Our Bowling League Received a Warning from the Lanes Manager

[GeoLes]

I was not there, but it seems that our league is in danger of losing its lane priviliges becasue we planned our holiday party last week and brought our own food contrary to the lane's no outside food policy. I received a broadcast email from the League president advising us not to ever bring outside food. Evidently this is a final warning as some time earlier someone from our league evidently brought in outside alcochol. What's the problem.? I keep denatured alcohol for ball cleaning and a small flask in my bowling bag at all times for emergency sipping.

Not clear why we were all personally warned about outside food when We common members had no input into holiday planning in the first place.

Besides, no one knows about my flask in my bowling bag. They think I am drinking Gatorade. :)

[scottymoney]

Bowling alley's make a majority of their money through food and drinks, kind of like movie theaters. I agree with his actions if he has a no outside food policy. The smart thing to do would be to ask if you could bring in food for this one occasion before actually doing it.

I would guess you would be a little upset if you owned a business that people came to and broke a rule/policy that you had. In essence you took money out of his pocket without his permission.

[Cochese]

I agree with scottymoney. The lanes definitely make their profits on food and drink. If they didn't ask before doing bringing in outside food, he has every right to be upset.

[75lockwood]

I Can see why this happened, butto go as far as threatening to kick you out? that's a little extreme..... we always have outside food for our year end party's and the ally is fine with it given we always buy food from them every league day the rest of the year.....

[got_a_300]

We have always had our parties in the center no matter who
owned or managed it back as far as I can remember and they
have always furnished the soft drinks for us. We just had our
Christmas party last night and the owner was more than happy
to let us bring in our own food and he even brought in some
food himself and he gladly furnished the soft drinks for us.

[J Anderson]

The center where I usually bowl has a sign on the door that clearly states no outside food or drinks allowed. Most likely this is to give the snack bar and the lounge a captive market. There may also be an element of C.Y.A. in case someone were to have a couple drinks in the lounge and supplement them with flask brought from home and then leaves the alley and has a car accident. A strictly enforced policy would prevent this and keep the center from being sued and or losing its liquor permit.

Unfortunately, this rule seems to not be enforced. One league that I sub in seems like a party every week! Usually at least one person will bring in a big bag of chips or pretzels to share. Last week it was a birthday cake. Almost every league had a Christmas party this week, and the center even lets them use the center's folding tables to set up the food.

[Druloco]

My bowling alley also has the same rule and is very well enforced. The owner of the bowling alley is a hugeeee cheapskate too but even he let's leagues bring in outside food for holiday parties in leagues.

[Zothen]

Every bowling alley i've bowled in has let leagues bring their own food in for parties. It's good buisness sence! After all,league members pay on average $26-$32 or more a week and without us,bowling alley's would go out of buisness. Also bowling alleys make more money off the bar,then in house cafe's or resturants.

Zothen

[AZBowla]

Maybe if they didn't charge $5 for a soda and $15 for a one topping pizza and so on people wouldn't be so tempted to bring in food and drinks from outside. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar, right?

I try to abide by the policy too but it's tough when it's not enforced and someone strolls in with a 44 ounce soda from Circle K they got for 89 cents while I'm sipping a 32 oz soda that I paid $3 for, and no one says jack squat.

[Zothen]

DAMN,thats expensive! I pay a $1.75 for 160z iced tea or $1.50 for bottled water depending what alley I bowl in. I pay $4.00 for a Blue Moon on tap! AZBowla,you need to move to California!

Zothen

[Greenday]

Prices are pretty good at all the lanes I bowl at. Food prices are decent. Drink prices are always cheap.

I can see why they don't want people bringing in outside alcohol. Someone overdoes it, gets hurt or in legal trouble, the bowling alley is going to be blamed and could lose their liquor license.

[scottymoney]

In the end it is the alley policy, unless you ask them he has every right to be mad.

[MisterSinister]

We did not bring in food for our league Christmas party. the bowling center provided a nice spread, on the house! They told us it was thier way of saying thatnk you for choosing to bowl there. This league (before I was in it) was in a different center. they moved the entire league last year. Around here, there are so many centers, you have a choice of where u want to bowl. This is the first time I have seen any center provide food as a thank you.

[striker12]

thats messed every bowling cloverleaf here in Kingston and Quinte bowling center in belleville when we do a party for bowling they let us do it in all leagues mainly because it brings everyone back and then the bowling Allie in Belleville a lot of people on Saturdays bring in timmies in they don't fully like it in the summer but in the winter they let you depends on how far you have to travel.

[ArtVandelay]

Every bowling alley i've bowled in has let leagues bring their own food in for parties. It's good buisness sence! After all,league members pay on average $26-$32 or more a week and without us,bowling alley's would go out of buisness. Also bowling alleys make more money off the bar,then in house cafe's or resturants.

Zothen

Ditto. Our lanes have a strict food and drink policy as well, but they've never had a problem with pot luck parties for Christmas, or other occasions. They even set up tables behind our lanes so we can put the food on something.

Just ask him, "Why do you have to play Pontius Pilate and try to crucify Jesus before he is even born????"

[billf]

I think the point is; the league didn't get permission to bring in food for the party. Giving the manage the simple courtesy of asking would have probably prevented the whole situation. The league officers are to blame here. I bowl three leagues regularly. Every league at our center had a party and the alley handed out free drink coupons to EVERY bowler each league.

[Hammer]

The alley we have our league at, AMF in Bolingbrook, they let us bring our own food for Halloween and Christmas and set up tables for us behind our alleys. Water and ice in a plastic glass is free. Soda and alcoholic beverages are paid for out of our own pockets. Don't expect those to be free. We have done this for years here with no problems.

[SSG]

We have this no outside food policy at our house but it is never been enforced. People always bring in there Tim Hortons Coffee, and when i coach saturday mornings then stay to bowl in a tournament in the afternoon i will usualy go out for lunch and bring it back into the ally to eat. I think the manager of your house has gone way over board with his procedure, and needs to realise that without customers like yourselves he wont be making any money at all.

[billf]

I eat my lunch after youth leagues in the car if I don't purchase it there. They probably wouldn't care or say anything but for me it's a respect thing. The owner has been good to me and I try to be fair with him.

[Brother_jd]

I eat my lunch after youth leagues in the car if I don't purchase it there. They probably wouldn't care or say anything but for me it's a respect thing. The owner has been good to me and I try to be fair with him.

This right here. It is a 2 way street. You scratch his back and he will scratch yours.

[swingset]

Our lanes let leagues do pot luck nights, they're still cleaning up on drinks. Keeps people happy, instead of making them feel like they're being fleeced.