering addingcomplimentary attractions?

We’re looking at how the potential product mix will driverevenues across our different customer bases. Two thirds ofour business is made up of either corporate or social events,and the balance is walk in business. So we are constantlytrying to refine the mix in order to drive revenues across eachof those segments.

5. You opened a redemption game room in April of thisyear; tell us a little more about the thought process specificto the game room.

One on One with Bill Diamondof Grand Prix New York

ENGAGING INTERVIEW

George McAuliffe spent a few minutes with Bill to ask somebasic questions about his FEC business.

We already had a few gamessprinkled around the facility, whichwere always busy, and we realizedthat the arcade area could becomea much larger attraction for thefacility. Racing is labor intensive,and there is often a wait to race, and so two things that we’recompelling about increasing our arcade focus was that this areahas a much lower labor cost, and also gives our customerssomething additional to do while they wait to race. Also, byusing an Embed card solution, rather than tokens, we will beable to tie the cards into the entire facility, enabling ourmarketing team to come up with a wide range of packagesand offerings.

6. Is food and beverage a significant part of the mix, orjust an amenity to existing traffic?

Food and beverage has always been very significant in thecontext of our event business. Restaurant sales were not assignificant when we were a racing-only facility, but since weadded bowling the restaurant volume has tripled. Having a topquality restaurant means that our customers can linger longerin the facility.

7. Where do you see GPNY in five years?We believe that the recent addition of bowling and the

expanded arcade will help position GPNY as a true destinationfor family and corporate entertainment for years to come.

8. Any other wisdom you care to share for our readersadding other attractions to their business?

We were surprised by the amount of revenue we couldgenerate with the arcade and redemption games. We feel thatadding this sort of a product mix for a bowling alley is almosta ‘no brainer’. And we try to focus a great deal on evaluatingour product mix and customer base, to make sure that at theend of the day our ‘product’ fits the market. Also, utilizing acard system for payment instead of tokens allows for expandedflexibility with promotions and offerings. ❖

Bill Diamond in his MountKisco, NY, office.

51

ometimes, the opportunity is right in front of us andwe can’t see it. All the signs are there, and yet all ofour experience and our beliefs blind us from

seeing the real opportunities that are before us. Howmany of you read the title of this article and saw thewords “Opportunity is nowhere?” If that is what youare convinced that you read, you arecorrect. The interesting thing aboutthe title is that if you take anotherlook at it and with a little guidanceyou will see that the title of this articleis “Opportunity is now here.” I wouldlike to think the latter statement istrue for the bowling industry. It is upto each of us in this industry to seizethe opportunity and redefine thedirection by truly understanding whatour customers really value and take aclose look at our options to providethat opportunity to them.

Apply new and innovativetechnology to attract newcustomers.

Most centers already have thelatest and greatest in bowlingtechnology to make the experienceuser-friendly, but now it is time tolook elsewhere in your center tocreate tailored experiences thatcustomers will pay incremental moneyfor. Believe it or not, vending is on the cuttingedge of modern technology by creating specialty,state-of-the art and user-friendly machines.

Offer a wide variety of options. We all know of the variety of attractions that can be

incorporated into a bowling center, but have you everconsidered that a vending machine could offer a fun

experience for a customer? An example of sucha machine is the Cotton Candy Factory byVendever. With cotton candy being an item thatcannot be picked up at the store, people get

excited seeing the novelty treat createdright in front of them.

Create value for both yourcustomer and YOU.

The sweet spot for you as a proprietoris offering your customers somethingthat they perceive as having a value butalso something that has a high marginand ROI. The sweetest part for operatorsof the Cotton Candy Factory is a productcost of 10 cents and a selling price of$3.00. Quick math will show a 96% grossprofit margin. WOW!

The “Opportunity is Now Here”and it is up to you to redefineyour future.

The fully automated "COTTONCANDY FACTORY" produces the finestcotton candy. The candy is servedperfectly shaped, dry, fluffy and non-sticky in less than a minute. Usingordinary table sugar, it is easy to clean

andmaintain with no cheap plastics to break, discoloror need to be replaced over time. With gross profit marginsat 96%, operators not only pay off the machine faster thanother vending machines, they create the ongoing customerimpulse buy and also add incremental cash sales. ❖

Rick Leffke is CEO of VendEver, LLC.

“OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE”

S

EDUMARKETING By Rick Leffke

IBI May 2012

WWW.VENDEVER.COM(888) 586-5368 • sales@vendever.com

– FINANCING AVAILABLE –

52 IBI May 2012

DATEBOOK

MAY2, 9 &16Steltronic One-Day ScoringShowcaseIn order of dates: Detroit, MI;Milwaukee, WI; & Charlotte, NCFor info: Patrice@steltronic.com800-942-5939

7-11Brunswick European PinsetterTraining SessionsGS Series & Vector ScoringHungary. For info email:Siggi.Hill@brunbowl.comwww.brunswick.com

14 – 25A-2 Pinsetter MaintenanceSchoolCharger Lanes, Norton, OHFor info call Frank Miroballi540-325-7684 or email Frankm1441@aol.com

21Illinois State BPA Board ofDirectors MeetingMarriott Hotel & ConferenceCenter, Normal, ILBill Duff – billduff@bowlillinois.com847-982-1305

21-23BCA of Ohio Convention & TradeShowCrowne Plaza, DublinPat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

22Free Live Webinar“Top 10 Guerrilla MarketingIdeas, Programs, Tactics and Strategies for theBowling Business”Presenter: Paul Kreins9 a.m. – 10 a.m. (Pacific time)Register at:www3.gotomeeting.com/regis-ter/303322566

31 – 6/32012 Hall of Fame Extravaganza(BPAA & USBC)Red Rock Casino Resort & SpaLas Vegas, NVDavid Garber, 702-495-4249;david.garber@stationscasinos.com

JUNE3-5Kansas State BPA AnnualMeetingChateau on the Lake, Branson, MO Mary Thurber, 913-638-1817

4-15A-2 Pinsetter MaintenanceSchoolCharger Lanes, Norton, OHFor info call Frank Miroballi540-325-7684 or email Frankm1441@aol.com

23Pairings Party – Bowl ExpoEldorado Hotel Casino, Reno, NVPre golf tournament mixer forteam selectionsInfo: 888-649-5585www.bowlexpo.com

24Bowl Expo Golf Tournament8 a.m. Wolf Run Golf Club7 a.m. transportation fromEldorado HotelInfo: 888-649-5585www.bowlexpo.com

24-29BOWL EXPO 2012Silver Legacy, Eldorado & CircusCircus, Reno, NVTrade Show: Reno SparksConvention Ctr. 800-343-1329www.bowlexpo.com

258th Annual Bowl Expo KaraokeContest presented by TheLighting Store

Eldorado Showroom, Reno, NVCJ Fox, 888-746-54383email:cj@soundandlightkaraoke.com

JULY20-22Independent BowlingOrganization ShowBavarian Inn Lodge,Frankenmuth, MIScott Bennett, 248-408-0200Scott@bowl-mail.com

30 – 8/1Striking SixtiesBowling Centers Association ofMichigan Soaring Eagle Casinoand Resort, Mt. Pleasant, MI Ken Prokopec, 800-833-2695

OCTOBER4BCA of Ohio Executive Board MeetingEmbassy Suites, Columbus2700 Corporate Exchange Dr.Pat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

7-8BCA of Ohio Fall Seminar &MeetingEmbassy suites, Columbus2700 Corporate Exchange Dr.Pat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

14-17East Coast Bowling CentersConventionRevel (www.revelresorts.com)Atlantic City, NJFor info: www.eastcoastbowl.com800-343-1329 ext. 8451

15-19Brunswick European PinsetterTraining SessionsGS Series & Vector ScoringHungary. For info email:Siggi.Hill@brunbowl.comwww.brunswick.com

IBI Official magazine of the convention

IBI

53IBI May 2012

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WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details(248) 375-2751.

NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

54 IBI May 2012

CLASSIFIEDSEQUIPMENT FOR SALE

FOR SALE: 18-lane bowling equipment:Brunswick A-2 pinsetters, lockers, ballpolisher, auto scorers. Make offer.Barber Realty Co. (334) 872-0478.

FRAMEWORX SCORING PARTS: Priced toSELL. Sold by the lane or individual parts.Quantity discounts. Contact Bill Rossman @Parkway Bowl (619) 448-4111 or email:bill-r@nd-inc.com.

CENTERS FOR SALECENTERS FOR SALE

CENTRAL WISCONSIN: 12 lanes, autoscoring, Anvilane synthetics, 82-70s. Greatfood sales. Yearly tournament. Attached,large 3 bedroom apartment w/ fireplace.$550K. (715) 223-8230.

16-lane center in Southern Coloradomountains. Great condition. 18,000s/f building w/ restaurant & lounge.Paved parking 100 + vehicles.Established leagues & tournaments.$950,000 or make offer. Kipp (719) 852-0155.

NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor &Bowling. Established 8 lanes between Mpls& Duluth w/ large bar, dining room,banquet area. Two large Stateemployment facilities nearby. High sixfigure gross. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089.www.majesticpine.com.

NW KANSAS: 12-lane center, AS-80s,Lane Shield, snack bar, pro shop, game &pool rooms. See pics andinfo @ www.visitcolby.com or contactCharles (785) 443-3477.

EQUIPMENT WANTED

17” Magic Score tabletop monitors.(419) 668-9933. WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

55IBI May 2012

CLASSIFIEDS

CENTERS FOR SALE

SOUTHWEST KANSAS: well-maintained8-lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant.Includes business and real estate. Nice,smaller community. Owner retiring.$212,000. Leave message (620) 397-5828.

NEW YORK STATE: Thousand Islandregion. 8-lane Brunswick center w/ cosmicbowling, auto scoring. Established leagues+ many improvements. $309,000. Call Jill@ Lori Gervera Real Estate (315) 771-9302.

UPSTATE NEW YORK: 8-lane center/commercial building built in 1992.Synthetic lanes, new automatic scoring,kitchen and room to expand! Reduced tosell @ $375,000. Call (315) 376-3611.

CENTERS FOR SALE

GEORGIA: busy 32-lane center, realestate included. Great location in one offastest growing counties in metro Atlanta.5 years new with all the amenities.Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One ofthe top five places to move! Remodeled32-lane center. Good numbers. $3.1mgets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828)253-0362.

CENTRAL IDAHO: 8-lane center andrestaurant in central Idaho mountains.Small town. Only center within 60-mileradius. Brunswick A-2 machines;Anvilane lane beds; automatic scoring.(208) 879-4448.

EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-laneBrunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thruliquor store in small college town. Also, 3apartment buildings with 40 units, goodrental history. Call (701) 330-7757 or (701)430-1490.

GEORGIA: 32-lane center – strongleagues & good demographics in suburbanAtlanta. Leased building with opportunityto expand. Jetbacks, synthetics, Accuscoreall in good condition. Call Ken Paton (503)645-5630.

Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940

on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com

AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • FrameworxSERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL

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�New Center Construction �Family Entertainment Centers�Residential Bowling Lanes�Modernization�Mini Bowling Lanes�Automatic Scoring

Toll Free: (866) 961-7633Office: (734) 469-4293

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CONTACT BRIAN ESTES

56 IBI May 2012

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57IBI May 2012

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WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

CENTERS FOR SALE

NE NEVADA: New 2001. 16 lanes, 19,200square feet, 1.68 acres paved, sound &lighting, lounge w/ gaming, arcade, fullservice snack bar & pro shop. Call (775)934-1539.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS: PRICED TOSELL!! 8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, fullservice restaurant, pro shop. Plus pooltables, karaoke machine & DJ system.Asking $125,000.00 with RE. (217) 351-5152 or toms-uvl@sbcglobal.net.

CENTERS FOR SALE

MINNESOTA: 8-lane Brunswick center w/liquor license. Good condition. Greatopportunity. $99,000. Call Ray, XtremeTrophy Properties, (218) 790-1468.

CENTERS FOR SALE

SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA: CleanRETRO 8-lane bowling center, lounge, food,liquor store & established leagues. Call (402)224-4725.

58 IBI May 2012

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SERVICES AVAILABLE

Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring BallRepair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com.

AMF 65-25 CHASSIS: Conversion,Repair, Replace & Exchange. Includesrewiring, requested repairs, conversion toMK 30 board system and convertingchassis to new PR system whereapplicable. Cash customers—buy 3, getone FREE. TOTAL SATISFACTIONGUARANTEED! References available.CHASSIS DOCTORS (330) 314-8951.

See a list that will help centers fill lanes w/1200+ New Bowlers, Birthday Parties &Corporate Outings that generate $15,800—a600% ROI from 4 payments starting at $378.Visit mcprs.bmamkt.com or call (888) 243-0685.

BOSS Scoring packages & componentrepair. (712) 253-8730

CENTERS FOR SALE

SOUTHERN IDAHO: Profitable, Well-Maintained, Family Oriented Bowling Center.12 wooden lanes w/ AMF 82-70s, Qubicascoring, Cosmic Bowl & automatic bumpers.Food/beverage (58% of revenues); openbowling (37%). Asking $360,000 includesRE. Call Dave, Arthur Berry & Co., (208)639-6167.

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN: LARGEcenter. Priced at severe discount due tounique situation. Excellent physicalcondition. Solid revenue. Perfect turn keyopportunity. Contact (248) 252-1427 orbowlingcentersales@gmail.com.

IDAHO, Rigby: 8 lanes, Brunswick A-2s;refinished wooden lanes, snack bar, manyupgrades throughout. Dropped to $65,000.Long term lease. VERY MOTIVATED!! (208)535-9905; www.arthurberry.com.

CENTRAL MINNESOTA: 8-lane Brunswickcenter, 18,000 s/f, with restaurant, gameroom & banquet facility for 400. Turnkeyoperation. $235,000. Averaging $250,000+last 5 years. Call Dave or Cindy @ (320) 843-4040; cell (320) 808-6521.

ARE YOU A FAN OF BOWLING?www.Facebook.com/BowlingFan

59IBI May 2012

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(818) 789-2695

SELL YOUR CENTEROR EQUIPMENT

FAST!WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

60 IBI May 2012

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The leading source for real estate loans with low down payments

Ken Paton(503) 645-5630

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We could not have gottenWe could not have gottenour loan without him.our loan without him.

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Danny & Daryl TuckerDanny & Daryl TuckerTucker Bowling Equipment Co. Bowling Parts, Inc.609 N.E. 3rd St. P.O. Box 801Tulia, Texas 79088 Tulia, Texas 79088Call (806) 995-4018 Call (806) 995-3635Fax (806) 995-4767 Email - daryl@tuckerbowling.com

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AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC boardrepair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fastturnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service

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61IBI May 2012

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POSITION WANTED

Seeking managerial position:EXPERIENCED manager/district manager ofsingle & multiple unit centers; specializing inturn around centers; great customer serviceskills, inventory and payroll controls and P &L controls. References and resume availableupon request. Email:schronce.tony@yahoo.com or leave message@ (817) 232-2219.

Former center owner with 15 years all aroundexperience as GM, league promoter, A-levelBrunswick mechanic, scoring system installerand lane technician. Well suited for manypositions. Call Mitch at (808) 443-3868.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

OPERATING PARTNER WANTED! PA ORNJ. Experienced, skilled and energeticperson looking for a challenge. Full-service,Entertainment Facilities. Must have greatcustomer service skills, smile and ability togrow business. Own a piece of the Rock! Sendresume to: PartnerWantedNow@gmail.com.

MECHANIC WANTED

For 82-70 pinsetters with FrameworXscoring. Frankfurt, KY. Daniel (502) 875-3610.

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Don't miss your chance to grow withan Industry Leader! Looking forExperienced, Service-OrientedGeneral Managers for our U.S.bowling retail center locations.Please check us out atwww.brunswickcareers.apply2jobs.com for more details on our currentopenings. Act Now! Apply Today!

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efinitely going for a different time and different sensibility… or as we say inthe hood, “not very PC.” However 48 years ago, smoking was just one ofthose activities one did or not, but it was no big deal.

In looking back over the Remember Whens we have published, IBI has yet to focuson a cigarette ad; beer andalcohol seem to pass the testbut smoking stands alone inthe playground.

This Winston ad showsbowling, fun and smoking asintegral parts of a whole.

What better way tocelebrate a strike than to“light up a smoke” with afriend and savor the moment.The wooden pin rounds outthe “back in the day” lookmany of us remember.

1964 was the year, andthere were 5,321 BPAAmember centers acrossthe U.S. and an ABCmembership of 4,550,000.This was the height of thegolden age of bowling, butit was just the beginning ofa surge of young bowlerswith the YABA touting313,848 members andgrowing. ❖

1964

62 IBI May 2012

REMEMBER WHEN

D