IBI November 2014 by International Bowling Industry Magazine

CONTENTS

VOL 22.11

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

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager

6 ISSUE AT HAND

48 FEATURE

Third Time’s The Charm – Again

Rolling with the Rockers Brooklyn Bowl’s Las Vegas location is a hit on the Strip.

By Scott Frager

By Robert Sax

8 SHORTS • BVL donations increased for 6th consecutive year. • IBMHOF launches online Bowling Museum Store. • A ‘Big Lebowski’ wedding at Chop’s Bowl in Omaha, NE.

56 TRADESHOW Scrapbook Golden Nuggets from the ECBCC By David Garber

58 TRADE SHOW NEWS And the Winner Is…. Proprietors from Maryland and Pennsylvania are the winners of the big $25k raffle.

18 CENTER STAGE “Shock” Waves in Wichita

By Mark Miller

At the newly renovated Rhatigan Center at Wichita State University, the bowling lanes rock. 24

61 INDUSTRY NEWS A New Day for the PWBA BPAA and the USBC partner to revive the PWBA in 2015.

Duck Dynasty?

By Mark Miller

Duckpin bowling is poised to make a big splash in the industry, if Randy White has anything to say about it.

68 REMEMBER WHEN

By Fred Groh

Retro Bowling Badges By Rachel Gale

31 BEYOND BOWLING

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OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com

CONTRIBUTORS Rachel Gale David Garber Fred Groh Patty Heath George McAuliffe Mark Miller Robert Sax Melissa Sobolick

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com

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

24 COVER STORY

• IAAPA Preview • From “Trad” to “Rad” in Indiana • “Beyond Bowling” Showcase

garber@bowlingindustry.com

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks

By Patty Heath

By Melissa Sobolick

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER David Garber

HOTLINE: 888-424-2695 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 2014, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.

MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

62 Classifieds 67 Datebook

THE ISSUE AT HAND

Third Time’s the Charm—Again I was reminded of a few things this past week. The old adage that bad things happen in threes and that they happen when you least expect them. And that it pays to be prepared—but that being a little lucky can be very helpful, too. It started with the discovery of a significant bee colony embedded in our center’s 40feet-tall neon sign. It turns out that it’s very handy to have a beekeeper in your Rolodex. Since we were already doing some work on the sign, we had a bucket lift on-site to raise the bee-man up to dispatch the little buzzers and put an end to our stinging problem. By

the way, the honey is still there for anyone brave enough to retrieve it. A few days later, our restaurant’s rooftop boiler decided it couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. It blew its top—the pressure relief valve—literally. The ill-prepared plumbers who responded didn’t have the right part and jerry-rigged a temporary fix involving a garden

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hose. Not the best solution. Unbeknownst to me or my team, hundreds of gallons of scalding water were released on the roof, burning a hole through the protective elastomeric roof coating and ultimately finding its way into the center. My team sprinted to the scene and within an hour we had five 50-gallon waste cans filled with hot, steaming water ready for the center’s Jacuzzi—if only we had a Jacuzzi. Later the same week just after midnight, I was notified that our scorer had lost contact with all 32 pinsetters. That forced an early closure and created a very pressured GM (yours truly). We had senior leagues in the a.m. and a full-center buyout corporate event early that evening. Hugo, our super-hero head mechanic, voluntarily recalled himself from vacation in order to help us meet the crisis. Once he sniffed burning at an incoming electric panel, he immediately called our electrician. Our electrical man rushed in to discover what was a fire in one of the subpanels where two wire bundles had gotten too friendly (see photo). Not to worry, luckily. The electrical box did its job and put out the fire. The electrician inspected and repaired the other panels and our center was quickly back up to full speed. I’d like to take comfort in knowing that we’re “protected” for a while, now that we’ve had our third bad-news event. But then I just remembered another adage: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Thank you, Mr Murphy. Let’s all play safe and make sure our teams are ready for it, whatever ”it” is this holiday season is upon us.

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

SHORTS

SHORT SHORTS Online Bowling Instruction The USBC Bowling Academy, developed in partnership with USBC and TN Marketing, has introduced an online collection of instructional videos featuring Team USA, USBC-certified Gold coaches and top professionals. New bowlers and old bowlers alike can tap into this site for instruction, lessons and advice to improve their games. The USBC Bowling Academy explores topics including equipment, lane play, spare shooting and the mental and physical games, plus exercises and drills. The videos were designed to help all levels of bowlers. Each topic features free and premium content. Bowlers will be able to subscribe to premium content on a monthly or yearly basis. “Bowlers are able to access the USBC Bowling Academy through their computers, smartphones or tablets at any time,” USBC Deputy Executive Director Jason Overstreet said. “We think once bowlers take the time to check out the website, they will be excited to learn more about how to improve their games.” For further information, go to usbcbowlingacademy.com.

Fun and Games Paintball is a game that you either love or abhor. Critics deride it as morally obscene, going through the motions of killing another human being. Supporters counter that the game is no more anti-social than tag, hide-and-seek or capturethe-flag. So, how does this tie into bowling? On Aug. 17, 2014, The New York Times’s Sunday Magazine included an article covering “Who Made That?” In it was an overview of who actually participates in the game of paintball. Now, here is where bowling comes in: 31% have college degrees, 78% are male (no surprise), 64% are between the ages of 13 and 34, and 48% of paintballers go bowling.

Webber International University and Columbia 300 Partner-Up Located in Florida, WIU’s bowling program has agreed to a new sponsorship with Columbia 300. In recent years, Webber’s bowling program has built a strong relationship with Ebonite International, using the Kegel Training Center as the facility for its bowling teams. Webber will now combine the Ebonite products and the Columbia 300 brand with the goal of attaracting the highest-quality players for its program.

PBA, Bowlmor AMF Partnership Agreement The PBA and Bowlmor AMF have entered into an entitlement partnership agreement that will make Bowlmor AMF an official partner of the PBA and official host of the 2015 Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational Presented by AMF on Jan. 8 at AMF Bow-O-Drome Lanes, a 40-lane center in Torrance, CA. The event will be televised by ESPN on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1, at 4:30 p.m. ET, leading into the most-watched television event on the sports calendar.

Global Manufacturing Partners with QubicaAMF Worldwide The International Bowling Media Association (IBMA) issued a press release stating that Global Manufacturing, a San Antonio, TX-based producer and distributor of high performance bowling equipment, has announced a licensing agreement with QubicaAMF Worldwide. This agreement will allow Global to market and sell the AMF brand of balls, bags, accessories, and Vacu-Jig pro shop equipment. Formally known as 900 Global LLC, Global has been the official licensee for AMF consumer products since 2007. Stephanie Darby, marketing communications manager of QubicaAMF, stated, “We are eager to work with Global Manufacturing again and to rebuild the AMF300 brand.” Bill Supper of Global Manufacturing shared, “We look forward to creating a diverse product line of bowling equipment intended to meet the needs of present and future bowlers.”

BREAST CANCER PARTNERSHIP Lucky Strike, a nationally-acclaimed bowling and entertainment brand, joined the fight against breast cancer with an official kick-off of the Breastcancer.org Initiative on Oct. 1 at Lucky Strike Philadelphia. As part of the initiative, all Lucky Strike locations nationwide raised awareness and funds through the sale of food and specialty beverage items and a limited-edition charity bracelet throughout October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “Lucky Strike is proud to partner with Breastcancer.org to raise funds and awareness for this important initiative,” said Steven Foster, founder and CEO of Lucky Strike, “and we are happy to be able to show our support for the life-saving work of such a great organization.” Breastcancer.org is the leading resource for breast health and breast cancer information and support, with more than 7,000 pages of expert-reviewed information and a robust, dynamic peer support community. IBI

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SHORTS

IBMHOF MUSEUM STORE GOES ONLINE The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame (IBMHOF) announced the launch of its new online Bowling Museum Store on eBay, where it will hold monthly auctions for bowling and other sports memorabilia. Proceeds from sales will benefit IBMHOF in its mission to preserve the history of bowling. Items up for sale will rotate on a monthly basis, giving shoppers a new set of items on which to bid. “It is only through the generous support of our patrons that the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame is able to offer these items for sale,” said Bob Gudorf, IBMHOF president. The auction will take place in The Bowling Museum Store on eBay, where bidders will find descriptions of each item along with information on how to participate in the auction. For more information or to inquire about donating items, contact Jessica Bell, museum curator, at 800-343-1329 or email jessica@bowlingmuseum.com. To review the items currently being offered go to www.ebay.com/usr/bowlingmuseumstore.

A ‘Big Lebowski’ Wedding There are weddings and weddings in bowling centers and then there is the Big Lebowski wedding. Chelsea Main and Jesse McNew of Omaha, NE, planned their nuptials around the Cohen brothers’ classic film, The Big Lebowski. Jesse was a mega fan of the movie, and when he learned that Chelsea had never seen it, he immediately set up a viewing. It was then that Chelsea knew she had met the man she would marry. To keep the spirit alive, the couple married at Chop’s Bowl in Omaha. With friends and family as witnesses, Chelsea and Jesse declared “I abide” to each other. Casey Logan, staff writer for the Omaha World-Herald wrote, “Some things you can control, some things you’ve got to let be. That might be the yin and yang of Chelsea and Jesse. She’s a planner. He’s, well, he’s kind of the Dude. She wrote out her vows. He chose to recite his vows from his head. ‘Thanks for doing a Big Lebowski-themed wedding,’ he said at the end. ‘That’s awesome.’” Chelsea and Jesse sealing their vows. Photo by Kent Sievers of the Omaha World-Herald

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PEOPLEWATCHING Switch has announced that Serhat Karma is its new vice president. Karma will be responsible for all domestic and international operations. Prior to his new position, he was the GM for Samanyolu Oyuncak, an FEC operator, responsible for over 70 facilities in Serhat Karma four countries. During his tenure there, Karma brought the number of FECs from 10 to over 70 in seven years. Before his entrance into the FEC world, Karma was Senior Manager for corporate client services at Turkcell, a mobile communication company. Speaking about Karma, CEO Alain Winterhalter said, “His seven-year experience with Turkey and Europe’s largest FEC operator will be of great benefit to Switch’s future development.”

EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS Oarland‘s Plank, a 50,000-square-foot venture combining an outdoor hangout for beer and bocce with indoor entertainment, has finally opened. Located in Jack London Square, the grand opening was held Oct. 10. Indoors, there are18 lanes of bowling, 40 high-definition TVs for sports viewing, video games, plus a rooftop event space overlooking San Francisco Bay.

The Sunshine Bowling Center, a 28,000-square-foot center in Deland, FL, is getting a massive facelift, complete with a new national chain restaurant, a bar and boutique-style lanes. Pete Longo Jr., who owns the 32-lane center with his family, indicated that $1 million has been dedicated to this renovation project. The existing sports bar is being replaced with a Johnny Rockets hamburger restaurant to give the center a classic, all-American feel. A new section, dubbed the Reign Entertainment Center, will be an upscale area with a full bar, leather couches and eight boutique-style lanes. The other lanes will be refurbished with new equipment, as will the center’s restrooms and locker rooms. Presently the business employs 25 people, but with all the new area and restaurant offering, that number could double.

GOODWILL CENTRAL

SHORTS Summer ends, autumn begins, baseball ends and football begins, but bowling and its activities go on and on. Strikes For Kids, a non-profit organization that partners professional athletes with youth organizations in their community, had a celebration party for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. ‘The Merriman Super Bowl Celebration Party’ took place at ACME Bowl in Tukwila, WA. Seattle Seahawks’ All-Pro safety Earl Thomas and All-Pro running back Marshawn Lynch co-hosted this charity benefit. The event raised funds for The Earl Thomas Guardian Angel Foundation and The Fam 1st Family Foundation which is dedicated to uplifting and empowering youth in the Bay Area and throughout the United States. Shaw Air Force Base and the 20th Force Support Squadron in North Carolina extended Bowling 2 Beat Breast Cancer at Shaw Lanes to its customers for the entire month of October. Pinz Entertainment Center in Studio City, CA, was the venue for It’s Showtime at the Apollo host/actress KiKi Shepard’s Celebrity Bowling Challenge. The mission of the event is to increase knowledge of sickle cell disease, an inherited, non-contagious blood disease that can be crippling, painful, and life-threatening. In the U.S., one in 2,500 newborn babies have sickle cell disease and approximately 54,000 multi-cultured babies are born each year with the sickle cell trait. Shepard’s annual bowling event began 11 years ago when she decided to turn her birthday bowling celebration into an event to raise awareness for SCD, and it has continued to grow since its conception. Also at Pinz, the T.J. Martell Foundation, which raises money for cancer, leukemia and AIDS research, hosted a Spare Some Time to Cure Cancer event during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Celebrity Rock N’ Bowl Tournament included a silent auction of autographed pins donated by such stars as Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Yes, Def Leppard, Whitesnake’s David Coverdale and Slash. In addition, a variety of musicians—mostly hard-rock and heavy-metal artists—took part in the tournament. Brigid’s Path, a new non-profit organization which will provide medical care for drug-exposed newborns, held its first fundraiser at Poelking Lanes in Miamisburg, OH. “Bowling for Babies” was the event; the goal was to bring awareness to heroin’s effect on infants and to raise money to help provide short-term care in a home-like setting for newborns suffering from prenatal drug exposure. The organization hopes to open its doors in summer 2015 and house 12 newborns and their mothers. Byllye Lanes, Bradford, PA, held the 11th annual Child Abuse Prevention Bowling Expo to help raise money for area agencies. A $20 donation paid for bowling, food, entertainment and entry for prizes and cash giveaways. PBA bowling stars made appearances and answered questions, bowled and socialized with the guests. What is your center doing? Email Patty Heath at heath@bowlingindustry.com.

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BVL DONATIONS

CONTINUE

TO RISE Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) announced that the fundraising campaigns for 2013-2014 totaled $945,555.38, increasing for the sixth consecutive year and registering a 35% upsurge since 2008. While local and state USBC associations were up 3.5%, bowling center donations jumped markedly by 42%. California continued to lead the way in state association fundraising

with $127,482.75. On the local level, the Nation’s Capital Area USBC took first place with contributions skyrocketing from $15,319.00 in the 2012-2013 fiscal year to $27,465.00 in 2013-2014. Bowling centers nationwide stepped up with individual events. Illinois is credited with bringing in the most dollars with New York a close second. Individually, the top five centers were Maple Family Centers, NY; Brunswick Bowling Centers, IL; Don Carter Lanes Group, IL; Mel’s Lone Star Lanes, TX; and Thunderbird Lanes, PA. “We want to thank all of our contributors,” said BVL Chairman John LaSpina. “We truly appreciate our wonderful leaders, but please know that each dime and dollar makes a difference. We pride ourselves on our fiduciary stewardship, and every bit of every donation is appreciated.”

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By Melissa Sobolik

“Shock” Waves in WICHITA Student Center Renovations Shock Life Back Into Wichita State Campus

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or some students it came just in time, but for alumni it came a year or so too late; regardless, there is a new breath of life at Wichita State University (WSU). After nearly three years of construction, the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC) has regained its prominence as the heartbeat of the WSU campus. The $33 million renovation, deemed the “Rhatigan Renewal,” began in the spring of 2012 and was completed in the fall of 2014. The renovation included the addition of 60,000 square feet to the existing building, a remodeled ballroom on the third floor, and an overhaul of the lower level, which is home to the

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Wichita State Shocker Bowling program. “At first, before the construction started, it was all very exciting. Once the construction began though, it became a hassle. As construction furthered, it was impressive to see the changes and how fast they were made,” said WSU senior Kenny Benoit. “Now that it is done, the RSC is truly a top-of-the-line student center.” The RSC opened its doors in 1959, and has been home to the students and faculty at Wichita State for more than half a century. During that time, the building underwent one addition in 1969. Although the RSC had been well maintained, it was time for an overhaul. “The infrastructure desperately needed updating. We were looking at $12-to $15 million worth of needed improvements—all behind the scenes. After much consideration, our administration decided it would be better to go all the way and create a bright new student center, thereby giving our students and staff something much more tangible and certainly more enjoyable for their money,” said Rich Renellot, director of Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes, located in the

lower level of the RSC. The renovation was funded through student fees and private donations. The concept of funding the center through student fees dates back to 1946 when the WSU Student Council passed the initial proposal for the creation of the RSC. Each semester, $3 in student fees was President Emeritus Donald L. Beggs with his wife Shirley. contributed to the funding. After nearly a decade, construction on the $1.85 million project began. Crews didn’t waste any time and the RSC opened in September 1959, a few months ahead of schedule. Just over 50 years later, in 2010, WSU gained student fee approval and the Kansas Board of Regents’ support for a $33 million renovation on the building. Student fees increased by $6 per semester and in 2012, the Rhatigan Renewal project began. Just a mere two and half years later, a new state-of-the-art facility is complete. “I think the upgrades are amazing. It looks like

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a student center where people actually want to hang out and enjoy themselves,” said grad student Amber Buckles. One of the key features of the Rhatigan Renewal is the newly-named and renovated Shirley Beggs Ballroom on the third floor, which has been expanded by nearly 25% to support larger events. The ballroom was named after former First Lady Shirley Beggs, who was a frequent occupant and hostess at the event space. Also added to the third floor was Hoover Terrace, which allows for a superb view of the Wichita State campus. “My favorite part of the renovation is the architecture itself. It is beautiful from the outside looking in with all of the glass and modern architecture,” Benoit said. “The RSC is the place to be on campus for entertainment and socializing—a place to get the college experience that many students want. It is a welcoming, busy, entertaining place to relax, eat, study, and enjoy yourself in the company of friends, students, and faculty alike.” Often thought of as a “home away from home,” the RSC is indeed utilized by many students. The second floor atrium opens up the RSC, allowing for a fun and relaxing environment, while the first floor is largely made up of lounge and dining space for students. The area grew by 6,500 square feet after the renovation. In addition to the newly expanded interior space, two new outdoor performance stages were also added. “Everyone loves it. The entire building is so much more comfortable and inviting. I hear positive comments on a daily basis,” said Renollet. The upgrades, expansion, and overhaul didn’t stop after three levels; one of the biggest changes to the RSC was the revamp of the lower level, which houses Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes, multiple billiard tables, Lords & Ladys hair salon, and is home to the Shocker Bowling program. Although most of the RSC itself remained open for business during the renovation, organizations and businesses within the RSC were shuffled around throughout the three-year time period, as was the Shocker Bowling program. “We were chomping at the bit to get back into the space. It’s awesome. We’re lucky. We still haven’t gotten over it. You have to pinch yourself. Do we really work in this beautiful area?” said Shocker Bowling’s head coach Gordon Vadakin. “Things are still happening and stuff is still going on. It 20

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will take a long time for me to get used to. The office I’m in now is as big as the whole space we had before.” In addition to the expanded space in the lower level, Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes received its new name along with a facelift. One of the most noticeable changes is the separate entrance to the lower level, allowing it to function as a freestanding business to the RSC. It’s open until midnight on the weekends and students now have a place to hang out and a reason to stay on campus for entertainment. “We are working hard to partner with our department of housing and residence life to do all that we can to offer programs that enhance our campus life and encourage residents to stay on campus,” Renollet said. “WSU is rapidly becoming a living-learning community and the feel and atmosphere are very different than before.” The administration’s efforts have proven to be successful as students now have expanded lounges, seating space, and a renovated bowling concourse area in addition to the pre-existing bowling lanes and billiard tables. The bowling program has also benefited from the renovation by gaining a large meeting room, locker room, and pro shop available solely to its student athletes. “There’s high traffic. The building is full. We’re

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open later and longer and more days than we’ve ever been. [WSU president John] Bardo’s plans are the most aggressive changes in history and it’s an exciting time to be here. Things are popping,” said Vadakin. The future of Wichita State looks bright and is in full swing, as plans to enhance the campus haven’t stopped after the completion of the RSC. Shocker Hall, a brand new residence hall located just a few hundred feet from the RSC, opened just in time for the 2014 fall semester. Bardo has more plans in the works for the university and is having no problem gaining the

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support needed in order to bring his visions to life. “Plans are well underway to develop a new innovation campus, partnering with a private enterprise to provide a variety of laboratories, facilities and equipment that would create opportunities for innovation in a widely diverse number of industries and disciplines,” said Renellot. “With the completion of our renovation, the Rhatigan Student Center is now poised to fully support our president’s initiatives and we are ready to serve our campus community through this period of growth. It’s an exciting time to be a Shocker.” ❖

Melissa Sobolik graduated summa cum laude from Wichita State University with a degree in business administration and journalism. She was a part of the WSU bowling program for four years. Melissa currently works as a recruiting coordinator at Skywalk Group, located in Cedar Rapids, IA.

COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

By Fred Groh

f Randy White is right about duckpins, the game whose range has been confined for 100 years to the Northeastern seaboard will be nesting around the world before long. White, principal of White Hutchinson Leisure and Learning Group of Kansas City, MO, is completing a duckpin FEC in Vietnam and is in full design of another near Seattle. Growing up in the 1950s and ’60s in Baltimore, unofficial epicenter of duckpin bowling, White remembers half the lanes in the city as duckpin. “Guess where all the families and open play bowlers went. They went to the duckpin. Guess where the league bowlers went. The only reason we have tenpin bowling is because it was the official, sanctioned type of bowling for leagues.” “Leagues and tournaments had all the priority,” he wrote in a manifesto on duckpin bowling two years ago. “Bowling centers were designed and operated for sport and competitive bowling, not the casual bowling public. Open play bowling was only available when sport bowlers didn’t IBI

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COVER STORY scaled the food, we had windows in the facility. And the business doubled.” Hutchinson and White quickly came to the conclusion that developing projects was a lot more fun and rewarding than working with bankers on the value of their collateral, and decided to move into project consulting, design and production. The timing was good. FECs were just appearing. And sprouting up around the first FECs, children’s learning and play environments, themed restaurants, malls and zoos were just ahead for the firm. White says he’s been “trying to push duckpin for years and nobody had the guts to do it [install duckpins] because the paradigm is, you’ve got to have tenpin.” The two games differ little from an entrepreneurial standpoint, he points out. The architectural requirements are the same, the lanes being the same size. The capital investment is “about the same.” But duckpin is a better fit with today’s bowlers because it’s a more “social” basis for a bowling venue, White need the lanes. In fact, the reason that you still see older tenpin centers with elevated concourses is so the sport’s spectators had a good view.” White was never an avid bowler, but when he played it was always duckpins. “It’s easy to play!” he explains with a laugh. “You don’t have that stupid ball with the holes in it that drags you down the lane when you don’t let go of it right!” And coiled in that remark is the way White is pitching duckpins to his bowling clients round the world. In his firm’s 24 years there have been more than 500 in 32 countries. Three dozen projects included bowling, where White Hutchinson supplied feasibility studies, full design, and assisted with management start-up, depending on the project. White and his partner, Miles Hutchinson, opened the firm in the middle 1980s as a real estate consultancy. It was a time of recession in real estate brought on by overbuilding and federal tax code revisions, according to White, and he and Hutchinson specialized in evaluating troubled commercial real estate and developing turnaround or workout strategies for owners. In January 1989 a bowling center owned by a shopping center client in Olathe, KS, a KC suburb, burned to the ground. The firm was asked to supervise the rebuilding. “After raising my hand and saying I’d do it, I realized I hadn’t been in a bowling center since I was 16 years old. Which was probably a good thing,” White adds. “We rebuilt [Olathe Lanes East] and we broke all kind of paradigms in the bowling industry. We had the first completely level floors, the first cocktail seating, we up26

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believes. “Duckpin is so friendly. The ball, women can handle it, men can handle it. It’s just a fun game, [like] bocce ball now becoming popular throughout the country because it’s extremely social and extremely approachable. Tenpin bowling is the most unfriendly type of open play bowling there is.” Bowling business people often miss that, White says. They “get stuck” thinking about their businesses because they focus on the entertainment, not the social experience. “It’s no longer going out for the entertainment. People are going out to socialize. All the entertainment does, all the food and beverage does, is facilitate socialization. People all over the world can’t socialize unless they have a drink in their hand, they’re eating something, or they’re throwing a ball. The number-one motivation is, really, the social aspect of it. Especially today, if you’re going to compete with the digital entertainment world [and] get them out of the home.” In the 2012 manifesto, “It’s Time to Reinvent the Game of Bowling” (whitehutchinson.com/news/lenews/2012_december/article104.shtml), White concedes that tenpin has tried to make itself more user-friendly with lighter balls and bumpers. But he says his research finds that the “large, heavy, three-finger-hole ball” is “intimidating” to many people. Also, an experienced tenpin player “can dominate the high scoring, so everyone isn’t on an even playing field” and “often takes the game too seriously, diminishing the fun had by [the] entire group. “Let’s say goodbye to that three-finger-hole heavy bowling ball type of bowling and let everyone discover how much more fun bowling can really be,” the manifesto concludes. “It’s back to the future with duckpins. Let the ducks fly!” White says the time is right for it. Six months before he posted the manifesto on his website, he was contacted by Vietnamese entrepreneur Quang Man, owner-operator of a large soccer complex in Da Nang City, next to the National

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Stadium where high-profile pro soccer is played. Quang was thinking about building an FEC next to the stadium on another side. When the project opens (scheduled for next month), White Hutchinson will have been responsible for the feasibility study; the full-design intent, which takes the architecture to just short of local permitting; the full interior design; specifying the equipment, furnishings and appointments in the facility; assisting with F&B concepts, procurement, management start-up, marketing; and will send people to train staff on how to operate the rides and the bowling. Under pell-mell construction on a 24/7 schedule for the past year, the 157,000-square-foot project, named Helio Center, will include indoor ice skating, blacklight go-kart rides, children’s soft-play and play-and-discovery center, 19 karaoke rooms, a six-station food court and four restaurants with display kitchens. And 14 open play duckpin bowling lanes plus a two-lane duckpin boutique. c≠a For years, duckpin expansion was hobbled by the folding of the companies that manufactured pinsetters for the game. Bowl Mor, founded by Howard Dowd and R. Lionel Barrow, apparently intended to manufacture pinsetters for every bowling game. Doud and Barrow started with candlepin—and had four working machines in 1949—then moved on to duckpin, five-pin, nine-pin and tenpin. Development costs for the tenpin machine seem to have been too great and the company went Chapter 11 in the late 1960s. A parts business was maintained for the duckpin machines for a few years; then that, too, stopped. The other brand of pinsetter was the eponymous brain child of inventor Ken Sherman. The story is that Sherman, who put his incredibly complicated machine on the market in 1953, turned down an offer from Brunswick to buy the rights, at which Brunswick turned exclusively to tenpin. Sherman continued for a short time after Bowl Mor faded, and then also closed. For 40 years, duckpin houses have had to fashion their own 28

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replacement parts or buy for parts the rare old machine that suddenly pops up on the market. Quang is not going to install Shermans, Bowl Mors or indeed any free-fall pinsetters in Da Nang. He will use string machines—particular machines that will be convertible from duckpin to tenpin and vice versa, allowing both games to be played on the same lane according to demand. As a bonus, being string machines, they are mechanically simpler than free-fall machines (200 parts compared to as many as 2,200) and cheaper (a third less than a brand-new freefall machine). Quang can’t decide to run duckpins in the morning and tenpin that night, explains Dave Frewing, president of US Bowling, which is supplying the bowling for Da Nang. But two men can make the conversion on 14 lanes, going either way, in one or two days. Pin action is the same as in free-fall machines because the pit built by US Bowling is the same as in traditional tenpin layouts, he says. The company sells the same pinsetter as a tenpin string machine and in its Rollerball small-ball game. It’s been in US Bowling’s line for six years. The convertible pinsetter “removes the risk of pioneering,” White observes, “because if it doesn’t work you can switch to tenpin very easily. However, I told [Quang] I predict within one year he will switch to 100% duckpin.” On White’s first trip to Da Nang to explore bowling with Quang, the two were touring a couple of new tenpin houses in Ho Chi Minh City when Quang turned to him and said, “You know, we Vietnamese we don’t really like this bowling.” “Well, just look at the size of the Vietnamese and look at that ball. My client is maybe 5'2". The Vietnamese, the older ones, are all smaller.” White told Quang another form of bowling could be installed, and shipped him a duckpin ball to examine. In a thorough inspection of the ball and later the game, Quang was impressed. He noted even the shape, sound and sight of the flying pins. But he told us, “The main reason for us to choose duckpin from tenpin is the balls of duckpin. These balls are lighter, more suitable for Vietnamese people’s physical condition than the traditional heavy ones. Strong or weak hands, people can enjoy playing for hours without suffering from arm ache the next day. The holes of tenpin balls sometimes hurt people’s fingers, too, while duckpin balls have no holes. Moreover, thanks to the ball size, even a small kid can join their parents’ games to bring a better experience for the family.” White adds, “They’re very social when they go out. The number-one form of entertainment is private karaoke rooms, where they get together as a group. When you go to restaurants, half the people are in groups of 15, 20 or more. Bowling is a very social type of thing, so [duckpin] really fits in

COVER STORY with the way they socialize.” White reports that he is starting work in a number of countries where there is no bowling tradition. “Therefore you introduce the most friendly type, which is duckpin.” When we talked to him most recently, he had just returned from Jordan, where he is working on a mall entertainment center that will include 10 lanes of duckpin. Closer to home, the ducks are flying to Puget Sound in Washington State. White’s project there will open with 10 tenpin lanes including a 2-lane boutique. But duckpins will do better: 12 lanes including a 4-lane boutique. All 22 lanes are being equipped with the convertible pinsetter, and “Based on what we expect from consumer demand, all lanes will be duckpin by the end of the first year,” White told us. The project will also feature a four-star restaurant, an arcade and laser tag. Make no mistake, the string pinsetter will most likely limit duckpin to recreation bowling. Stan Kellum, executive director of the National Duckpin Bowling Congress (NDBC), the sanctioning and governing body, reports that experimental trials of duckpin string machines have drawn a sour response from hard-core league players. They want to see free-fall pin action. On the other hand, White thinks tenpin players can be won over to duckpins, after a fashion. “Part of the [business] problem is you get serious tenpin bowlers showing up in a social group and all they want to do is the sport. [But] you put them in front of duckpin and it’s a new game.” In any event, if keeping the duckpin game alive is the goal, the number of sanctioned U.S. duckpin houses is down to 47 (plus four or five that don’t certify) and

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a total of 820 lanes (an additional 100+ lanes are uncertified). NDBC members number 4,800 adults and 1,700 youth bowlers, while non-member duckpin players are estimated at about 9,800. And if Randy White is right about the attractiveness of duckpin bowling, and his pitch for duckpins takes hold as did his pioneering ideas at Olathe East, at least some of those numbers could start climbing. ❖

Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.

INTRO

According to George ’m writing this at 30,000 feet, heading home having connected on a flight through DFW. Air travel has allowed me to connect with hundreds of industry partners and customers in the last 10 days (Bowling University, East Coast Bowling show, F2FEC conference planning, client visits). I’m about to connect to the Internet, allowing me to communicate with people worldwide. I’ll bet you have a smartphone, certainly some kind of cell phone, in your pocket. It can keep you connected while in the office or on the beach, 24/7. Connectivity promotes integration. So it is with the BEC. An BEC is more than just adding a game room, or laser tag, or a real restaurant. It is connecting all the attractions with the bowling centerpiece and molding them together into an integrated experience for your guests. “Beyond Bowling” is one way IBI is connecting readers with the best ideas and practices in the BEC segment of the business. We are happy to have David Garber join the IBI and “Beyond Bowling” teams. David comes to us with deep roots in bowling, a passion for the health of the industry, and a commitment to its future. It is great to have him here. IAAPA is a great place to sharpen your BEC ideas. Be sure to check out our second annual IAAPA preview article in these pages for an advance look at what the show has to offer. There are few better places to find the products, the information and educational experiences necessary to master the skills of operational integration for multi-attraction venues. We hope you enjoy this edition.

George McAuliffe President, Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors

From David’s Desk

hey say you can’t go home again, but I have found that getting away and coming back make for a positive experience. I have been in the bowling business for more than 25 years. I started as a top amateur player, followed by positions as a regional manager for bowling manufacturers, then as director of both coaching and Team USA for USBC, and finally in sales in the Las Vegas casino/bowling arena. Last year, I took a hiatus from bowling to review where I had been and to decide where my future might lie. I became a consultant for Siesta Key Oyster Bar, or SKOB for short. Per square foot, it is the highest-grossing restaurant in Sarasota, FL. What I learned working in that amazing place, which attracted both tourists and locals, easily relates to the bowling industry. People look for places to spend their dollars that give them a one-stop shop. SKOB understood that. They offered great food, cold drinks, live music, and a staff that appreciated the customers, which translated into guests returning day after day and year after year even though the competition was fierce on the key. In today’s market, bowling center proprietors are clearly getting the one-stop shop message as they add laser tag, gokarts, redemption games and debit card systems to their venues. Of course, adding these types of amenities is great, but without a top-notch staff to attend to your guests, it can all be for naught. The most important thing to remember is that people want to spend their money where they feel appreciated. My year’s sojourn brought me back around to what I love—bowling. I learned that it’s a jungle out there dealing with food and beverage, but in bowling centers that is only a piece of what the business plan is about. Bowling proprietors have a great opportunity to increase their ROI with additions, but it really comes down to the fact that a topnotch staff can make the biggest difference. Enjoy this quarterly issue of “Beyond Bowling.”

David Garber Associate Publisher International Bowling Industry

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PREVIEW: IAAPA

IAAPA Growing Resource for the Bowling Entertainment Center IBI's annual insider's guide to the 2014 IAAPA trade show in Orlando.

By George McAuliffe or those of you unfamiliar with the acronym ‘IAAPA,’ it stands for International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. The annual conference and trade show, the IAAPA Expo, is often shortened to IAAPA and takes place this year Nov. 17-21 in Orlando, FL. IAAPA members include amusement parks, water parks and other assorted amusement facilities worldwide along with a strong supplier sector. Because bowling-based FECs are the fastest-growing model in IAAPA, the show has become a “must attend” for many proprietors. 27,000 attendees are expected to descend on the Orlando Convention Center for this year’s show. 1,000+ exhibitors will be showing the latest products, from games and laser tag, to roller coasters, to all of the things that go into attracting and entertaining guests.

make money. “Big Bass Wheel,” “Crank It,” and “Dizzy Chicken” are just few examples. Prize Hub is the innovative automated redemption center allowing for redemption to be introduced to unattended locations or as a satellite to give guests an option in busier centers. Baytek will be showing their latest game, “Flappy Birds.” Based on the popular app (downloaded over 50 million times), Flappy Bird is now life-size. With Baytek’s usual skill they’ve created a super attractive “videmption” piece with a huge vertical flat-screen monitor. Players test their skill by maneuvering the bird through pipes, avoid a “game over” when pipes are touched, and earn tickets with each set of pipes that the bird successfully passes through. Players can compete for the daily high score or the all-time high score.

Trade Show

BRUNSWICK, booth 4831

The trade show opens on Tuesday the 18th; the conference, a day earlier. Bring comfortable shoes. This is a big trade show floor—literally miles of aisles. I can tell you, having attended 26 IAAPAs, that those aisles are chock full of ideas to help improve your business. Some booths that would be worth your while:

BAYTEK GAMES, booth 1024 Baytek is a class act among game manufacturers. If you ever find yourself in Wisconsin, try to squeeze in a visit to this company’s facility. If you do, you’ll feel the commitment of the people in this company to their customers and to the ultimate players of their games. If you have a Baytek game you understand my point: their physical quality and reliability are second to none. And they consistently release games that 34

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One of the leading providers of bowling equipment and supplies, Brunswick offers today's investors a dynamic range of opportunities to achieve their goals. Brunswick is a leader as a single-source provider with a long, successful history of supporting successful new bowling center development projects.

BMI MERCHANDISE, booth 824 Beyond the hottest items, BMI's automated reorder system (ARS) syncs with all leading POS systems. The result is the world's most 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

See y Boo ou at th # IAAP 103 A 1

followed for ez merchandising), and much more.

CREATIVE WORKS, booth 602 Creative Works, the designers and builders of entertainment venues, with over 20 years of experience designing and theming facilities worldwide, will be showing their custom laser tag arena capabilities along with their “Laser Frenzy” fully immersive laser tag experience. Rounding out the booth will be “Cosmic Golf”; “Color Crush,” a compact game installed on the wall; and “Reactor,” their arcade showpiece.

INTERCARD, booth 1031 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. Intercard is at the forefront of debit card installations in FECs.

LASERTRON, booth 3206 Lasertron will be showing their brand new LT-12 Briefing Video which comes in five different versions for their most popular game formats. Briefing Video #1 shows the new “Choose Your Own Power Ups.” It’s easy to activate and fun to play. The Lasertron team will be there to share the details on their latest installations and features.

LIVE OAK BANK, booth 4640 Live Oak Bank is a lender that specializes in providing financing solutions to the amusement industry with a keen focus within family entertainment centers, bowling centers, roller skating centers, small parks and water parks nationwide. Ben Jones, a former operator and amusement park industry leader, is one of the stars on their team.

QUBICAAMF, booth 1039 The new Highway 66, the world’s best-selling mini bowling attraction ever, delivers the ultimate in state-of-the-art on36

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lane entertainment and features eight new and exciting themes to “wow” customers and maximize their overall experience They will be showing their new newest attraction—The Suite Spot, the “ultimate attraction to maximize group and party business.”

REDEMPTION PLUS, booth 800 We’ll have some surprises in store this year in our newly designed booth. Rather than the same old product conversations (which we already have every day and our customers know to see at http: redemptionplus.com), we will be listening to our customers and talking about how we can help build their business. Sure, we are a supplier of redemption merchandise. But we also have over 100 years of amusement park operating experience on our staff. We have played a leading role in advising on all aspects of operational development to many FECs, and we are in the unique position of working with almost 2,000 amusement facility accounts on a daily basis. That puts us in position to promote best ideas and practices and to share them. We believe we are in the business of “enriching lives through insights that empower.”

Education As you can imagine when the whole amusement world comes together, the connection power is enormous. If insights can empower, and they do, the communication among owners and operators, suppliers and customers, is powerful indeed. A wise man once said, “If you think you know everything, you can’t learn anything.” There is a lot to learn on IAAPA’s conference schedule. As a long-time FEC developer, I often find insights from the world of amusement parks or water parks that help me or my clients stand out from competitors. Not to mention the many seminars on general business practices like employee relations and marketing. Here’s what’s in store. Laser Tag Symposium I. This first of two sessions features prominent laser tag operators discussing their experiences and answering these key questions: How can your vendors create products that will work better for you? What do you need or want from your equipment manufacturer? arena designer? POS system? The group will be creating a “wish list” from the industry to its vendors. Laser Tag Symposium II. Immediately following the operatorled session, this one features several laser tag providers on the dais, comparing features and benefits from the various manufactures side by side. They will answer questions posed by the independent moderator. Hear what each manufacturer has

to say about its features, benefits and future development in an open, clear and accountable presentation format. The Three Amigos. Industry veterans Rick Iceberg, Ben Jones, and George Smith will weave real world stories of “change or die” with quick-fire topics inviting audience engagement and debate.

entertaining and insightful Michael Getlan, a panel of experienced operators discuss and answer questions on current topics in redemption in front of a (studio) audience. Panel features Linda Fernandez of EK Fernandez Show, Hawaii; Court Huish of Boondocks, Utah; and Clarence Mabel of The Track Recreation Center.

“Rookies & Newcomers.” This legendary, comprehensive crash course for those newly arrived or planning an entry to the FEC business actually begins with a social event at a local amusement park, Fun Spot, on Saturday and carries through until Monday. It is comprehensive and, unlike other independent conferences geared to newcomers, it is not a sales event. IAAPA does a great job of keeping the information factual, objective, and realistic.

I hope this preview helps to at least streamline some activities from all of the possibilities offered at this show. Check the show program under the ‘IAAPA Expos’ tab at www.iaapa.org. Please come by our booth, number 800, and say hello. We will be continuing to improve “Beyond Bowling” in the coming year and would love to hear your thoughts on what you find useful. ❖

Constituency Lunch for Birthday Parties. Four of the best in the birthday party business—Beth Standlee, Frank Price, Dorothy Lewis, and Sheryl Bindelglass—moderate this discussion of all things birthday.

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 913-563-4370 or email gmcauliffe@redemptionplus.com.

Growing Your Revenue with Adults. Four prominent thinkers discuss the possibilities, with a focus on amusement park attractions. Jim Kessler, Mike Abecassis, Peter Starkel, and Randy White bring their unique perspectives to the discussion. Redemption Roundtable. Moderated by the always

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FEATURE

From ‘Trad’ to ‘Rad’ How constant tweaking radically transformed a traditional 20-laner into a roaring FEC. By Fred Groh he dollars can be in the details. In the case of Paulo Teixeira’s Strikes & Spares, lots of dollars earned by paying attention to lots of details. The bowling side of the Mishawaka, Indiana FEC averages better than $55,000 yearly for each of its 20 lanes. The figure reflects income to Strikes and Spares Bowling LLC, 65% of business gross. A separate company for insurance and other purposes, Michiana Interior Speedway LLC on the same premises, earns the other 35% of gross. When the latter is factored in, the figure “soars” above $55,000 per lane bed, Teixeira reports. The two parts of the enterprise equally split the floor space, 56,000 square feet in a former retail shoe emporium that had been vacant for five years when Teixeira and a partner took it over in June 2004. Armed with a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA, Teixeira had been a jack-of-many-trades in the design, construction and installation of heavy machinery in his native Brazil, specializing in stamping presses. At one time or another he has been a project manager, production planning and control manager, plant manager and operations VP. When U.S. auto magnate Lee Iacocca took the helm at Chrysler in the 1980s and Paulo Teixeira went looking for financing, he found few eager partners Stateside. He did find Teixeira’s firm in Brazil and the presses it made there. In ’86, the company moved Teixeira and his family to Columbus, OH, where he installed the presses at Chrysler. He stayed on for 12 years, rising to president and CEO of the firm, then moved to the South Bend, IN area

and retired. Unsatisfied by life out of work, he decided to become an entrepreneur in bowling. Teixeira knew nothing about the bowling business; his partner did. But at opening, Strikes & Spares had only 20 lanes, 25 or 30 arcade games, a snack bar and a bar. Teixeira was soon convinced that “to survive, we needed to keep investing and make it a little more broad, and that [thinking] was not the case” with the partner. In particular Teixeira wanted to put in blacklight mini golf.

Free-form floor plan dispenses with the usual concourse along the lanes. Instead, this serpentine walkway passes the arcade and snack bar (on the left), leads to the bowling counter (behind camera), then winds around to mini bowling, a birthday area, and entry to the vehicle attractions.

“At that time, around 2004, Brunswick started with their Zone concept,” Teixeira explains. “Their model was 32-40 lanes with a very nice bar, maybe even a restaurant, arcade games, a lot of billiards tables and complementary smaller attractions like laser tag. “I was looking to the trends and what they were doing. Blacklight mini golf started to be a big hit. Lots of Brunswick Zones were installing [that]. I could see that we needed to generate more revenue in order to be a viable company. I did not have the financial capability to do bigger things but I knew I needed to do something.” Mini golf, he decided, would be a good move, “a thing I could afford.” It was a move his partner didn’t want to make, so Teixeira bought him out. They dissolved their venture, Teixeira formed Strikes and Spares Bowling, and he leased another 4,000 square feet of the premises. He fit nine holes of circus-themed golf into half the space and an adjacent birthday party area in the rest of it. The golf cost $120,000. He had payback in three years. “I always thought I should look to positive cash flow,” says Teixeira, explaining the approach that radically changed his traditional center into a spectacularly successful FEC. “The banks don’t like too much when you add more to your debt—your ratios don’t look good—but if you add $120,000 to your debt but produce $30-, 40-, 50,000 in positive cash flow additional to what you have to spend to run that attraction, I think this is a good decision.”

kind of a driving state or racing state,” home to the Indianapolis 500. “It is a different crowd that otherwise would not come here to bowl, but they [would be] attracted to the center to race.” Electric City, as the 26,000 square feet were named, has a 50foot oval for the youngest kids and a 700-foot track for older children and adults. Laid out with two S’s, a straightaway and single curves, the big track was inspired by the Brazilian Grand Prix for Formula One, Teixeira offers. In a single four-minute ride, the driver can do 8-14 laps on the large go-kart track, the cars running about 15 mph. Speed on the little track is about half that or slower, depending on how staff sets the speed. In case of trouble, one, several or all the cars on either track can be instantly turned off. The small track is Teixeira’s special joy. “The little guys—four or five years old—they cannot do anything anywhere they go, and here they come and can drive. They are so excited. After they come out of the first curve, they are smiling from ear to ear. It’s so nice to see little kids like that.” He rounded out Electric City last year with eight bumper cars

ggg

Just two years after putting in the golf, Teixeira decided on another attraction in 2009. This time the spark was not the bowling industry but his market. Discovering electric gokarts, “I immediately thought, ‘Gosh!’ “I saw that as a hit, especially considering that you attract a different crowd, especially in Indiana, which is 40

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Go-karts ready to roll at Electric City (note logo on rear fender of the yellow kart). Formula K manufactured the karts, designed and installed the tracks.

in a 24×32-foot space. They attract the same age groups as the go-karts. Capitalized at $300,000, the go-karts delivered payback in two years. The bumper cars did even better: costing $100,000, they were paid back in a single year—“the best investment I ever did.” Vehicle-attractions revenue divides 70% from the big gokart track, 25% from bumper cars, and 5% from the little kart track, Teixeira reports. He was right about the anchor potential of the go-karts, currently estimating 100,000 customers yearly for them. And “so much less investment, and produce so much, compared to the bowling. But you need a big anchor like [bowling].” Teixeira has learned well the FEC lesson that propinquity produces profits. “People come here and [find] that we have all these things under the same roof. It’s very convenient, and they spend a lot of time here. And if they spend a lot of time, they end up spending money [for] food and drink, which is right beside the arcade games,” which are not far from the bowling lanes. ggg

Teixeira has been just as careful in his thinking about the smaller parts of the business, from signage to a smartphone app: In 2009, he decides he needs his facade to show his two new attractions. Starting with CAD, he and his son, Mario, devise a cheerful exterior that leaves no doubt that go-karts (yellow-onblack signage) and mini golf (white on blue) are found within. 2011: a new website (at www.StrikesAndSpares.us). Teixeira devotes an entire page of the site to pitching leagues that customers form for themselves. (“You tell us the rules and how

The core of the original business and still the main anchor.

much time you want to spend with us.”) Other pages boom the FEC for fundraising, offer parties and packages for the go-karts as well as bowling, and advertise free games through Kids Bowl Free. 2012: online reservations debut (through his Brunswick scoring). 2012: cell phone app launched. “We thought this was a hot thing to have, [but] we will probably discontinue because it did not produce too much result. Today with Facebook, the app is not so important as it was.” 2013: new menu in the snack bar, upgraded presentation for the food. The project was led by Mario, who has worked the business since it opened. Recently returned from getting his MBA at Florida International University, he has the responsibilities of an operations manager of Strikes & Spares.

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2013: two lanes of QubicaAMF Route 66 mini bowling are installed, unusual in incorporating at Teixeira’s request the company’s BES X bowler entertainment suite. 2013: redemption arcade revamped. Sweeping change-out of games by the supplier plus new games wherever Teixeira could build-out a few feet of floor space. “Í can’t afford to have any square feet without producing any dollar revenue, so we looked together for areas where we could install more machines.” Current total, about 45. Teixeira reports $250,000 games income. This year, new lane monitors. “I can tell you that there is no day that I don’t use something I learned throughout my career—you just have to see opportunities to use what you know—and tried to bring up this business to the next level,” says Teixeira, taking stock.

“I’m a small center with 20 lanes, so it’s tough to have, for instance, big leagues. I ended up becoming a more family entertainment center. So it’s very good to have other attractions besides bowling [for] families who come here not so much because of the bowling. “I always try,” he continues, and restating his credo, “to see if it’s possible by adding such-and-such attraction to generate positive cash flow to keep running the business and improving and reinvesting in the business. “I‘m trying to keep up the center with newest technology, keep up the property always in very, very good shape. I think it’s extremely important, especially dealing with families. I want to have a center that’s very clean, smelling good when they go to the restroom; the food is the same thing or better than we buy for my own house.” ggg

Word has gotten around. Teixeira figures his marketing area as Greater South Bend, population a quarter-million. Customers come from as far away as Chicago when in the area for college sports at Notre Dame, but the university and the town of Granger, each about five miles distant, are the source for most of his customers. He does a lot of business with Notre Dame, he says. Each year, the graduating class is treated to a week of special activities after finals. This year, students and parents were informed in the printed program that Tuesday night all would be welcome at Strikes & Spares. The entire center was rented for four hours, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Four hundred students jammed the place. ❖

Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.

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SHOWCASE

FLAPPY BIRD APP FLIES HIGH ONCE MORE

Downloaded over 50 million times, the Flappy Bird app, released as a free app in 2013, became larger than life. Although removed from app stores in early 2014, Bay Tek Games negotiated a licensing agreement with GEARS Studio and has produced a skillful ticket redemption game. Bay Tek’s Flappy Bird draws attention with its large, bright screen and a game play that has participants flocking back for more. Pressing the red button on the front of the console maneuvers the bird through the openings in the pipes, scoring tickets; hitting one of the pipes or the ground ends the game. 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 information, visit Bay Tek Games at baytekgames.com or call Jenna Woepse at (920) 822-3951, Ext. 1708.

BMI Merchandise has created a proprietary system that encompasses all facets of redemption management, including on-site set-up, bar coding, weekly scan/sales activity, updated redemption area plan-a-grams and more. This Automated Reorder System (ARS) is a proven application in use at leading national and regional FECs including Main Event, Brunswick Bowl, Royal Pin, Head Pinz and other multi-unit bowling chains. ARS reads a location’s POS usage reports weekly, creating reorders shipped to arrive ready to be placed on display. This way locations always receive the hottest branded, licensed and most innovative merchandise. Each item is selected to drive arcade revenue. ARS is one reason BMI received the 2013 American Amusement Machine Association’s (AAMA) Supplier of the Year award at the March 2013 Amusement Expo. For more information contact Dave Schwartz, V.P., Sales & Marketing at (732) 363-0212 or dschwartz@bmimerchandise.com.

A PIRATES’ QUEST

BOWLMOR AMF SELECTS DEBIT CARD SYSTEM

Laser tag shook off its ‘fad’ persona long ago and has become one of the most profitable add-on attractions within amusement facilities around the country. Jeff Schilling, president of Creative Works, has been in the laser tag industry over, designing, building, operating and marketing laser tag worlds. One of Schilling’s latest creations is Pirate Quest Laser Tag at Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis. The over-5,000-square-foot, multi-level arena exhibits amazing 3D blacklight murals and props. Players are taken into a salty pirate’s port surrounded by candle lit halls and burning pirate ships. Players enter a vesting area to suit up and prepare to enter this swashbuckling world. There are nets, ropes, sails, anchors, a torch-lit ramp and storefronts that line the port. Props provide great eye-candy against the vibrant colored walls and maze obstacles throughout the space. No space is the same. Imagination is the only limitation. With the growing pressures of competition, it is more important than ever to stay current and to continue to fine-tune your business. To find out more about what Creative Works can do for your business, contact Creative Works at (877) 843-6348.

ARS – A PROVEN REDEMPTION MERCHANDISING SOLUTION

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Intercard Inc., a leading provider in cash management solutions for the amusement industry, based in St. Louis, MO, has been chosen as the debit card provider for Bowlmor AMF’s Bowlero in San Antonio, TX. The former AMF Country Lanes, Bowlero has undergone a complete transformation, featuring new lanes, a larger arcade area and upgraded food and beverage options. Bowlmor AMF now operates more than 300 centers in North America, 20 of which host the Intercard system. “We’re very excited to be working with Intercard, which is the only company that has live, proven models in our industry that can handle the sheer number of sites we have now, and the many new sites we have planned for the future,” said Steve Veach, director of amusement operations, Bowlmor AMF. Jason Mitchell, North America sales manager, Intercard, Inc., said of the One Card Cashless Solution, “Guests will be able to purchase anything, anywhere, in the facility with their Intercard play card.”

SHOWCASE

NEW OFFERINGS FROM QUBICAAMF

NIFTY PRIZE PACKS

GET IN SYNC

LASERTRON TURNKEY PACKAGES

With the merging of AMF Bowling Products and Qubica Worldwide in 2005, QubicaAMF has brought innovation to both the bowling and amusement businesses. At this year’s IAAPA show in Orlando, FL, two new products will be introduced, New Highway 66 and The Suite Spot™. The New Highway 66, a stand-alone, coin operated attraction, takes QubicaAMF’s best-selling mini bowling game to a new level, maximizing the customers’ experience. It is available in eight fun, new themes and delivers the ultimate visual appeal, along with state-of-the-art onlane entertainment. The Suite Spot™, premiering at IAAPA, is uniquely designed for group and business parties. It exclusively combines the state-of-the-art on-lane entertainment for mini bowling, with a unique, relaxing and social environment, along with sales and marketing training for staff. For more info, visit IAAPA Booth 1039 or go to www.amusement.qubicaamf.com.

Sync™ is Brunswick’s revolutionary new scoring and management system, coming in 2015. Sync™ is all-new to its core. Built from the ground up, it features enhanced management tools covering cloudbased Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), which includes email addresses from reservations, check-ins and on-lane offers. It can target in-center marketing which displays ingame ads with tempting photos on score sheets that also feature a new “Specials” button that’s clickable at any time. Stylish new consoles combine aesthetics with ultradependable, trouble-free performance. Choose between a keypad or a capacitive touchscreen, available in pedestal- and table-mounted models. Other features include better on-lane displays and simpler, smarter games, ideal for kids’ parties. Sync™ is a complete, streamlined, easy-to-use system. Make way for Sync™. For more in depth information go to www.brunswickbowling.com/the-one.

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November 2014

Birthdays are for everyone, especially children… of all ages. Entertainment centers’ revenues are greatly enhanced by top notch parties. Redemption Plus of Lenexa, KS, knows how to make any party, especially a birthday party, an occasion to remember. Flashy and fun prize bags add value to party packages and generate revenue through upsells. Each resealable bag has an assortment of fun toys, novelties and candy. How many parties do you book each week? How many attendees per party? Visualize what an impact that could make in a year! Bag of Smiles prize packs are a top pick by both parents and kids. Request your free sample at RedemptionPlus.com/prizebag or call (888) 564-7587.

Lasertron prides itself on being a “one-stop shopping” experience, combining the laser tag experience with management and operational systems. With over 25 years in the business, Lasertron’s latest offer is the LT-12 game system, durable and of the highest quality, with cool, playable LED or blacklight arenas, complete with a POS system, new cloud kiosks and online scoring. The software is easy to use and offers players a multitude of game options. Once a client, always a client. FunFuzion, New Rochelle, NY, has been part of Lasertron’s family since 1999. Most recently, they upgraded their existing attraction which was singlelevel to a split level arena incorporating the LT-12 while re-using most of the original arena parts. In Pigeon Forge, TN, Lazerport, a client since 1994, also upgraded from Lasertron’s LT-10 to the LT-12. For more info on Lasertron products, go to www.laser tron.com or email Ann Kessler, akessler@lasertron.us.

FEATURE

WITH

G N I L L O R S R E K C O R E H T S A G E V N I

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November 2014

FEATURE

Brooklyn Bowl's latest location on the Strip is a big hit. By Robert Sax

he hit formula behind Brooklyn Bowl is as simple as a classic three-chord rock song. “It’s a live music venue with some bowling lanes and great food,” says co-founder and veteran music promoter Peter Shapiro. “We knew it would be fun. What we didn’t realize is just how well it would work.” Shapiro and partner Charley Ryan opened the original Brooklyn Bowl in 2009 in the nascent hipster enclave of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “We thought [the concept] would be fun and cool but I don’t think we’d anticipated we’d have Kanye West, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs—you name the band—playing,” said Shapiro in live music trade publication Pollstar. “It’s been an amazing experience. We’ve built a great venue that can stand on its own.” Brooklyn Bowl has attracted critical acclaim as well as customers. Rolling Stone magazine has called it “one of the best clubs in America,” and Zagat Guide readers ranked it "Best Music Venue— New York City" for three consecutive years as well as "Best Bowling Alley" and "Best Brooklyn Venue." In January 2014 the partners opened a second, larger Brooklyn Bowl next to the O2 Arena, the premier large music venue in London, England. The 40,000-squarefoot, 12-lane venue has already featured such hot acts as Pharrell of the megahit song “Happy.” Peter Shapiro At the same time, several major Las Vegas players visited Williamsburg to woo Shapiro and Ryan. They eventually agreed to become one of the first tenants of The Linq Hotel and Casino, a venture of Caesars Entertainment that combines a retail, dining and entertainment promenade with a 2,256-room hotel and casino. Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas opened in March 2014. “It’s at dead center 50-yard line on The Strip under the biggest Ferris IBI

November 2014

FEATURE building and not be in the basement of a casino.” Those craving that kind of action will find it close by at The Linq Casino, however.

A Long Strange Trip

wheel in the world,” says Shapiro of the high-visibility location. The Sin City version of Brooklyn Bowl cranks the original concept up to “11” with three floors spanning 80,000 square feet and 32 lanes of bowling on two levels. As many as 2,500 concertgoers can enjoy live music from their choice of the general admission area, comfortable lanes, a luxurious bowlers’ lounge or private boxes. We’re not talking about tribute bands or B-listers, either. The roster of artists that have played at “The Bowls” is impressive. The rock, roots, alternative and jam acts that have appeared at the Las Vegas location alone includes Elvis Costello & The Roots, Phil Lesh & Friends, Jane’s Addiction, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Steve Winwood, Wu Tang Clan and Questlove. Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas is already a hit, says Sameen Ahmad, vice president of development and marketing for The Bowls. “It’s pretty phenomenal. The best way for me to put it is the amount of local attraction we get here,” says Ahmad. “We see the same faces again and again, and that’s something very uncommon for The Strip. I’m constantly being thanked by people that work on The Strip [because ] they have a new place to hang out.” Las Vegas may not tout its family-friendliness they way it used to, but it’s still a family affair at Brooklyn Bowl. “We are open to all ages until 8 p.m.,” says Ahmad. “In [Brooklyn] we have a lot of families, especially on the weekend during football season. Dad’s watching the game, Mom’s drinking mimosas with friends, and the kids running around on the concert floor or bowling.” She expects a similar family crowd in Las Vegas once football season kicks off. The one Las Vegas staple that’s not available in the house is gaming, and Shapiro likes it that way. “It’s not in a casino. I think that’s an important element to creating vibe,” he says. “It helps to have your own 52

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November 2014

As with other contemporary bowling entrepreneurs like Daniel Hurd of Tavern+Bowl and Steven Foster of Lucky Strike, Shapiro didn’t start out in bowling. He began his eclectic career making documentary films about the legendary rock band The Grateful Dead, and went on to produce the IMAX concert films U2 3D and All Access. He is also a founder of the Jammy Awards, a riff on the Grammy awards that honors jam bands like The Dead and Phish. Shapiro then became a successful promoter on New York’s live-music scene, including a stint running Tribeca’s legendary “activist nightclub” Wetlands Preserve. When the gentrification of Lower Manhattan caused the closing of Wetlands Preserve, Shapiro and Ryan began looking for something new. They opened the original 23,000-square-foot Brooklyn Bowl in 2009 in the former Hecla Iron Works, a landmark building in a neighborhood in transition. “We didn’t realize when we found the space seven or eight years ago that Williamsburg would be the next thing. That’s just [dumb] luck.” According to Shapiro, Brooklyn Bowl fills a crying need in Las Vegas for a regular live music venue. “Las Vegas has a lot of DJs now. There isn’t a lot of live music,” he says.

FEATURE “If you look at the top 20 venues, only Brooklyn Bowl is open every weekend for live music. My love, and what Brooklyn Bowl represents, is live music.” Of course there are big pop stars like Celine Dion, Shania Twain and Rod Stewart at the big showrooms. The Hard Rock Hotel has blue chip bands like Crosby, Stills and Nash, and House of Blues offers a lot of tribute acts. But for serious music fans who want less glitz and more rock, Brooklyn Bowl is clearly the place. First-class musical acts deserve first-class presentation, and Brooklyn Bowl gives the bands and the fans the very best in sound and video. The audio-visual consultants are Technomedia, who have handled projects for Universal Studios and Legoland Florida, and SIA Acoustics, which has developed sound systems for the San Francisco Jazz Center and baseball’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The heart of the sound is a live-performance audio system by world-renowned d&b audiotechnik of Germany. For music watchers, the venue includes two 90-foot 4mm high-resolution LED walls over the bowling lanes, with 16 live visual feeds and 60 LED digital signage displays, all designed and integrated by Technomedia. The system provides a way to stream sports, videos and live performances throughout the venue.

Rolling for Rockers With all the love that’s lavished on the music, you might expect bowling to take second billing but that’s not the case. There are 32 Brunswick-equipped bowling lanes inside the venue; 16 upstairs and 16 downstairs. To keep the bowling noise to a minimum, Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas uses Brunswick StringPin pinsetters. “You don’t hear the bowling at all” during a concert, says Shapiro. Each bowling lane can accommodate up to eight people with sofa seating and room to dance around during the concert when you’re not bowling. There’s also an elevated bowlers’ lounge where guests can watch the show on huge high-definition projection screens over the lanes. Open bowling is the norm, but a monthly league night is popular with people who work on The Strip.

Blue Ribbon Fare Great food is an important part of what Shapiro calls “a full dining, social and concert experience under one roof.” As at the original and London branches, the Bromberg Brothers’ Blue Ribbon Restaurants provides the “rockin’ comfort food” that leans heavily on Southern fare. The menu features favorites like mac ’n’ cheese, oyster po’ boys, fried catfish and Blue Ribbon’s iconic fried chicken, which was celebrated on

the Food Network show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” Beverages include authentic egg creams made with ingredients imported from the old country (Brooklyn). Diners, bowlers and concertgoers can enjoy five on-site bars that feature craft beers on tap, cocktails, premium liquors and fine wines. This is Vegas, so highrollers are accommodated. If you did well at the tables you can order a bottle of 2002 Dom Perignon rosé champagne for $3,500. It’s a magnum, so you will have plenty to share with you’re your fellow bowlers.

Life After Vegas Shapiro says there will be more Brooklyn Bowls and that a plan to open a location in Chicago is “under discussion.” He doesn’t have a number on how many places The Bowls wants to open in the future. “We are focused on making Vegas and London work, but we definitely have some exciting things planned. If a great opportunity comes in front of us, the right location, the right building, the right vibe, the right neighborhood, we’re looking at it.” As Shapiro and Ryan have discovered, “Live music and bowling go really well together.” Like a three-chord song, it’s a simple yet powerful formula for success— if you know how to rock it. ❖

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

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November 2014

TRADESHOW

Up Frank and Susan Pastizzo, Warm

the Workplace, Inc.

Mark and Diane Vo ight,

Commun ity Bowli ng Cente rs

rTainment e with Traine le d n ta S th e B

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showing off bo wling

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By David Garber

he 2014 ECBCC saw a nice increase in participation, which added good energy to the three-day event. Attendees were provided much needed insight into increasing youth bowling; marketing to your clientele; value of redemption; and the benefits of creating a good experience for guests. It also produced two $25,000 winners of capital and consumer products from Brunswick and QubicaAMF. Thanks to all who made the show a success. â?&#x2013;

, chairman Jack Moran 2015 56

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November 2014

Johnny Pe traglia, PB A Hall

of Famer

n 4 chairma pina, 201 S a L n h o J

TRADESHOW

ment Team for IBC Clancy, Youth Develop Joey Jewell and Sean

Carvel Ice Cre am

Jack Mora n and Resu and Jim Doty, se minar, "C lts" onverting Centers: Pitfalls

th Redemption Plus George McAuliffe wi

Jack Mora n and Lisa Ciniello

rrell with Jane Jane and Rodney Fa Flagship Carpets

Farrell Turf and

with Peter Hakim

g Supply Isalnd Bowlin

Fred Kaplowitz and Wally Hall, luncheon keynote IBI

November 2014

TRADE SHOW NEWS

By Mark Miller

hough most attending this year's East Coast Bowling Centers Convention at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, likely knew about the Oct. 8 Great Eastern Golden Giveaway contest, none probably thought they'd win it. That's a major reason why the owners of Thunderhead Bowl in Taneytown, MD, and Maplewood Lanes in South Montrose, PA, were surprised to learn their names were drawn. While Thunderhead Bowl owner Mark Kraus was in attendance, he didn't at first realize his center earned the $25,000 in capital improvement products from QubicaAMF. Maplewood proprietor Mike Spadine was home running his 10lane center and wasn't told by mother Judy and her friend Lucille that their entry had won the $25,000 from Brunswick until several days later. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They were going to surprise me,â&#x20AC;? said Spadine, who bought his center from his mother and father, Leroy, in January.

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November 2014

Jay Buhl, Senior VP of Sales for QubicaAMF; Denise Kraus, winner of $25,000 in product from QubicaAMF; Pat Ciniello, President QubicaAMF

TRADE SHOW NEWS “I'm pretty happy,” Spadine said. “I can do a lot with it.” “I was talking to another vendor and it was one of those things where you lose your train of thought because you hear something,” said Kraus, whose 28lane center, originally built in 1977, is split between 16 tenpin and 12 duckpin lanes. “My wife [Denise] was sitting down in one of the seating areas and I look over at her and she looked over at me. It was quite a shock to say the least.” Kraus bought his center for a second time in 2013 after originally owning it from 2000 to 2008. Little had changed since he previously had it so this time he developed a two-year plan to implement changes in the 1990s seating and scoring systems on the tenpin side and 1960s equipment on the duckpin side. His new QubicaAMF equipment will help him begin executing that plan. Dan Borgie, VP of Modernization Sales for Brunswick; Lucille Polons, winner of $25,000 in product from “Things that didn't seem a Brunswick; and PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia possibility now seem a possibility,” Kraus said. “I don't know what the innovative things they do to draw attendees to the show. We we're going to do but [QubicaAMF sales manager] Eric are extremely proud to support this event and participate as the Weimer will come here and we'll throw some ideas around Premier Platinum Sponsor." and see what makes sense. We'll utilize it to make a "QubicaAMF was proud to be part of the $50,000 Eastern difference with something the bowlers notice. It's a moreStates Bowling Convention giveaway and happy to help the Kraus than-generous gift. It's a real shot in the arm for a center family upgrade their center with our $25,000 gift certificate," said that needs it.” QubicaAMF Worldwide president Pat Cinello. Spadine plans to utilize the prize as a down payment "QubicaAMF is thrilled to support the East Coast Bowling on remodeling his ball return and seating areas. His proprietors, the convention, and the convention committee's plans include installing cushioned couches and placing initiatives,” said Jay Buhl, QubicaAMF senior vice president sales, hardwood on the bare concrete floors to eliminate an the Americas. “We strongly believe in the future of bowling, and annual sweating problem. the need for proprietors to continuously invest and transition their “Bowlers want to see changes,” said Spadine, a PBA business for future growth. We are pleased we were able to not only tour member in the early 1990s who spent more than a support the convention committee, but also help a proprietor dozen years as head foreman for a tree company before further invest in their business and drive growth." ❖ injuring his back and buying Maplewood. “They get bored if it's the same. We need to keep upgrading.” "We are pleased to provide a $25,000 certificate that the winner can redeem for select Brunswick products,” Mark Miller is a freelance writer, editor, and public relations specialist said Brunswick president of Bowling Products Brent from Flower Mound, TX. He's the author of Bowling: America's Greatest Indoor Pastime available at Amazon.com or directly from him at Perrier. “The East Coast Bowling Centers Convention has markmywordstexas@gmail.com. been one of the premier bowling trade shows for a long time and this program is another excellent example of IBI

November 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

A NEW DAY FOR THE PWBA BPAA and the USBC partner to revive the PWBA in 2015. By Mark Miller

emember all those Saturdays parked in front of the television watching ABC-TV's coverage of the PBA tour? Thanks to BPAA and USBC, for nine consecutive weeks each of the next three years, that day will mean top-flight bowling again. The organizations are combining financial resources to resurrect the Professional Women's Bowling Association tour starting in 2015. The plan is to hold at least eight regular events at nationwide centers culminating in a PWBA Tour Championships as a ninth event. The 2015 tour will run weekends from July 10 through Labor Day. The initiative was developed by a joint task force of members of the BPAA and USBC boards of directors, each of which approved the proposal. “It's an exciting time for women's professional bowling but more importantly the future of our sport,” said USBC executive director Chad Murphy during an Oct. 15 media conference call. “The PWBA's return is part of an ongoing effort to solidify the sport and build further top-of-mind awareness in the minds of the non-bowling public. Our young female athletes will now aspire to bowl more competitively and truly love the sport. Our plans are to build a robust, exciting professional tour that will support the growth of women's bowling in the future.” “We see the excitement in high school bowling. You see what's going on with the continued growth of women's college bowling. This is just a natural,” added BPAA executive director Frank DeSocio. No membership money will be used by either organization to fund the project. Murphy said USBC will allocate funds received from existing sponsorship agreements and USBC Member Rewards partnerships while DeSocio said BPAA is designating money from its reserve funds and proceeds from its Smart Buy program. Each event will be open to all female bowlers and will feature a minimum prize fund of $60,000, with $10,000 going to the winner. Between 32 and 48 players will take part in all eight events with additional players choosing specific stops based on geography. Details including sites, schedules, sponsorships, product registration, membership dues and entry fees will be announced later. ❖

Mark Miller is a freelance writer, editor, and public relations specialist from Flower Mound, TX. He's the author of Bowling: America's Greatest Indoor Pastime available at Amazon.com or directly from him at markmywordstexas@gmail.com.

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November 2014

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

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

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November 2014

AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC board repair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fast turnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service 5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054 Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695) Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon) E-mail: wb8yjf@sbcglobal.net Visit us on the WEB! http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/

CLASSIFIEDS 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. NEEDING A NEW VENUE? Nightclub entertainment bowling is HOT. COMPLETE 4, 6, 8, (+) bowling packages with install. Complete 10-lane package just removed and ready to reinstall. Affordable. See tenpinartisans.com for custom ideas or call (970) 946-9933. REDUCED FOR QUICK SALE. Powerlifts AMF/Brunswick, AMF-SPL head sections, A2 pinsetters complete or buy for parts, Brunswick 2000 hood/racks, Brunswick Swing and Swivel, AMF Excel scoring, Steltronic automatic scoring w/ flat screens, and reconditioned Gloss Boss. Installations available. (970) 946-9933 or Knotritellc@gmail.com.

LOCKER KEYS FAST! •Keys & Combo Locks for all Types of Lockers. •One week turnaround on most orders. •New locks All types •Used locks 1/2 price of new

All keys done by code #. No keys necessary.

E-mail: huff@inreach.com CALL TOLL FREE

1-800-700-4KEY Orange County Security Consultants

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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

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November 2014

CLASSIFIEDS 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

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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 RETIRING! Selling all scoring parts & exchange units for Accu-Score Plus, XL & BOSS systems. Also, electronic test equipment for all components, plus installation equipment & full set of lane sanding equipment. NEEDS TO GO. Craig Doren (712) 253-8730. 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.

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

MANAGER WANTED Don't miss your chance to grow with an Industry Leader! Looking for Experienced, Service-Oriented General Managers for our U.S. bowling retail center locations. Please check us out at www.brunswickcareers.apply2jobs.com for more details on our current openings. Act Now! Apply Today! Experienced, self-motivated manager needed for mid-sized center in So. California. Competitive salary & benefits. Respond to robertquinnbowl@gmail.com.

SELL YOUR CENTER

(818) 789-2695

NEEDED: GM for mid-sized Kansas City center. Proficiency with computer skills, business management & marketing skills. Aggressive promotion needed. Partnership available for right person. Email resume to upyouralley3257@yahoo.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.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN 64

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November 2014

CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE NEBRASKA: 8-lane Brunswick center with bar, game room and restaurant. Active leagues. Call (402) 335-2095. GEORGIA: Busy 32-lane center, real estate included. Great location in one of fastestâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; growing counties in metro Atlanta. 5 years new with all the amenities. Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751. 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. LARRY DOBBS APPRAISALS. (214) 6748187. Bowlingvaluations@yahoo.com. 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.

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November 2014

CLASSIFIEDS

THE GREATEST BOWLING MOVIE OF THE DECADE!

CENTERS FOR SALE 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. 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. OKLAHOMA: 16-lane center w/ large laser tag, only arcade in area and thriving lounge. Steltronics SuperElex w/ 42â&#x20AC;? flat screens and refurbished A2s. Completely upgraded and remodeled. Owner financing and option to purchase shopping center for viable buyers. Business for sale apart from real estate. (719) 251-1616. 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. 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. MISSOURI (east of Kansas City): 8 lanes. Excellent building. Divorce forces sale. All offers considered. (816) 415-9186.

Order your copy now at www.wevegotballsmovie.com

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

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November 2014

SELL YOUR CENTER OR EQUIPMENT

FAST!

(818) 789-2695

DATEBOOK

NOVEMBER

2-3 Illinois State BPA Fall Meeting Timber Creek Inn & Suites Convention Center Sandwich, IL Bill Duff (847) 982-1305 billduff@bowlillinois.com

11 Indiana Bowling Centers Annual Meeting Lafayette, IN www.indianagobowl.com

17-21 IAAPA Attractions Expo 2014 Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL Julie Sullivan (703) 836-4800, Ext. 754 jsullivan@IAAPA.org www.iaapa.org/iaapa-events

19-20 BCA of Ohio Fall Seminar & Meeting Doubletree Hotel Columbus, OH Pat Marazzi (937) 433-8363

19-23 Brunswick Training Vector Scoring Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695, Option 2 www.brunswickbowling.com/ service-support/training

22 BCA of Ohio Executive Board Meeting Doubletree Hotel Columbus, OH Pat Marazzi (937) 433-8363

FEBRUARY 2-8 USBC Masters Tournament Ashwaubenon Bowl Green Bay, WI (800) 514-BOWL (2695) bowlinfo@bowl.com www.bowl.com/Masters

MARCH

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

19-20 BCA of Ohio Fall Seminar & Meeting Doubletree Hotel Columbus, OH Pat Marazzi (937) 433-8363

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

9-13 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/servicesupport/training

16-20 Brunswick Training Vector Scoring Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695, Option 2 www.brunswickbowling.com/servicesupport/training

13-19 USBC Queens-Sr. Queens Ashwaubenon Bowl Green Bay, WI (800) 514-BOWL (2695)

JANUARY 2015 11-15 BPAA Bowling Summit Hyatt Regency San Antonio San Antonio, TX (800) 343-1329 www.bpaa.com/bowlingsummit

12-16 Brunswick Training GS-Series Pinsetter Maintenance Muskegon, MI (800) 937-2695, Option 2 www.brunswickbowling.com/ service-support/training

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

15-19 Brunswick GS-Series Pinsetter Maintenance School Muskegon, MI www.brunswickbowling.com/servicesupport/training IBI

November 2013

REMEMBER WHEN

By Rachel Gale

n September 9, 1895, the American Bowling Congress (ABC) was born in New York City. During this meeting, the forefathers of our beloved sport established the fundamental playing regulations and equipment for the game. Only men were allowed to join the ABC at the time. But in 1916, a group of 40 women formed the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Bowling Congress (WIBC) in St. Louis. The WIBC and ABC were partner organizations for over 80 years. For many years, the ABC and WIBC had separate bowling leagues. The champions of the leagues earned these patches as reminders of their achievements in the sport. Our thanks to Jay Johnson, collector and league bowler at Pinz Entertainment Center in Studio City, CA, for sharing these collectibles. â?&#x2013;

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November 2014