IBI February 2015

CONTENTS

VOL 23.2

6 ISSUE AT HAND

18 PROFILE

Of Boulders and Bowling Balls

More Than a Coach Wichita's Gordon Vadakin succeeds on and off the lanes.

By Scott Frager

By Mark Miller

8 SHORTS • Salute to Rex Golobic • World Bowling moves to Switzerland • Juan Cabezas takes helm at QubicaAMF • Popularity of bowling lane weddings on the rise

14

25 BEYOND BOWLING • Amusement Expo Preview • ’No Problem,’ Big Problem • Rolling Like Thunder at OCC Chopper Alley • Let’s do it the Funway • “Beyond Bowling” Showcase • Viewpoint

By Patty Heath

50 CONVENTION 2015 Bowling Summit Highlights

14 FEATURE

By David Garber

The American Dream Realized at Rancho Bowl As Viki Murray renovates the beloved center in Santa Maria, California, the legacy of her father and family lives on.

20

52 BPAA NEWS First of the prestigious BPAA awards announced for 2015.

By David Garber

62 REMEMBER WHEN Archie Andrews

20 COVER STORY

By Patty Heath

Delivering the Future High-tech giants’ cutting-edge technology is changing the way we engage customers.

56 Classifieds 61 Datebook 36

February 2015

frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER David Garber garber@bowlingindustry.com

OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com

CONTRIBUTORS David Garber Fred Groh Patty Heath Anna M. Littles George McAuliffe Mark Miller Robert Sax Joe Schumacker

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424

FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)

12655 Ventura Boulevard Studio City, CA 91604 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com

www.BowlingIndustry.com

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy of International Bowling Industry is sent free to every bowling center, independently owned pro shop and collegiate bowling center in the U.S., and every military bowling center and pro shop worldwide. Publisher reserves the right to provide free subscriptions to those individuals who meet publication qualifications. Additional subscriptions may be purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50 per year. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $65 per year, all other foreign subscriptions are $80 per year. All foreign subscriptions should be paid in U.S. funds using International Money Orders.

POSTMASTER: Please send new as well as old address to International Bowling Industry, 12655 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label.

Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2015, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.

MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

By Robert Sax

IBI

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager

HOTLINE: 888-424-2695

By Anna M. Littles

4

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

THE ISSUE AT HAND

Of Boulders and Bowling Balls I’m pretty sure you wound up the holiday season like I did. Dead tired.

Maybe you were a little grumpy, too, like me.

Your crew probably started the new year weary as well.

They’re always fighting the good fight, day after day, taking care of needy corporate party planners and moms looking to make their offsprings’ birthday parties the very best ever. No doubt they were tired and run-down.

Well, it’s 2015 now and there’s no time to spend staring at the past. It’s imperative we rally, incentivize and inspire our troops to polish and hone their skills in order make this year even better than last. Just like the start of every other year.

It’s a never-ending process that reminds me of the story in Greek mythology of King Sisyphus. Sisyphus was punished by the Greek gods by having to roll a huge boulder up a hill

only to watch it roll down, and to repeat the process for eternity.

Sisyphus’ curse sounds familiar, right? Except, of course, our boulders are bowling balls.

In the pages of IBI, I’m confident you’ll find the tools you’ll need to recharge your batteries, re-energize your team, and think differently.

Take a special look at our cover story this month.

Here, you’ll learn about some of today’s most acute businessmen whose investment in bowling “apps” testifies to the robustness and vibrancy of our industry.

While Sisyphus was destined to roll that boulder up the hill for eternity, the true heroes of the bowling business are those who refuse to do the same thing over and over again. Our champions dare to try something different.

Let’s make 2015 count.

– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR frager@bowlingindustry.com

4THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com It is hard to believe we are into another year. With close to 2,500 members, IBI Online looks to a year of communication, networking and a growing bowling industry.

Proprietors, want to increase your business with new ideas, products and services to draw in the customers? IBI Online is the go-to place to become informed and find ways to enhance your business.

IBI Online offers a platform to reach out to other proprietors and an easy way to see what is new for the bowling industry.

Bowling businesses and manufacturers, want to pinpoint your products and services to those most ready to benefit from them? Contact David Garber at (818) 789-2695 to see how you can use IBI Online’s site to market your company.

2015 has a lot of promise. Become a member of IBI Online and see what connections and ideas are there for you.

6

IBI

February 2015

SHORTS

STRIKES, SPARES & WEDDINGS 77 Colonial Lanes in North Canton, OH, had its first wedding last November. Rebecca Lustig and Jason Pratt were married and exited up the aisle between ball returns on lanes six and seven.

“The main thing we wanted to do on our wedding day was have fun,” said Lustig. Pratt said he loved the idea because he wanted his wedding to be something the two of them would enjoy. Their officiant, Noah Cope, welcomed everyone to the celebration in the “palace of recreation.”

To cap the festivities, Pratt promised Lustig, as their friends and family chuckled, “I promise never to murder you for the insurance money. But most of all, no matter what, I promise to love you for the rest of our days.”

IBI recently noted other weddings which captured fun and quirkiness: September 2013, Lee’s Lanes in Vandergrift, PA, where David and Becky Hill ended their ceremony by sending bowling balls down the lanes; October 2014, Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, CA, where Josh Burum and Sara Bostrum tied the knot at the place they first met; and, November 2014 at Chop’s Bowl in Omaha, NE, where Chelsea Main planned a Big Lebowksi-themed wedding with her “dude,” Jesse McNew. Is there a trend lurking here? We’ll have to see what 2015 brings.

BOWLMOR AMF AGREES TO SPONSOR BOWLING U.S OPENS In a press release penned by Terry Bigham, USBC Communications, Bowlmor AMF, the largest operator of bowling centers in the world, has made a commitment to host and provide television sponsorship for Bowling’s U.S. Open and Women’s U.S. Open in 2015. The tournaments will be conducted in AMF and Brunswick centers with more than $250,000 in funding for broadcast television production.

The 2015 Women’s U.S. Open will take place in late August and early September and will be included as part of the new Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour schedule as an added event, providing 10 total events for women competitors during the tour’s schedule.

The 2015 U.S. Open is set for November following the PBA World Series of Bowling. The timing will allow competitors, including those who travel from foreign countries, another opportunity to take part in a major event.

Plans call for the U.S. Open to include a traditional 56-game format with three eight-game qualifying rounds followed by a cut to the top one-third of the field before the top 24 players qualify for round-robin match play. Television finals will feature a stepladder format. Specific dates for both the U.S. Open and Women’s U.S. Open will be announced once sites are finalized and a broadcast television outlet is secured.

Registration for both tournaments will open April 6. For more information contact Damon Sarrocco at damon.sarrocco@bowl.com.

WORLD BOWLING HAS NEW HOME IN OLYMPIC CAPITAL Relocation from Arlington, TX, to Lausanne, Switzerland, has been announced by World Bowling. It is no coincidence that Lausanne is the home base of the Olympics and more than 50 international sports organizations. The move should be completed in early 2015.

“We feel that now is the right time to join the Olympic capital,” Kevin Dornberger, president of World Bowling said. “Being part of the unique sports community in Lausanne will offer us opportunities to exchange experiences and gain knowledge from other federations.”

The decision to relocate is in line with other recent developments, including the rebranding of the sport’s governing body from the World Tenpin Bowling 8

IBI

February 2015

Association to World Bowling, and the launch of a simplified matchplay style scoring system, used at the World Bowling Tour men’s and women’s finals in Las Vegas in November.

As stated by Daniel Etchells of insidethegames.biz, Mike Fagan, former USBC Masters champion, has given his full backing to the strategies in place to aid tenpin bowling’s bid for Olympic inclusion.

“I want to bring bowling to the masses,” Fagan told insidethegames. biz. “Hopefully our [the players’] voices are heard, and we can be on the same page when it comes to making changes.”

SHORTS

SHORT SHORTS ‘The Big Lebowski’... Forever The Library of Congress every year selects 25 movies to be added to its roster with the intent of preserving them for “all time.” It is deemed that those chosen represent the diversity of America’s film history and are culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

Three of the 25 included Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Saving Private Ryan and... The Big Lebowski. The total now in the National Film Registry is 650.

Eyes Wide Shut The Niagara Naturists had a bowling event, actually a nude bowling event, at a western New York location. Decorum kept the site under wraps except for members and those who choose to become members. It should be noted that those bowling needed to rent shoes.

In the same fashion arena, actress Tara Reid of American Pie, Sharknado and Bunny in The Big Lewbowski chose white jeans and a black bra— black leather to be exact--to show off her bowling expertise. She is very close to becoming a Niagara Naturist.

Tara Reid

Went Bowling and a Hockey Game Broke Out A friendly night out bowling with co-workers ended in a brawl at AMF Williamsburg Lanes in James City, VA. Words were exchanged between groups bowling next to one another. According to Deputy Chief Stephen Rubino with James City Police, the one group was confronted by the other once outside. One man was punched and knocked to the ground, leaving him temporarily unconscious. Another was punched several times and suffered a cut to his eye.

The center manager attempted to break up the fight but was choked and also knocked to the ground, suffering abrasions to his arms, hands, face and legs.

If there had been ice, it could have been a hockey game.

Wedding Ring Lost Eight Years Ago, Found Justin Blair was throwing his first ball at Wildcat Lanes in Verona, WI, when his wedding ring slipped off. Dozens of bowlers helped in an unsuccessful search to retrieve it. Justin and his wife, Becky, went back to the center the next day but had no luck finding it. They checked pawn shops but again, came up empty.

Cut to…eight years later. The center was being taken over by a church and the lanes were to be removed. Becky hopefully tried again. This time, a volunteer cleaning up found the ring under the gutters. God works in mysterious ways.

10

IBI

February 2015

NEW PREXY NAMED FOR QUBICAAMF Juan Cabezas, who joined QubicaAMF on the international sales and service team last April, has been named President and Chief Growth Officer for the company.

He steps up from Senior Vice President, Global Sales and International Service, where he led QubicaAMF’s global sales force, with responsibilities for service to international customers.

In his new position, Cabezas will lead all marketing, sales and product management functions for QubicaAMF. “Juan’s main mission will be to work with myself and the executive team to define the company’s strategic direction, to achieve growth and revenue targets, and strengthen our world-class sales and marketing organization,” said QubicaAMF CEO Emanuele Govoni.

Govoni added, “Since Juan came on board early last year, he has been a tremendous asset to the QubicaAMF team and I am extremely excited to continue to work closely with him to grow our company.”

“QubicaAMF has long been the product leader in the bowling industry,” Cabezas said. “I am very excited to be part of the new QubicaAMF growth team. With a new single ownership, a clear direction and focus, and a complete line of the most innovative bowling products on the market, we are well positioned for continued growth.”

Pat Ciniello, QubicaAMF’s board chairman, commented, “Juan has a successful track record of leading growth and transitioning companies to make them leaders within their industries. I am confident he will help to will deliver great results for QubicaAMF.” Before joining QubicaAMF, Cabezas was managing director for Denary, a business advisory and investment banking firm to companies in the technology, industrial and professional services fields. He was responsible for working with executive teams to stimulate growth and profitability, optimize internal processes, and strengthen clients’ strategic and execution abilities.

As president of Casi-Russo, Cabezas turned around the General Electric security company in less than a year. Promoted, he became responsible for mapping growth strategies and structuring leadership for GE’s Security Division, developing the business from $900 million to $3 billion.

He has held executive and general manager positions at IBM and developed a number of high-tech start-ups, two of which were acquired by Microsoft and ASG.

SHORTS

R E X G O L O B I C D I E S AT 9 1 BPAA past-president (1972-74) Rex Golobic, widely admired while being known to nudge controversy, died last month following an industry career that spanned 75 years.

Golobic retired in 2013 after selling the last of three centers he owned in the San Francisco area, ending a family involvement in bowling that began in 1937. His father built a center in the heart of Hollywood that year, and Rex went to work with him soon after. The Golobics father and son owned 14 centers across the years.

In the 1980s, Golobic, who earned an engineering degree at Stanford, served as board member of an insurance company formed by Northern California proprietors to self-insure for workman’s compensation. Becoming a self-taught expert on liability and workman’s comp for bowling owners, he sat on the Nor Cal and BPAA insurance committees for years.

“Having that kind of guidance from the national association was a tremendously positive factor for bowling proprietors over the last 30 or 40 years,” said Don Drooker, retired AMF center manager, who worked with Golobic on the insurance company board for several years. “[Insurance is] a very difficult thing for the average business person to weed their way through.”

Don Hillman, retired BPAA past-president (1988-90) and friend of Golobic’s for more than 50 years, agreed. “He pushed those [bowling] associations into dealing with [insurance] themselves and not just trusting an agent that came knocking on the door. Whether it’s the national level or the state level, right now they’re profiting by that.”

“Rex loved an argument,” Hillman added. “He had great confidence, the way he studied our industry. He would present his opinion and stand by that opinion and take on all comers. A lot of people would have said he was difficult to work with [but] as president of BPAA, you have to take a position sometimes and create ideas sometimes, and not everybody likes that.

“I think those people coming up behind Rex could see that he was an independent thinker,” he continued, “and it probably led people to emulate him where they didn’t have to be afraid to take a position. For the next 50 years, they’re going to remember that Rex Golobic was a guy that made it easier for the next guy.”

“The word is ‘dedicated’—to the industry and his business,” Drooker said of Golobic. “He was not one of those people who, once he achieved success, stopped working hard every day. I don’t think Rex was ever at 12

IBI

February 2015

arm’s length.”

Ted Hoffman of Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl near Oakland, CA, met Golobic when Hoffman was canvassing for PBA support in 1968.

Golobic was already a Northern California “pioneer” in promoting the sport, said Hoffman. “He used to have tournaments which brought in Don Carter, Dick Weber, all the big names. Budweiser, Stroh’s, Hamm’s, all those teams used to come out every year.

“A tough businessman, a great businessman. He had a big effect on all the proprietors in Northern California, especially Nor Cal BPA. They looked to him as a leader, one of the better operators and promoters in the Western region. All the proprietors respected him.”

As did IBI publisher Scott Frager, who remembered Golobic gratefully as “one of the first ‘old guard’ proprietors who accepted me into this industry when I was a young and impressionable 25-year-old.” Spirited conversation with Golobic at industry meetings was always a pleasure, Frager said.

When we talked with Golobic during the sale of his last center, he was about to turn 90 the same month and still endlessly curious about the world.

“The bowling business is people-to-people,” he remarked. “If the people in your center aren’t peopleoriented, forget it. I am not. I’m impatient with small talk generally and I’m not good with a crowd of people. My father was a master at it. I wasn’t that bad, but I realized I was interested in a whole lot more than talking to people about bowling, so I always hired people who are good at it, like Mike Leong [Golobic manager to whom he sold the last bowl]. He is very good.”

Golobic told us his first project in retirement would be to learn all about cell phones. “I’ve got three- or four thousand books on all kinds of subjects. There probably is nothing [there] that wouldn’t be covered real easily on your cell phone. It’s just amazing.”

He was continuing to pursue hobbies in gourmet cooking and wine, and would travel. “Been to Japan eight times, been to Europe quite a few times, and I’ll keep doing that. I like to look at the people there, seeing how people have changed.

“Life is interesting,” Golobic said. Ninety years on.

CENTER STAGE

AN

By Anna M. Littles

AMERICAN W

STORY

The Acquistaspace family legacy, Rancho Bowl, lives on and gets an upgrade.

Ashlee and Luke Carranza with Viki Murray in newly renovated Rancho Bowl.

14

IBI

February 2015

hen I interviewed Victoria Murray about her father, Mili Acquistaspace, I had to ask, “What does such an exquisite name mean?” Victoria proudly answered, “‘Acquistaspace’ is Italian for ‘peacemaker’.” And proud she should be. She stands on the shoulders of a family legacy that encapsulates the classic American story.

Victoria's family origins run deep in Northern Italy's Lake Cuomo district, a picturesque region 13 miles from the Swiss border and near Breaking ground for Rancho Bowl, 1959. the Italian Alps. Today, her family roots run even deeper in Santa Maria, CA. It all started when her father’s father, Regillio, arrived at New York’s Ellis Island in 1902. Regillio continued west and settled in Santa Maria. He worked very hard, saved and purchased property. That property included a small hotel, with enough land to farm and grow a business.

Over the years, Regillio’s son and Victoria’s dad, Mili, looked over that same land and decided to establish a place where families would gather and have fun. So in 1959, Mili broke ground in the middle of the family farm and Rancho Bowl was built.

Rancho Bowl is the size of a city block, situated in an area known for a strong agrarian culture, including vineyards and farms along with oil wells. When Rancho Bowl opened its doors it quickly became the center of family entertainment in Santa Barbara County. In 1959, Santa Maria had a population of 15,000 with many satellite cities around it. Today, the population has grown to over 100,000 within the city limits, and 250,000 in the surrounding area.

The foundation of Rancho Bowl’s business is families and leagues. The first league to make Rancho Bowl its home was the Ladies Playmore League, which kept an average membership of 96 and took up all 24 lanes of Rancho Bowl. Even today they are still going strong although their numbers have declined a bit.

Fifty-five years after it opened, Rancho Bowl has endured a lot of wear and tear. Last year, Mili’s daughter Victoria looked over the aging facility and in 2014 a new, renovated, high-tech Rancho Bowl was

CENTER STAGE

born and continues to be the center of family entertainment.

Today Viki, as she is known, runs Rancho Bowl with the help of her daughter in-law Ashlee. Soon to switch careers and take his place in the family business is Viki’s son, and Ashlee’s husband, Luke Carranza.

The renovation process is ongoing. Vicki explained that they broke down the project into phases. Phase one dealt with the building’s ceiling, which was beginning to sag. They also boosted their 24 lanes to 32 while adding 120-inch projector screens over each lane.

In the second phase, they partnered with QubicaAMF for an updated approach to each lane. Ramps were added to make the facility accessible for those with disabilities. Phase two also included new house ball and shoe inventories. But the créme de la créme in this phase is their electrical and technical upgrades.

With QuibicaAMF’s scoring, Rancho Bowl now offers new tech and hospitality apps so people can order of the menu via the system and have the food served lane-side. According to Ashlee, “We have leaped 25 years in technology and we have our

hands full in getting used to such a huge jump.”

Other aspects of the renovation include an integrated system of cameras with LCD touchscreen terminals situated on each lane.

The cameras takes pictures of the bowlers in action. The photos are then projected on the overhead screen. It’s a fun program that incorporates animated characters that feature the guest’s happy face after a strike, and a sad face for those infamous gutter balls.

QubicaAMF is also involved in the marketing of the new and improved Rancho Bowl. Ashlee works closely with QuibicaAMF’s virtual marketing and support staff, which includes a weekly oneon-one conference call. This is a new way in which Rancho Bowl stays connected with its loyal customer base and reaches out to the entire county.

With a family business that has been going for over 55 years, it takes a great staff to keep things moving forward. Viki explains that its backbone is Rancho Bowl’s two managers of 30 years, Larry and Karen Cobb. Larry handles all things mechanical, and Karen handles the office.

IBI

February 2015

15

CENTER STAGE

And there’s a lot to handle in the office. This past December was Rancho Bowl’s busiest month ever, booking one corporate party after another.

In addition to being the family entertainment center in the county, Rancho Bowl is known for Executive Chef Brenda Vasquez, along with its famous Santa Maria BBQ including baby back ribs. Born and raised in Santa Maria, Chef Brenda has already caused a stir in the area by turning down a coveted position at a high-end restaurant in favor of returning to her roots and taking over the restaurant, bar and grill at Rancho Bowl. Today, people come out just to enjoy Chef Brenda’s cuisine, making Rancho Bowl the culinary hub of the region.

Business-wise, the restaurant opens at 7 a.m., serving breakfast, lunch and dinner all the way to 2 a.m. in the bar area.

This ties into Rancho Bowl’s next phase of renovation. In phase three, Viki will take on the bar and restaurant as well as grow and expand the arcade by adding redemption. According to Viki, “The restaurant business is growing in leaps and bounds. The challenge is that the bar and restaurant are now on top of each other.” A re-design of the restaurant and bar, including both back and front areas, will open up more space.

Viki and Ashlee are also working closely with an architect to see how they 16

IBI

February 2015

can facilitate more parties, group and corporate events. Currently Rancho Bowl has only one kids’ party room, while Viki and Ashlee want to be able to host several parties at the same time.

Today, they’re serving not only the community, they’re also bringing in large tournaments that have bumped up tourism to the whole area. In fact, Rancho Bowl has won accolades for being the best location for area tourists to visit. After all, Santa Maria is wine country and was the backdrop for the 2004 Fox Searchlight comedy film Sideways.

In 1921, an Italian-born actor by the name of Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla befriended Mili and his father. The world knew this actor as the legendary Rudolf Valentino, who was in the area filming The Sheik. At that time, the family only owned the farm and the hotel. A friendship with Valentino blossomed over the fact that the hotel had an underground working bar. In 1921 that was a big deal since it was the height of Prohibition. Any establishment serving bootleg liquor was an oasis in the desert, or at least Valentino thought so.

From generation to generation, Rancho Bowl has stood the test of time. Today, being known in the region as the hub of fine dining and family entertainment, there’s a lot to its credit. Mili, who lived up to his name as peacemaker, passed on a very special gift to his daughter and family: a rich Italian heritage and farmland located in beautiful Santa Maria along with a booming business. A classic American legacy. ❖

Anna M. Littles, a screenplay and freelance writer and producer originally from the Bronx, NY, now resides in Santa Monica, CA. You can see her work on YouTube, IMDB, or on her website at www.alittleLA.com.

PROFILE

Head coach Gordon Vadakin (L) and assistant head coach Mark Lewis

MORE THAN A COACH Wichita's Vadakin Succeeds On and Off the Lanes

By Mark Miller ention the name Gordon Vadakin and thoughts of his success coaching the Wichita State University bowling program may come immediately to mind.

That's natural when you consider his men's and women's teams have combined for 17 national collegiate championships and sent numerous players to the professional and international amateur ranks. While certainly highprofile, that role is just part of what makes the now 61-year-old Vadakin one of bowling's true icons.

A family man with two grown children, Vadakin was a highly-rated amateur bowler at the collegiate, national and international levels. For many years, he managed all aspects of the bowling lanes and recreation area at WSU's Rhatigan Student Center. He's taught youth bowlers within his home center and state plus his country and overseas. And he's helped coach the U.S. national adult and youth teams.

Those efforts have netted him spots in numerous halls of fame for his bowling and coaching success, all because he has clearly understood bowling's true calling.

“Bowling's a sport,” said the man affectionately known as The Pope for the similarity of his name to ‘Vatican.’ “We all know this. The people who participate in it at a high level know it's a sport. It makes them athletes.”

It's that understanding that has driven Vadakin to succeed pretty much at every level he's touched. Nowhere is that more evident than at WSU, which last year completed a $33 million renovation of the Rhatigan Student Center, including an extensive overhaul of the bowling area. One look at the facilities today gives the feel of a big-time athletic program even though they’re not administered by

M

18

IBI

February 2015

the WSU athletic department.

Though not an official National Collegiate Athletic Association program, truth is, Wichita State probably goes beyond a typical one.

“The NCAA schools don't generally have the level of support of funding we have,” Vadakin said. “I don't want to sound arrogant, but I still consider ourselves to be kind of the standard of what collegiate bowling is all about. I know a lot of people feel that way and try to emulate us and I'm flattered by that.”

A major reason for the Shockers' success is bowling’s mental game, the importance of which Vadakin has long stressed. It involves envisioning or affirming success so his bowlers can achieve success.

It's something Vadakin embraced in his bowling career, which began with the Wichita State men's team in 1973-76 while also serving as WSU rec center assistant manager. He was named the team's part-time head coach in 1977 after the retirement of his coach, Paul Waliczek, whose women's teams won national titles in 1975 and 1977. By then, his full-time job was managing the rec center.

PROFILE His first title came with the women in 1978 followed two years later by the men. The next came in 1986 and 1990 for the women and 1987 and 1993 for the men.

Not surprisingly, Vadakin was attracting a stable of big-name players during this time. Some, like Justin Hromek, Pat Healey Jr., Lonnie Waliczek, Sean Rash, Rick Steelsmith, Chris Barnes, Mike Jasneau, Nathan Bohr and Josh Blanchard, went on the PBA tour. Others, including Mark Lewis, David Garber and Steve Kloempken, shone in the amateur ranks including Team USA. And players like Leslie Bohn and Debbie and Donna DiTrani made names in top women's competition.

But it was 1996 that Vadakin believes was the program's real turning point. That's when Wichita State made him the nation's first full-time paid collegiate bowling coach, with assistant Rich Renollet taking over running the rec center. Later, Lewis was added as a full-time coach and the program truly took off.

“We were full-time employees down here and tried to manage the bowling teams which had been pretty successful up until that point in time,” Vadakin said. “We were growing the team and it was becoming more successful. Our business was getting better and something had to break here. It couldn't keep on a pace like that with two positions really doing four jobs. So the university in their wisdom allowed us to be full-time as coaches.”

It's allowed him time to conduct youth clinics around Kansas, serve as a volunteer field representative for the former Young American Bowling Alliance and a member of the YABA Collegiate Committee. And it helped him start the Shocker Bowling Camps where for the past 18 years upwards of 200 youth bowlers learn about the sport.

“Since 1996 we've been able to grow by leaps and bounds in so many different directions to follow and embrace the sport,” Vadakin said. “We've been supported. Our budgets have grown. Every facet of the program has changed in one way or another since I started, many times over in some cases.”

His men's teams earned three-peats in 1993-95 and 2008-10, the only coach in history to achieve that. But his coaching wasn't limited to Wichita State. He helped mentor several of the same players on the Team USA/Junior Team USA staff in 1990-93 and 2000-09. This included leading the U.S. team in the 1st International Youth Championships in 1988.

The 1980s also were good to Vadakin on the lanes. As a member of Team USA in 1983, he earned a silver medal in the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs World Championships team event. He added a team gold medal in the 1989 FIQ American Zone Championships in Wichita, the same year he and his Chilton Vending quintet captured the team title in the former ABC Championships Tournament (now the USBC Open Championships). That helped him earn 1989 Bowlers Journal Amateur Bowler of the Year.

Winning the team title a year earlier contributed greatly to Vadakin's fondest memory as a bowler. It happened on the opening squad of the 1989 ABC in the Century II Convention Center when, after he, Lewis and other Chilton members were honored for winning their 1988 title, they rolled then-records of a 1,220 opening game and 3,481 series.

“There was a huge crowd, a couple of thousand, maybe 2,500 people,” said Vadakin, who with wife Cindy, has daughter Andrea, 30, and son Kenny, 27. “The feeling of what happened at the end of that was the people of Wichita stayed and watched and who knows where the score would hold up and it

did but we all knew it was kind of special. We got a standing ovation in our own home town and as bowlers you never get that. I was so humbled and so awestruck. Our whole team was taken back with that experience. It was just terrific.”

Vadakin's on-lanes performances netted him a spot in the USBC Hall of Fame in 2007 after being inducted into the Wichita Sports and Wichita and Kansas bowling halls of fame. The 2001 National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Kerm Helmer Women's Coach of the Year was inducted into Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2012, not long after becoming USBC's first gold-certified college coach.

Vadakin hasn't been able to bowl since 2011, after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee for the third time. Interestingly, he doesn't miss competing as much as he thought he would.

“I'm really competitive but I have the bowling team to be competitive,” he said. “I live through the success of these athletes in class, on the lanes, personal life and everything.

“It's very competitive with these college teams and it's very competitive on the lanes and off the lanes with recruiting. I've got all the competition fulfillment I need in the job I have. If bowling competitively was my only outlet I would miss it. I do miss it, sure, but it's very much lessened through the competitive aspects of the Shocker bowling program.”

Even with all that Vadakin and his program have accomplished so far, he believes there's more work to be done ahead.

“Certainly we'd like to move the scholarship level up to those of our NCAA counterparts,” he said. “I'm not saying we're not at that level with some NCAA schools, because we are with women's teams being NCAA-sanctioned. We're actually pretty close to that, maybe exceed some of them. But we're not just trying to run a women's bowling program. We want to be the best in the country with both teams and attract the best players, and scholarship money is what does it.

“We have a lot of wonderful facilities but you don't stay on top if you stay in the same place. We want to continue to move forward.” ❖ Mark Miller is a freelance writer, editor, and public relations specialist from Flower Mound, Texas. He's the author of "Bowling: America's Greatest Indoor Pastime" available at Amazon.com or directly from him at markmywordstexas@gmail.com.

IBI

February 2015

19

COVER STORY

By Robert Sax

wo hands used to be enough for a bowler; one to hold the ball, and one to hold a beer. But these days a growing number of your customers are also juggling an Internetconnected mobile device that’s running a bowling “app.”

What at first might seem like a distraction from the game is actually a powerful new way to get people involved in bowling.

An app, short for "application," is a program that runs on a smartphone or tablet, allowing people to enjoy the benefits of a computer in a small package. The appearance of apps for all sorts of purposes is one of the more significant developments in consumer software in years.

Games are the most popular of all apps, with such hits as Angry Birds and Candy Crush holding more than 50% of the market. Bowling games exist, too; the PBA Bowling Challenge, a free mobile game, has had over 12 million downloads. But the digital future of bowling isn’t just games.

The real potential in apps for bowlers is in generating new players, assisting their training and enabling new forms of competition.

20

IBI

February 2015

COVER STORY

John U jda

rd Tim Mina

have elp bowlers h n a c t a th s ow bowlers oduced app eir apps all h tr T in . e ss v “compete” e a n h si rs u ore b preneu e and even m c e n p tr a n lo e e rm v h o c e rf d te e Several lyze their p nter owners ork. atistics, ana bowling ce st d ir n e a n th e. k enge Netw fu c ll m a a re ti h tr l C a d mo s n re a rt o in re and the Sp cally captu alizing that d the world to automati CN after re Tim Minard wlers aroun S o m d b o e fr d ro n p g u n r fo ri o ard offe nds rticipation dustry, Min against frie e first such e user’s pa in th th g is in se a p m p a re a g c ng gned to in ence in the The XBowli with experi e were desi r n u o e n n “The , re le p b e a s avail ys Minard. p sa p a ,” A serial entr y d g te lo la o y sports-re arry in our or game. day’s techn of the man which we c ntage of to actual sport y a v g e d lo th a o e n in k h e c ta c an e mobile te portunity to and perform has the op leverages th y ] ll g a well as n li re w g o n B li “Bow r casual as bile. [X fo o l m fu s a se w u y be of p is int reall says the ap ore likely to , m g tipping po n re ti a e e rk a w w ery day.” sident of m troduce ne et. “Initially pockets ev ’s vice pre . As we in e first targ g re th n o li r r. w m a le o r e w y B o o X a b , onth nce ent John Ujda l once a m ge bowls o h the frequ w it ra o e w b v , a o rs h n le w o . w .” o al bo ] in the U.S bowler wh re industry profession the casual on [people for the enti li il to in m e w much lu t e .5 a u g 3 v u o 1 e h h it’s a rs wit provid r, se o a u use to the e ls y a 0 a 0 to ,0 in in 0 e ling, d6 twic will beg dy acquire d for XBow r to return a le e le b lr w a features we a o n b e s l a a h w et the casu 2012 and nic scoring orld are no If we can g the electro its app in und the w d to ro e a in c s u rs e d ti te o t n a tr e in a free PC th than 300 c XBowling ... jda. More center with U h c s a y e sa d n page 22 , e n id rm. s prov o a ontinues o tf h promotio C la y p n a g p n li m w ns the co for the XBo which mea ata from it d ts c e ll o c system and

IBI

February 2015

21

COVER STORY ...Con tinues from

page 21

Rich B e has be lsky, the yo ung en en a b owler trepre with m s neu in ce the y Dad , ” age of r behind the s ays Be After g Rolltec seve lsk h ap indust raduating fr y. “It’s alwa n. “It’s the first sp p, om law ry as a ys bee o n a pa schoo jou techno rt of m rt I can rem l, B logy in rnalist and ember y life.” a play elsky moved the for into p doing ers’ m m of th t o layers L a s Vega anage e “hole s r .

During and fueled t a he pok card cam” o He believes nd worked that p in Vegas n telev er boo eriod, ’ burg ised ga it was the in the poker m. eoning Belsky star t m r it would oductio es that ted bo tech s turned n be to s w c li e n n g e ee a gr many v of and th in a le aph of . “My team ie inking a g w ue ers a He beg that all that our performa nd I were b with other y o o n d a u w c n ata ha ng pe e over ling an stud system ople time. I d talkin s. This ying the bow s to be ava r e g m il about in Las e le li a m ng ind Rock L b d to th b le e r somew ho looking ustr ane eR here.” up at t w cool to cen s. Currently olltech app y and develo h e monito , p ters. S 12 cen which ing wa r ix tho ters in debut ys to c thousa u e o s s d in 20 and p llect da even s nds us e t 1 t e a o a 2 tes off ple ha it ever from s at Red For us er the ve do ym coring Rocks e wnloa Rolltec R attract rs, the socia onth. esort’s ded th h syste l eleme ion. “W Red e free m, wh nt of a ithin th close ich is f versio bowlin e app by or n ree o f the a ga yo you ca netwo pp an n chall u can find y pp is the big rk, wh d our frie enge g ethe across nds th est the co r they are w anybody th a t a re at untry,” ithin th e walls ’s part of o says B elsky. ur of the center or

rters. adqua e h ! s o t Zapp ssler a o M d Fred ieh an s H y Ton

Rich B elsky

Rolltech has attra cted priv Tech Fun ate inves d, whose tment fro founders Tony Hsie m the Ve in clude ke h and Fre gas y Zappos d Mossle get hipp executive r. er than th In the sta s rtup at, a of a stron g consum nd they feel Rollte world, it doesn’t e c r tech off h has the “We saw ering. elements an enor complete m ous, pa ly unders ssionate erved by Mossler. market consume “Rolltech that wa r-facing te s is really m combine chnology ore than s quantifi ,” s a a e y n s d a pp, it's a user, and self, gam platform ification analytics, . It and com player tra bowling petition cking and center.” fo r re th al-time m e Through arketing a partners for the viewing o hip with th ptions du e PBA, R ring tourn olltech w transform aments a ill provid how pros n e lived c a , pture sta fans and the game tistics tha industry . “It seem t can o s rganizati to [have] commissio ons appre unlimited ner of the c p iate otential,” PBA. “It’s to be on says Tom one of th e of the m Clark, ose thing ost impo s that cou rtant thin ld grow gs in the game.”

Continues on page

22

IBI

February 2015

24...

COVER STORY

nter. rience at a ce e p x e r e m o st town in Los prove the cu ight on the n rvice and im g se n r ti e ra m st o u st a fr cu plus a 20r Kellis after n streamline pular club, o te ca p e t a P a th te to s a p in u p t d a inutes to ge ster.” and MIT gra headway are et service fa ter scientist line for 40 m u g Also making “ p in m le g otes p in co o d y e n b p a ustry. He n cab, st d to help created a in p t rm e p g o a g n tf li n to a la w p o s is b Tray 0 minute servers to use a mobile for it in the er waiting 2 stomers for w he could huge need u e c a n k s d e s n lli a se e Angeles. Aft e K ss g , le ta nk is neverthe square foo to get a dri with more res but Kell minute wait s, tu a b y the lu fe c g d n n li a bow provided b rants s u e a ic st v e re d n a ss Tray has no rger th al to place or on wirele . re usually la artphones, POS termin r efficiency te a sm a n to re that BECs a w g e o r id ir fo e -s ing close ne n th ting a need table or la hile remain w ke orders o m n ta o e fr n h a c o c it cover, crea g k ff r a o wait st e need to ctly to bar With Tray, reducing th orders dire it m b hases su n proprietor, a they c ints for purc o d a p e ct st s. lle In le . co rs sa orde will allow ing more nsumers can rs and mak otional tools ith which co m w ro re p tu n a -i fe ilt to custome u m app. e games. B yalty progra r food or fre through the Tray has a lo fo rs e re m pp can tu o fu st u e c em to tions. The a em in th a th th rv d m n se e se e re d d e n n re rs a Kellis and ke la special offe s available. g list or ma e te in a m it a o re c w c e a b to e e manag owners when a lan eles area. o use Tray to a customer to e g a the Los Ang ss Staff can als e in m ts t n x lace food ra te u a a d to sen rs directly p and rest e d rs m se o te u st n e e cu b c t n g ill le et the eve wlin way to targ e app that w r t several bo th a e f tt y o e ra n b T io a g rs ’s in is test sumer ve have grown devices. “It orks is a con enials,” who their mobile ill m M o e fr th s , Also in the w e ic n h ys Kellis. e la rap chnology, sa nger demog ers or reserv te u rd h yo o it w k n p ri u d and

s from page ...Continue

Peter Kellis

22

Major bowling organizations have bee n quick to recognize the power of these new apps and their value to the sport and industry. “I believe the increase of technology in bowling will only increase participation, not only in leagues and tournaments but [for] the casual bowler,” says Frank DeSocio, executive director of BPAA. “The ability to track the bowler’s information on the lanes will be instr umental in increased play, with the same excitement as a good bowling coach [provides].”

XBowling’s XP Pro Stats product is now the official statistics package of the USBC. Executive director Chad Murphy says, "Through XBowling, USBC members can enhance the bow ling experience in ways that just weren't possible in the past.”

From automatic pinsetters to touchscreen scoring systems to debit cards, the bowling industry has eagerly embrace d new technologies that enhance its customers’ enjoyment of the spo rt. The new bowling apps give proprietors a new way to build the rela tionship with their customers.

“Interacting with technology while on the lanes will be a key part of the future of the sport,” says the USBC’s Mur phy. Count the phones and tablets proliferating on your lanes and you will understand why. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultan t in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the hom e of five-pin bowling.

24

IBI

February 2015

INTRO

According to George hope everyone has had a great bowling season so far and that it continues. As the weather warms, traditional bowling centers will see the slowdown coming. BEC operators, however, have more tools to help smooth out the seasonality of bowling.

This impact on seasonality is the second big reason for the continued success of the BEC business model, the first being the ability to widen the audience and maximize the day-part traffic. I call this the Dave & Buster’s (D&B) effect. The brilliance of the D&B model is that it attracts different groups at different times of the day and days of the week. Redemption game rooms and laser tag, like bowling, are up-front investments in entertainment capacity. The business is maximized by attracting people to utilize that capacity.

A BEC attendance pattern looks something like this: weekday, before evening, league bowlers; early weekday evening, traditional leagues and corporate team-building; weekday evening, casual leagues (6 for 6, 8 for 8, etc.), corporate social events, casual/family; Thursday, Friday, Saturday late nights, older teens, 20- and 3- somethings, adult birthdays; weekend days, families and birthday parties.

That mix may shift throughout the year with patios and outdoor events added to the mix, and as families are more available throughout the week with kids out of school.

If March is almost upon us so is Amusement Expo. You can see my preview article inside this section. As noted this year’s show is co-located with the 2015 Laser Tag Convention, and Pizza Expo is just down the hall. If you happen to be a basketball fan like me, it’s another good reason to be in Las Vegas in March. Enjoy!

I

George McAuliffe President, Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors

From David’s Desk just returned from BPAA Summit in San Antonio, and I am very pleased to say that positive energy was flowing from proprietors and manufacturers alike. Bowling is at a place in time where ‘modernization,’ redesign’ and ‘technology’ are key words spoken over and over again.

Traditional bowling centers are looking to increase the length of time customers spend in their centers. Obviously, the more time spent, the more money spent.

Modernization is one of the ways to do this. New features in scoring systems, wi-fi within centers, and many other capital improvements make people want to stay longer and enjoy the atmosphere.

Re-design of one’s center is also a vital step in getting more dollars from customers. Re-design can be anything from adding laser tag, bumper cars, mini golf, and redemption/arcade games to creating a staff that will be procustomer, and do the best job putting on parties, especially birthday parties. As you know, one happy customer will tell a few friends how good your place is and an unhappy customer will tell almost anyone who will listen about how bad an experience he had.

Technology is on the march in bowling as it is everywhere else. Rolltech and XBowling, two “apps” featured in this month’s cover story, get your customer involved by maintaining stats, allowing them to challenge other bowlers around the world, and help you to generate bounce-back promotions to keep customers coming back.

Tray, also highlighted in the cover story, gives your patrons a way to order food and beverage from anywhere in the center. They can stay involved in the activity with friends and family. No interruption in the play and best of all, no waiting for a waiter or waitress.

These are exciting times in the bowling industry for customers and for proprietors. Get in on the action!

I

David Garber Associate Publisher International Bowling Industry

26

IBI

February 2015

PREVIEW

Amusement Expo, Laser Tag Convention They are right around the corner

By George McAuliffe ebruary is a big educational month with IAAPA FEC Dallas and the inaugural F2FEC conferences in Phoenix. February also starts the run-up to Amusement Expo (AE), to be held March 2426 in Las Vegas. This year AE is co-located with the 2015 Laser Tag Convention and overlaps with the Pizza Expo, just down the hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The three shows together pack a lot of FEC focus into a manageable space.

At AE, seminars will be held on Tuesday with two full days of trade show on Wednesday and Thursday. Some booth assignments had not been finalized at press time, so check the shows’ websites as we get closer for booth numbers and seminar locations updated seminar info: amusementexpo.org/home and lasertagconvention.com.

In addition to showing the hottest redemption items, BMI will be exhibiting its automated reorder system (ARS), which syncs with all leading POS systems. The result is super-efficient, just-in-time redemption inventory management. Locations utilizing ARS receive on-site set-ups and refreshes, virtual websites depicting digital plan-a-grams (which are easily followed for easy merchandising) and much more.

AE Trade Show

CREATIVE WORKS

F

Some booths that would be worth your while:

BAYTEK GAMES, booth 707 The folks at Baytek will be showing their latest winners, Hop Star and Full Tilt, both of which are in full production.

Hop Star promises to be a great interactive piece that provides the play value that FECs need, while Full Tilt is a quick-play game built with lots of appeal in a smaller footprint. Baytek reports earnings in the top 10 in most test locations. In addition to these products, check out 28

IBI

February 2015

Grand Piano Keys, a two-player video redemption game where players hit the piano keys in rhythm with the screen.

BMI MERCHANDISE, booth 708

Coming off a tremendous growth year, Creative Works will be featuring its various attractions on the Laser Tag Convention floor, including the latest release of Color Crush.

Those who stop by the booth will also learn about how to attend their LaserTAG360 event, Creative Works’ contribution to the education of its customers.

Beyond Bowling is a quarterly insert focusing on the family entertainment piece of the bowling business. For information contact David Garber Associate Publisher of IBI. Garber@Bowlingindustry.com

INTERCARD Debit card systems are the most powerful tool to enter the amusement game market in my 36 years doing business in that world. Hands down. Of the 75+ bowling entertainment center facilities we’ve helped to add a redemption game room in the last five years, we might have done tokens in one. All the rest were done with debit card systems. They provide guest convenience, labor savings, cash control, pricing flexibility, great reporting, and a long list of marketing tools to help drive guest satisfaction and sales in your facility

LIVE OAK BANK Live Oak Bank, a lender that specializes in providing financing solutions to the amusement industry, has a sharp focus on family entertainment centers, bowling centers, roller skating centers, small parks and water parks nationwide. Ben Jones, a former operator and amusement park industry leader, leads the lending team.

Live Oak provides financing for the purchase of new games and attractions, remodeling, expanding your space, refinancing to improve cash flow or in combination. Their team will be in attendance to discuss your needs.

QUBICAAMF QubicaAMF has re-invigorated its long-established Highway66 mini bowling game to offer exclusive lane/masking graphic themes, HD scoring and LED capping lights, among other features. The new Suite Spot combines Highway66 with the company’s reconfigurable Harmony furniture line to create a unique mini bowling suite.

REDEMPTION PLUS, booth 903 Redemption Plus will be unveiling Volume 1 of their 2015 Reward Series publication at the show. The series is filled with industry insights and business evaluations, combined with detail on products worth investing in. Merchandise is one piece of a successful redemption game room. The Redemption Plus team will be prepared with the operational expertise, systems, and experience to help 30

IBI

February 2015

operators maximize their guest experience in the game room and with cranes and merchandisers. While you're there, ask the R+ strategists about ways to get your guests to “Stop, Look, and Play!”

Bryan Dodge of Dodge Development will be this year's keynote speaker. His talk will cover professional and personal development, success habits of the wealthy, and leadership principles. His program is designed to produce favorable results for people both at work and at home and comes highly regarded.

Other topics and speakers will include: • Salesmanship for the operator entrepreneur • The cashless consumer and what it means for your business • Recognizing and responding to the ripple effect of organizational change, presented by Kara McClure • What you need to know about in location agreements, presented by Paul Jenson • Finding a niche in fundraising, corporate events in your FEC At a special closing session, The Three Amigos—Rick Iceberg, Ben Jones and George Smith—will be “Back in the Saddle Again.”

2015 Laser Tag Convention Adjacent to the Amusement Expo, the Laser Tag trade show floor is expected to feature all of the major suppliers.

As Jeff Schilling of Creative Works notes in our chat with him in this edition of “Beyond Bowling,” ongoing operational education is a major success factor for laser tag operators.

And with two tracks—operations and development—the seminar lineup will boast some of the top operators and experts in their fields. Subject matter will include everything under the laser tag sun. I’ll be speaking Tuesday afternoon at 2:45. “The Redemption Game Room: Layout, Design, Selection, and More” will be the topic. Hope to see you there. ❖

George McAuliffe is a 35-year family entertainment center operator and president of Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors by Redemption Plus, an industry consulting firm (www.grouppinnacle.com). George has operated entertainment centers from 2,000 to 150,000 square feet, including redemption and merchandise games, since 1983 and has assisted numerous bowling center owners develop their FEC side. He is a regular speaker at industry conventions worldwide, and writes for RePlay magazine. He can be reached at 913-5634370 or email gmcauliffe@redemptionplus.com.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

‘No Problem’ Is a Big Problem What does it tell your customers?

By Joe Schumacker he term ‘auto-response’ has become familiar to most people given almost universal exposure to electronic communications. Most all of us have received an almost instant “auto-response” email stating that the person you are sending your message to will not be checking emails for a period of time, so don’t expect a response. To some, those messages are helpful. To me, they are just another piece of electronic clutter. In any case, the now-popular usage of the term ‘autoresponse’ is not its most important use.

T

34

IBI

February 2015

Each day we all use auto-responses in our communication with others. We automatically respond —that is we have an auto-response to every interaction with another person. An auto-response can be verbal, a non-verbal gesture, or simply making eye contact. In many cases all three methods are combined to initiate or conclude an interaction.

As an example, on your way to a meeting you find yourself walking past your boss’s boss. Without prior planning, you walk up to her, look her in the eyes and say, “Hello.” With only a slight pause, you both move on about your business.

That greeting is an example of an interpersonal autoresponse. We all do it many times a day. Each of us has his own favorite phrases, such has “How is it going?,” “How are you?,” or simply “Hello.” We also have standard phrases we use at the end of an interaction such as, “Take care,” “Nice seeing you,” or simply “Good-bye.” When closely examined, most are meaningless phrases and certainly not intended to engender a response.

So why are personal auto-responses important? Quite simply, each person you come in contact with will use your auto-response to help form perceptions and opinions. This is very important with transactional interactions in a business environment where a staff member may have over 100 passing interactions with customers on a single shift. How the interaction is handled goes a long way in determining how the customer feels about the business.

A company with a strong customer service culture will train its staff members in the proper auto-response. A company with a weak customer service culture will either not pay attention to how a staff member interacts in a business environment or it will overly script the interaction so that it takes all personality out of the exchange. Either creates a negative impression with the customer.

The “king of the hill” in getting it wrong is when the phrase “No problem” or “Not a problem” is used at the conclusion of an interaction, typically after the customer

says, “Thank you.” In a transactional interaction, “No problem” is a problem on two levels. The stated “Thank you” is an acknowledgement that service was provided. It is not an apology for disrupting the tranquility enjoyed by the staff member prior to the interaction.

The “No problem” auto-response places the staff member’s comfort ahead of service to the customer. Expanding the auto-response for full meaning, “No problem” becomes “You are not creating a problem for me.” As a customer, I want to feel that my interests are first and foremost in the mind of the staff member, not that I may have inconvenienced a staff member by being a customer.

The second problem with “No problem” is that it consists of two negative words. In this case the customer infers from the auto-response that in fact the staff member has a problem with providing service. Stop reading for a moment and say the phrase “No problem” out loud. Say it again with a pause of one second between words.

Say it a third time, this time with a twosecond pause between words. In the last case it should be clear that the customer is being told “no” and that there is a problem.

Why run the risk of having your customer end an interaction with a negative impression? Chick-fil-A is the best example I know of how to get it right. Actually, Chick-fil-A gets customer service right on a number of levels. The opening of the interaction is a pleasant, “Hello, may I help you?” The post-“Thank you” closing is not “No problem” but rather “My pleasure.”

As a second exercise repeat both phrases, “No problem” and “My pleasure,” using the same cadence and tone of voice. Which one makes you feel better? Which one would make your customer feel better? If you are really into testing this concept, you can video tape customer interactions. Watch for the slightest difference in facial expression between the “No problem” and “My pleasure” interactions.

Over the next five days make note of

five times the auto-response “No problem” is spoken to you and also note five times you say the phrase yourself.

Is this just little stuff? Possibly, but great customer service is all about the little stuff. ❖

Joe Schumacker is a past-president of the BPAA and past chairman of the board of Strike Ten Entertainment. He is currently the CEO of SpareZ Inc. and a group chair for Vistage Florida.

IBI

February 2015

35

BUSINESS

Rolling Like Thunder OCC Chopper Alley and US Bowling team up to create a hog heaven for bowlers.

By Robert Sax all them cruisers, hogs or sleds—few American icons proclaim freedom and individuality like a powerful custom motorcycle, especially the wild “choppers” featured on popular reality TV series American Chopper. Now US Bowling has teamed up with Paul Teutul, Sr., star of the show and the founder of Orange County Choppers, to launch OCC Chopper Alley, an entertainment concept that’s as fresh and creative as one of OCC’s swoopy, gleaming bikes.

The story begins in 2008, when OCC built a bowling-themed bike for Strike Ten Entertainment and the BPAA. That American Chopper episode included a segment in which the OCC crew went bowling to get inspiration for the bike. The final “build” featured the USBC logo, a bowling ballshaped gas tank and fenders painted with a wood-grained lane pattern.

Strike Ten used the “Strike Bike” for promotions and then donated it to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, which auctioned it off to a lucky bidder to support the museum.

The Strike Bike planted a seed that ultimately grew into OCC Chopper

C

36

IBI

February 2015

Alley after Teutul (aka “Senior”) built a new showplace at his custom bike factory in Newburgh, NY. The factory caters to the many visitors that come to see the custom bikes featured on the series, buy OCC merchandise

and even order their own bikes.

Senior later added a chopper-themed restaurant and bar called OCC Café to feed hungry visitors and encourage them to spend more time at the factory. It was an immediate success, and Senior decided to upgrade the family appeal of the café by adding some bowling lanes.

US Bowling won the contract to provide the bowling lanes. It was during the installation of the lanes that Senior was inspired to create a hybrid entertainment center with a motorcycle theme. “Senior said, ‘We need to figure out how to put these around the world’,” recalls David Frewing, president of US Bowling.

STRIKING DESIGN AND BAD-BOY BRANDING

In what Frewing calls a first for the bowling industry, US Bowling has the exclusive license agreement for OCCbranded boutique, FEC, bar and restaurant concepts with bowling.

“People try to build a brand, but I don’t know anyone that has tried to go nationwide with a recognizable [brand],” says Frewing. “People immediately recognize the OCC concept; it’s a well-known brand.”

To get the right look and feel, US Bowling has retained Doug Wilkerson, principal of Dynamic Designs, who has designed themed environments for centers in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Wilkerson says that having a strong brand to draw on provides a solid foundation for OCC Chopper Alley. “The show has a big following and that is a perfect fit to branch off into something different,” says Wilkerson.

“What I want to do is to create a look and feel around the edginess of OCC but salute the history of OCC.” The décor will draw heavily on memorabilia and artifacts from Senior’s past. “He let me go through hundreds of pieces at his house that we can pull in to the design,” says Wilkerson. “When you go into a Chopper Alley, you’ll know right away it’s OCC.

IBI

February 2015

37

By the time you walk out of there you will have learned a little something; you will have seen a little piece of the history of the show.”

But Wilkerson is adamant that OCC Chopper Alley won’t be just a chrome and leather monument to motorcycles; it will also be a place the whole family can enjoy. “It is going to be a viable, welldesigned entertainment center,” says Wilkerson. “It definitely has a nice food piece, it’s got the boutique bowling side, it’s got the game and attraction side.”

To enhance the custom OCC chopper that will be the showpiece of each center, Wilkerson has created a dynamic water show. “We are going to [project] a video on the water where Senior talks about his philosophy and what has driven him as a bike builder and an entrepreneur,”

says Wilkerson. “Throughout the show you can feel the rumbling of a motorcycle and all of a sudden the water stops and the motorcycle comes out of the floor and the lights click on and you have a branded piece of art right in the center of the show.”

GO MILD OR WILD

Customization and flexibility are the hallmarks of the OCC Chopper Alley concept.

Locations can range from 5,000-square-foot lounges with mini bowling to big FECs with fullsize lanes, arcades, laser tag and all the extras.

Glenn Keenan, vice president of sales for US Bowling, says the small footprint lounge 38

IBI

February 2015

concept is ideal for the growing number of cities with high-traffic entertainment districts that have pricey rents. “Small venues are a whole lot easier to find in major downtown areas, close to sporting arenas and major malls and cool areas near colleges,” he says.

40

IBI

February 2015

To give proprietors the greatest flexibility for an operation, OCC Chopper Alley is a licensed, not franchised, operation. Licensees will pay a fee to use the OCC brand and design and will pay a royalty on food and beverage sales.

The kicker in the deal is that every location gets its own retail store offering popular OCC licensed products like T-shirts, jeans, caps, sunglasses and riding gear. “The store is definitely a nice additional revenue generator for the facility, [with] a built-in fan base,” says Keenan.

There’s also room for customization on the food and beverage side. The menu is still in development, but Frewing says it will expand on the original OCC Café that features such popular grill items as pulled pork, burgers and flatbread sandwiches. Bar items will include a mix of domestic and international favorites including craft beers. Licensees will be free to add regional specialties on their own or with the help of OCC Chopper Alley’s restaurant consultant.

Frewing believes the concept is ideal for new owners

who want to leverage the power of a national brand, and an exciting alternative for veteran proprietors who want to revitalize an existing center by rebranding it.

US Bowling is handling sales and marketing of OCC Chopper Alley and already has several prospective licensees lined up. Frewing says they expect to open the first licensed locations in the third quarter of 2015.

Paul Teutul, Sr. will make personal appearances, lending his star power to the grand opening of every OCC location.

American Chopper ran for 10 seasons from 2003 to 2012 on the Discovery and TLC networks. Its fans are legion, so Senior himself gets the last word on what fans of OCC and American Chopper will like about OCC Chopper Alley. “Fans of OCC and American Choppers travel for days to be a part of the brand,” says Teutul, referring to the popularity of the factory and original OCC Café. “They come back again and again

with their friends and family for the food, beverages, and entertainment experience.” He expects the same enthusiastic response as the concept heads out across the country.

Get your motor runnin’. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.

IBI

February 2015

41

FEATURE

Frolic at Funway With an entrepreneurial spirit, Bob Hansen has grown his business into a thriving FEC.

By Anna M. Littles ocated in the quiet suburb of Batavia, IL, is Funway, a crown jewel of Chicago's family entertainment businesses. It sits on six acres and features a 100-foot in-ground pool that fits 12 bumper boats, along with batting cages, skating rink, mini golf, laser tag and bumper cars. These facilities are consistently maintained and provide state-of-the-art attractions, and that's just the exterior of the complex. The interior has 20 bowling lanes and offers 70,000 square feet of top-of-the-line fun.

The mastermind at the helm of this mega complex for the past 20-plus years is Bob Hansen, an unassuming man who believes in hard work and commitment. Driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Bob took on a go-kart business right after he graduated from college in 1981.

L

Jackie, Dominic and Linnea Hansen love to ATV with their dad Bob when not working at Funway.

42

IBI

February 2015

Over the years he expanded the business with miniature golf and batting cages. He bought Funway when it went on the market in 1990.

Funway was already known as a family entertainment center with its large arcade, and roller rink complex. For Bob Hansen, that was just the beginning. From 1990 to 2004, he added 20 lanes of Brunswick-equipped bowling. They were a big hit with leagues, which number 15-18 in a typical season.

School groups and parties drive business June through August, with Funway being a big attraction year-round for families, church outings, companies and schools. They all make good use of the skating rink and batting cages as well. In fact, over the course

of several years, Bob rebuilt the batting cages and added laser tag.

According to Bob, Batavia is a lovely suburb about 40 minutes west of Chicago with about 26,000 families.

Business comes from Chicago folks out for the day and from the immediate Batavia area. He will host 450 kids in an average week, the complex accommodating 700-800. For New Year's Eve, he does an early party for families and an overnight party for adults—basically an open-house—that runs from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Families with very young children are glad to know that

Funway has several rides perfect for babies, and of course there's bowling.

As for food, it is standard fare with a full bar called Big "R" serving burgers and wraps and all things Americana. For something a little more upscale, he has Carvella's Grille, which offers some good eats as well.

Bob is quick to note that "there is no other family entertainment business that features the number of attractions that [we] do."

His 60 employees, his two daughters (who are graduating from college) and his son (being groomed to take over the business) have lifted the weight of 60-hour work weeks off Bob's shoulders. A proud father, he is thrilled that his children are just as committed to the family entertainment business as he is. So what's the next chapter in his life? For Bob, it's time to pull out the fishing pole and relax, all due to the success of Funway. ❖

Anna M. Littles, a screenplay and freelance writer and producer originally from the Bronx, NY, now resides in Santa Monica, CA.You can see her work on YouTube, IMDB, or on her website at www.alittleLA.com.

IBI

February 2015

43

NEWS FRONT

Indiana FEC Named ‘Small Business of the Year’ trikes & Spares, a Mishawaka (South Bend), IN, 20-lane FEC, has been named 2015 Small Business of the Year by the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce.

The yearly honor is based on the Chamber’s comprehensive analysis of a nominated business that includes its history, success, uniqueness, and financial health.

Strikes & Spares president Paulo Teixeira, expressing his pleasure at the award, said, “We have been working very hard for 10 years in order to make this center a destination place. This award belongs to all our employees that work very hard in order to help us have what we have, and [to] the Mishawaka community, because

S

without their support we’d not be there.”

He added, “When they entered the marketplace, there were some challenges.

[We’ve] had [several] bowling alleys close since they opened up, not because of them but there are less people bowling.”

Jeff Rea, Chamber president and CEO said the award recognizes “the great risk they took initially when they entered the market, and the things they’ve continued to do to innovate. The business is 10 years old, and when you walk in, it looks like it’s brand new.”

The award will be presented at a Chamber Paulo Teixeira luncheon March 3, where 850 are expected to attend. The Chamber represents 1,100 businesses in the county. ❖

Eliminate rental shoes, increase profits and enhance your customers bowling experience

• Bowl in your own shoes. •Great for parties & events.

Your customers will enjoy bowling in their own street shoes. Our research revealed they would even bowl more often!

Bowling Buddies Shoe Covers come in 3 sizes that will fit 97% of all shoe sizes. Visit our website to purchase a sample box and give them a try.

WWW.BOWLINGBUDDIESSHOECOVERS.COM

1-855-COVERS-0 Patent Pending: 61-642.067

44

IBI

February 2015

SHOWCASE

LASER TAG

For over 17 years, Creative Works, Inc. has been wowing the world of family entertainment.

Each laser tag project is approached as a unique experience with one common denominator. “We design our facilities to last.” Whether renovation or an upgrade, Creative Works’ team can create the WOW Effect that fits your needs. For more info, call 317-834-4770 or go to www.THEWOWEFFECT.com.

FINANCING

Venue Furniture is more than just settees, barstools and chairs. Besides the wide-range of furniture which can be customized for any need, Venue offers ceiling and wall elements which have a huge visual impact. Call and let one of its experts show you how easily and affordably it can be done.

For more info, go to BowlingFurniture.com; email sales@VenueFurniture.us; or call 855-55VENUE.

MANAGE TIME-BASED PLAY

Live Oak Bank, headquartered in Wilmington, NC, provides small business loans to professionals looking to start or expand their businesses. Having an industry focus and trade specialists on board, enables the bank to offer an exceptional level of service to its clients.

Recently, Live Oak announced financing to Pinballz Arcade and Pinballz Kingdom in Texas. Pinballz obtained 100% financing to assist in refinancing existing debt and to provide additional working capital for renovation and equipment. To learn more, please visit www.liveoakbank.com.

Intercard introduces CronusPlay wearable technology. About the size and weight of a wristwatch, CronusPlay is worn by customers, eliminating the need for colored wristbands to manage time-based play at amusement venues. The device has a visual alert, is reusable, can manage multiple time slots, and is compatible with Intercard’s iWave Reader.

For more information visit www.intercardinc.com.

MINI BOWLING

COIN-OP WINNER

ARENA GAME SYSTEM

REDEMPTION GAMES

QubicaAMF has launched a new website dedicated to its newest mini bowling products—The New Highway 66 and The Suite Spot.

Both are state-of-the-art on-lane entertainment items guaranteed to create a relaxing and social environment. Including sales and marketing training for staff, QubicaAMF will help expand your business. Please visit www.amusement.quicaamf.com to learn more about the benefits of adding Highway 66 and The Suite Spot to your facility today!

Lasertron was the go-to game manufacturer for Max Bowl, Humble, TX. The newly expanded center included a 4,110 square-foot, multilevel Lasertron LED illuminated arena equipped with 26 Lasertron LT-12 vests. The system is durable and of the highest quality, with cool, playable LED or blacklight arenas, a POS system, new cloud kiosks and online scoring. The software is easy to use and offers a multitude of game options. For more info go to www.lasteron.com or email akessler@lasertron.us.

46

CEILING AND WALL ELEMENTS

IBI

February 2015

Bay Tek Games’ Flappy Bird ticket redemption game draws attention with its large, bright screen and a game play that has participants flocking back for more. Players can compete for daily or all-time high scores.

The recognizable Flappy Bird artwork, a 42” monitor and colorful lighting are a great addition to any game room. For more info, visit Bay Tek Games at baytekgames.com or call Jenna Woepse at 920-822-3951, Ext. 1708.

UNIS Games has introduced an impressive range of redemption games for 2015.

One of the highlights is a great kiddie one or two player video game with the benefit of a small footprint. At less than 6’ tall, the simple yet engaging gameplay involves racing on either a car of motorbike, picking up golden tickets along the way while avoiding obstacles. For further info go to www.universal-space.com or contact Steven Tan on sales @universal-space.com.

VIEWPOINT

A Few Minutes with...

Jeff Schilling, Owner/CEO, Creative Works chatting with Beyond Bowling’s George McAuliffe.

ell us about your company. What does Creative Works do?

We started 17 years ago and our mission now as then is to deliver the “wow” effect to laser tag and family entertainment facilities. Today we have a global community of customers and do business throughout the amusement, tourism, and restaurant industries. We develop the “wow” effect through theming, creative collateral support, and we develop immersive experiences and games.

T

How did you get into the business?

I started young. As a kid I was inspired by family trips to Disney World and other attractions. My dad nurtured that interest by sharing drawings he created as a kid of Disney characters. By my 20s, I had done a lot of my own drawings and visited a lot of parks. It captivated my imagination.

While at Butler University, I became the assistant director of the planetarium to help pay my way through school. They allowed me to open a gift shop there, so that was my foundation for starting a business.

A college internship led to a marketing study for Q-Zar, one of the early leaders in laser tag, which gave me a taste for the amusement industry. At graduation I had two roads: Wall Street or the amusement industry. I chose the amusement industry to try to carve a niche, to do something different, and to start something new, to bring the “wow” effect to Laser Tag. That’s impressive. What keeps you in this business?

The FEC industry, but especially bowling, has turned the corner in so many ways. I remember an early Bowl Expo when the topic of removing lanes was raising eyebrows. Now we see lane removal to make way for FEC attractions more common practice. Operators see how laser tag and FEC attractions help keep their centers relevant. And what’s really exciting is that so many more centers are updating and renovating their businesses. They are ready to adapt, change, and evolve.

The other main motivator is that we are a family business.

My wife and I are at the helm, all of my siblings have worked 48

IBI

February 2015

for the company at one time or another, and we have a great group of really creative and loyal staff that are like family.

To what do you attribute the longevity and success of laser tag?

Laser tag was first popularized in the late 1980s. Through the advancement of technology and creating exciting arenas and playing fields with a theme park approach, it’s now a thriving, top attraction and revenues are on the rise.

Can you boil it down to the top three factors for today’s success?

I’ll try. Throughput is one. Laser tag is a game that takes relatively little time to play. You can run three to four games per hour. Another is societal acceptance and trends. Billions of people play video games and half of the games are firstperson-player games. Laser tag allows all of those players to be fully immersed, to be in the game. Third is the technology.

Twenty years ago with Q-Zar, we couldn’t do what we do today. We have affordable, computer-controlled lighting, equipment that responds to and interacts with players as they proceed throughout the game.

What are the next phases for the BEC? Vision for the next five years?

From the great companies to individual first-time proprietors worldwide, we see the same trend: a desire to identify and differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Technology will continue to develop with an emphasis on interactivity and social interaction. Once facilities open, they must get people to return. We are spending a lot of creative time in helping to make facilities “sticky,” so customers want to come back—have to come back. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do know that we’ll be there: adapting, creating, working hard to build memorable experiences, memories that last, that people can hold on to.

Thanks, Jeff. We wish you the best for continued success. ❖

CONVENTION

T I M M U S A S T BPA H G I L H G I H

but the energy pectedly cold ex un en be ve -15. io, TX—may ha mmit, Jan. 11 u on S nt g A lin an S ow a B r fo ccess!” lamo City”—ak smokin’ hot “ egency was event “a big su R e to tt th ya d H ce e n th ou space and had inside tino pron ow ar sh M e m ad tr To e t overflowed th BPAA presiden de, exhibitors si s es n si u b the Navy’s On the eil, a leader of ’N O r.

J. t ye er fo ob el R more by the hot Six. Deployed s were inspired am ee Te set up shop in L nd te EA S at s, as de in to addres er quit” attitu often referred ev , p In the keynote “n u e ro G th t t en ou ab re Developm O’Neil spoke Special Warfa ial missions, ec sp r fo es tim than a dozen World. ❖ life. r BPAA at Sea d fo an ly ve si u cl business ex with a night Summit ended

A

Cowboy Bob, Cobra and Ace Mitchell.

Ben Jones, Live Oak Bank; Jay Buhl, QubicaAMF; Kay Anderson, Live Oak Bank.

Robert O'Neil Team Leader, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, keynote speaker at BPAA Summit. ©Hero Noda

Glenn Keenan, Daroll Frewing, Dee Frewing, US Bowling Corporation.

50

IBI

January 2015

Mike Zabawa of Next Level Entertainment Advisors.

CONVENTION

Jimmy Land, Mike Eaton, Bob Gudorf and Scott Craddock.

Peggy Brooks and Cindy Wunderlich.

Kelly Parker, director of meetings and events for BPAA; Robert O'Neil, Team Leader, Naval Special Warfare Development Group.

©Hero Noda

Peter Kellis of Tray with Scott Frager, publisher of IBI. Jason Mitchell with Intercard.

Brent Perrier, president of Brunswick Bowling.

Chuck Courter and Kelsey Scholl of Venue Furniture.

Toby Brown of Strike Ten; John Harbuck, president of Strike Ten; and Bart Burger of BPAA.

Beth Standlee, owner of TrainerTainment Steve Raasch, Steltronic.

IBI

January 2015

51

BPAA SUMMIT AWARDS

INDUSTRY SERVICE HONORS ANNOUNCED n a highlight of Bowling Summit last month, BPAA president Tom Martino announced the recipients of BPAA’s annual awards for outstanding industry service. The honors will be presented at Expo in Las Vegas, June 22-26.

I

Dick Weber Bowling Ambassador Award to Kelly Kulick The award is named in memory of professional bowler Dick Weber, bowling’s global ambassador, who spent a lifetime setting the standard for all bowling athletes by elevating the positive image of bowling and promoting the game and sport of bowling to all ages both on and off the lanes. Kulick was named for consistently showing grace on and off the bowling lanes by promoting the game and sport of bowling in a positive manner.

Media Award to Kids Bowl Free The award is presented to a national or local media representative or entrepreneur who has made significant use of print or electronic media to further the sport and business of bowling.

Best Local USBC Association Award to Detroit Metro The award recognizes the best local USBC association working in coordination with BPAA to improve bowling within the community.

BPAA President’s Medal to Cathy DeSocio The Medal is presented to an individual judged to have given exceptional support and/or to have made significant contributions to BPAA and the industry in the eyes of the current BPAA president and awards committee. DeSocio was honored for embodying a spirit of service and leadership and as thanks her for her devotion and loyalty to BPAA.

Ruben A. Dankoff Award for Public Policy and Legislative Service to Debra Bojé The award is given on an as-deserved basis to a proprietor, industry leader or proprietor organization for outstanding voluntary service on the federal, state or local governmental level in the development of legislation, public policy initiatives, or other political efforts that benefit BPAA, its members or the industry.

Special Award to The National Bowling Association A special recognition of a person or group that has achieved a heightened level and made bowling a better sport for everyone, it goes this year to TNBA as it celebrates its 75th anniversary. ❖

52

IBI

February 2015

CLASSIFIEDS SERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL

AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • Frameworx NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS

Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849

291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940 on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com

AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY ALL AMF BUMPER PARTS, XS Q-BUMP, DURABOWL AND GEN II IN STOCK

SEL L

BUY

Danny & Daryl Tucker Tucker Bowling Equipment Co. 609 N.E. 3rd St. Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-4018 Fax (806) 995-4767

Bowling Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 801 Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-3635 Email - daryl@tuckerbowling.com

www.tuckerbowling.com

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.

Get Redline Foul Lights at www.joystickscoring.com or call Werner @ (888) 569-7845. Sold exclusively in Canada

by JD Bowling Services (800) 346-5781.

Home of Bowlingtrader.com, your FREE buy & sell site.

MISC: Rebuilt Brunswick power lifts $750, “as is” $550; 20 factory A2 pinsetters, $500/ea.—must take all; original Anvil dot and arrow panels; 30 AMF HPL lanes, full, approach, pindeck; Phoenix lane machine $3500; reconditioned Gloss Boss $2500; 24 lanes AMF Excel scoring; plastic AMF capping; AMF bumper/gutter; 30 ea. 27” granite-cased Steltronic monitors $50 or all $1,000; wood lanes. COMPLETE LANE PACKAGES. (719) 251-1616.

PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70 S.S. & M.P. MACHINES Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. Board Exchange & Repair!

A reasonable alternative for Chassis and P.C. Board Exchanges MIKE BARRETT Call for Price List

Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576

ARE YOU A FAN OF BOWLING? www.Facebook.com/BowlingFan 56

IBI

February 2015

EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Call (608) 764-1464.

NEW ITEM AMF Chassis Plug Access Door. Easy access to work on chassis plugs. $9.99 ea. Nationwide AMF service.

Visit TheBowlDoctor.com or call (608) 381-9276.

CLASSIFIEDS POSITION WANTED Certified Brunswick mechanic well versed on all serial machines both American & Japanese. Seeking 20-24 hours per week employment in Denver, CO, area. 45 years experience. Has own tools. Excellent references. Call Steven @ (303) 870-5860 or email cstaylor1993@gmail.com.

SERVICES AVAILABLE Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

AMF 5850 & 6525 CHASSIS. Exchange your tired or damaged chassis for an upgraded, rewired, cleaned, painted and ready-to-run chassis. Fast turnaround.

Lifetime guarantee. References available.

CHASSIS DOCTOR (330) 314-8951.

CENTERS FOR SALE NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS: 8-lane center, full-service kitchen & bar with large Beer Garden plus 3 bdrm/2bath apartment.

Business & real estate. Reasonably priced.

Contact Curtis for pics and more information.

(316) 806-7744.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

Merchant Coupon RESULTS "One of the best promotions we have ever had."

- Bryan Senker, Flamingo Bowl (TX) "I should have re-ordered your coupon program sooner…you can quote me on that.”

- Max Cook, North Bowl Lanes (WA) "BMA goes above and beyond any other marketing service.”

- Patrick Kline, Shelby Lanes (MI) "Top notch from start to finish. I love the results!"

- Doug Cottom, Ross Cottom Lanes (IL) "A glowing recommendation. I took a chance, it paid off. ROI was over 800%.

Been using it ever since!"

- Chuck Linn, Daffodil Bowl (WA)

Try a free Market Test...

MINIATURE GOLF COURSES Indoor/Outdoor. Portable/Pre-Fab. Black Light/Traditional/Pro Putter.

202 Bridge Street Jessup, PA 18434 570-489-8623 www.minigolfinc.com

Call Chris at 888-930-4039 or visit ibi.BMAmkt.com IBI

February 2015

57

CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE OKLAHOMA: 16-lane center with laser tag, arcade, snack bar, lounge. Only game in town. Must see—fully remodeled & beautiful.

Needs a bowler to build very potential business. Owner will carry to viable investor.

(719) 251-1616.

GEORGIA: Busy 32-lane center, real estate included. Great location in one of fastest–growing counties in metro Atlanta.

5 years new with all the amenities.

Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.

TENNESSEE: Recently remodeled 16-lane Brunswick A2 center with AS-90 scoring, Large game & billiard room. 3 party rooms.

Full-service snack bar w/ pizza oven.

Opportunities available. Includes RE – lease or purchase. Would like to move quickly.

Phone Curtis @ (501) 580-1452.

LOCKER KEYS FAST! All Keys done by code # Locks and Master Keys

NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor & Bowling.

Established 8 lanes between Mpls & Duluth w/ large bar, dining room, banquet area.

Two large State employment facilities nearby. High six-figure gross. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089. www.majesticpine.com.

E-mail: huff@inreach.com TOLL FREE

1-800-700-4539

SELL YOUR CENTER

(818) 789-2695

58

IBI

February 2015

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

CLASSIFIEDS

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

IBI

February 2015

59

CLASSIFIEDS Felix Erickson Co., Inc. Strike Zone © Family of Lane Products Strike Zone© Next Generation LC 5 gal case $105 Envi-Cide II Disinfectant Shoe sparay 12/15 oz $87.95 Solve-It © Orange Foam Cleaner 12/18 oz $69.95 FESI Solve-IT © Ball Wheel Liner 22’ $90 NEW RM 107 Rubber/Cork Wheel Liner $29.95/Roll 070-006-757S Smooth Dist. Belt w/ lacing $35 ea.

000-024-604 Gray Ball Lift Belt $195 ea.

Exclusive Phenolic Kickback Plates Front F128D 16” x 33” $88 ea.

Rear F129 19” x 23 3/4” $88 ea.

NEW F131T 16” x 40” $125 ea.

All plates include screws and instructions 800-445-1090 (F) 609-267-4669 festrikezone.com Resurfacing - Repairs - Supplies - Synthetics

CENTERS FOR SALE LARRY DOBBS APPRAISALS. (214) 6748187. Bowlingvaluations@yahoo.com.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 32-LANE CENTER. Owner retiring. Priced to sell. $1.8 mil annual revenues. Broker: Harry Sidhu, cell (510) 490-9705 or office (510) 366-6130.

SOUTHWEST KANSAS: Well-maintained 8lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant.

Includes business and real estate. Nice, smaller community. Owner retiring. $212,000.

Leave message (620) 397-5828.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS: PRICED TO SELL!!

8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, full-service restaurant, pro shop. Plus pool tables, karaoke machine & DJ system. Asking $125,000.00 with RE. (217) 351-5152 or toms-uvl@sbcglobal.net.

NEW YORK, Lowville (home of QubicaAMF pin production): new, established 12-lane QubicaAMF center with all amenities including soft-serve window, state-of-the-art kitchen, bar & arcade. 16,640 s/f building with parking 150+. (315) 376-3611 or (315) 486-4325.

MISSOURI (east of Kansas City): 8 lanes.

Excellent building. Divorce forces sale. All offers considered. (816) 415-9186.

TEXAS: 24-lane center with limited competition and good upside. Building & equipment in good condition. Real estate included. Owner retiring. Ken Paton (503) 645-5630.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One of the top five places to move! Remodeled 32lane center. Good numbers. $3.1m gets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828) 253-0362.

EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-lane Brunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thru liquor store in small college town. Also, 3 apartment buildings with 40 units, good rental history.

Call (701) 330-7757 or (701) 430-1490.

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

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN 60

IBI

February 2015

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

CLASSIFIEDS

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Well-maintained DBA Phoenix lane machine for sale. All in working condition except for water pump. Great for back up lane machine or for spare parts. $2,200 FOB Studio City, CA or best offer. Call Scott @ 818-769-7600.

32-lanes, Brunswick lane panel and approaches. Approximately 20 years old.

Will be available after May 1, 2015. Great for spare lane panels. FOB Studio City, CA. Call Scott Frager @ 818-769-7600.

DATEBOOK

FEBRUARY 21 Washington State BPA 50 Anniversary Gala Hyatt Regency Hotel Bellevue, WA Greg Olsen (206) 762-6752 www.wsbpa.com

MARCH 9-13 Brunswick Training GS-Series Pinsetter Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800 937-2695, Option 2 www.brunswickbowling.com/ service-support/training 16-20 Brunswick Training Vector Scoring Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695, Option 2 www.brunswickbowling.com/ service-support/training

24-26 AAMA-AMOA Amusement Expo Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV www.amusementexpo.org

APRIL

13-18 ITC (Intercollegiate Team Championships) Northrock Lanes Wichita, KS www.bowl.com/tournaments

MAY 4-8 Brunswick Training GS-Series Pinsetter Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695, Option 2 www.brunswickbowling.com/ service-support/training

11-15 Brunswick Training Vector Scoring Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695, Option 2 www.brunswickbowling.com/ service-support/training 13-19 USBC Queens-Sr. Queens Ashwaubenon Bowl Green Bay, WI (800) 514-BOWL (2695)

JUNE

10-11 Birthday University Raleigh, NC Frank Price (919) 387-1966 fprice@birthdayuniversity.com 22-26 Intl Bowl Expo Paris Hotel Las Vegas, NV www.bpaa.com IBI

February 2015

61

REMEMBER WHEN

Ma rch 201 1

A

3 201 ary u r Feb

rchie Andrews, our intrepid teenage romantic, is never at a loss for conjuring a way to meet beautiful girls. He definitely knows how to leverage his bowling acumen to steal their hearts. Since 2011, IBI has chronicled his fickleness.

Note that every heart has a new face. However, has our young Romeo stepped over the line? Too much of a good thing can be dangerous. From the look on Veronica’s face, Archie better stick to spares on the lanes. Watch out, Archie! � 62

IBI

February 2015

Fe br ua ry 20 14