Your perfect bowling center?

[Phonetek]

I have a vision in my head of what "I" think a bowling center should be like. Basically it's taking the best things about every center I've bowled in and incorporating them into one, keeping in mind the worst things about them all. After that, throw in my own brand of creativity and customization to make it my own.

If someone came to you like my friend did to help design a bowling center and wanted you to run it. Maybe you just decided to build one of your own. How would you describe YOUR perfect bowling center? What would you add? How would you decorate it? What equipment? What would you that was different from the rest to attract people to your center? Why would people want to go there? I'm just curious to see what other people's ideas are for their dream bowling center.

[RobLV1]

Very simple... equipment that is well-maintained and is repaired immediately when it breaks down once. An oil pattern that is not too easy and not too hard, and changes weekly. Lanes that are checked regularly for flatness, on-spot pins, etc., and fixed when they are out of spec. Management that actually cares more about the league bowlers that patronize the establishment every week than about the open play bowlers that they fantasize would fill the house if those pesky league bowlers weren't filling up the lanes. Desk personnel who actually care about something other than collecting their paychecks. As for decorations, who cares!?!

[GrumpyCatFace]

Wood lanes, and pins, well maintained. Cozy decoration - no fluorescent animals or goofy colors. No dancing cartoons on the scoring screens, and no greasy mangled house balls. The seating should be reasonable - no swing-out chairs, and something more comfortable than McDonald’s. Maybe a nice table every pair, for eating/drinks.

Decent food and beer selection. Not just bud/Miller crap. Actual food for adults.

Make it a place for grown-ups.

[djp1080]

Very simple... equipment that is well-maintained and is repaired immediately when it breaks down once. An oil pattern that is not too easy and not too hard, and changes weekly. Lanes that are checked regularly for flatness, on-spot pins, etc., and fixed when they are out of spec. Management that actually cares more about the league bowlers that patronize the establishment every week than about the open play bowlers that they fantasize would fill the house if those pesky league bowlers weren't filling up the lanes. Desk personnel who actually care about something other than collecting their paychecks. As for decorations, who cares!?!
Rob's comments are right on!
I was going to enter a reply, but I'm glad I waited for a while.
My opinion is that it comes down to people who run the bowling alley and not the decorations or side stuff, at least not so much. I go to the lanes because I want to practice my bowling game or I'm there for the league. It would be nice if they have a decent bar though. Food and snacks are not very interesting to me. Good coffee is though especially in the morning.
Regarding patterns for bowling changing each week. I don't know. I suppose it would be okay if they changed it up a bit to make it more interesting. It gets a bit interesting just going at different times of the day and different days of the week following quite a few bowlers having been on the lanes already. Changing the pattern a bit every now and then might be just fine.
Maintaining the lane machine and the pin setters is key. Keeping the place clean and void of gum and Coke / beer spills is absolutely necessary.
Counter people need to pay attention to their customers and greet them nicely. Be willing to handle issues quickly and efficiently is very nice.
Where I typically bowl is very close to where I live and I'm very lucky that it's the best place I know of in these parts. I've learned who most of the people are who work there and we all get along just great. The pro shop guy is the best! Oh! That reminds me, you need a great pro shop operator/owner running things effectively. It would be good to have bowling coaches available to assist those who require getting started in the sport in the right direction, too. Good lighting is important especially for those of us who are older.
Hope this helps...

[TCJ]

Remove the seizure lights.
Get rid of the loud music (or any music for that matter).

Those two things would make any bowling center better.

[fordman1]

No mega centers just well maintained clean center. Nice bar that seats about 100 people. Good food with a lot of variety. Hand made pizza. Large variety of beer. New modern scoring machines. No old beat up wood lanes from the 50's. You really don't need to change the shot a lot the weather and humidity take care of that. Besides to afford to bowl in a good money league it cost a lot of money so you have to work a lot of hours and practice is not always an option. New carpet often and cleaned often also. Safe parking lot that is well lit and has cameras monitoring. Options for house Sec. Treas. In house banking. Summer tournaments (6) for those who play Texas hold em during the leagues.

[Phonetek]

Thank you to everyone who has commented thus far. These are all excellent! I don't want my reply to be super long so I won't comment on EVERYTHING in one post. So far mainly it comes down to...

1. Well maintained up to date equipment
2. Worthy staff w/good customer service skills
3. A comfortable place to bowl
4. Quality food and drink
5. Good ambiance
6. Quality pro shop

I am making a case to get wood lanes but from what I understand they are getting hard to come by these days. I have to do further research on the pros and cons not only for bowlers but from the business end of things. I would rather have wood any day myself (as a bowler) but I would have to see what makes the most financial sense in the long run. I already know that to do a resurface once per year costs $1k per lane so that $64k a year right out of the gate. Then every 3 years they need to be cut which is more costly. I'm not sure on the numbers with that yet. That said, it means that over a period of time doing that they have to be replaced eventually because you make them thinner each time.

Decor I do think matters to an extent. No serious bowlers are going to want to sit in a place that looks like a circus but open bowlers aren't going to be attracted to a place that is all one color and boring. There has to be a balance to create the right ambiance that works for both. Leagues and tournaments are the bread and butter but open bowlers are also needed so you can't neglect either one. Since were doing a two sided house it does provide more options to be able to do both. Possibly be treated as two separate entities. Nobody saying they both have to look the same.

Cosmic unfortunately is here to stay, many of us hate it but many don't. I agree on no seizure lights. I don't care what type of bowler you are, I can't imagine anyone likes lasers and strobes in their face. You're not there to dance. Black lights seem to be okay, they don't personally bother me. The only thing I don't like is the lack of being able to see the dots and arrows. However they do have them now that glow under black lights. I've never seen them but I'd have to say they would be a must. As a serious bowler I don't bowl cosmic to bowl 120. Obviously I wouldn't be shooting for blood or I wouldn't be bowling cosmic. I still want to be able to bowl somewhat normal under those lights and be able to shoot a respectable game.

As for a changing shot, I think things like this would be a per league basis and would be worked out ahead of time to make sure it's something they want. Same thing with music and even cosmic lights. Some leagues want these things, some don't. As a good proprietor I think giving the options on a per league basis would be the way to go. It's the proprietors that force these things on leagues that lose them.

Bottom line is you can't make everyone happy no matter what you do. A smart proprietor would do the best to make the majority happy. That means you can't be a one trick pony or your destine to fail before you start. It's all about balance as I've said.

One other thing worthy of a mention that we are thinking of doing is setting aside 2-4 extra lanes specifically for "Elite" bowlers. For example if a pro or pro's happen to walk in the door they can do their thing without distraction. Also use them for people who want to shoot heavy duty pot games. Basically a VIP section. No extra cost or anything but at minimum card holders and up ONLY! They would also be able to request any shot they want.

Fordman1 - I'm not sure about the Texas hold em. That may require additional licensing for the establishment because it would be gambling I think? A few card tables would be cool but I'm again I have to claim ignorance on that. It may not matter since pots are gambling and the pool hall would be too. I'll see if I can get an answer on that.

[RobLV1]

There is a solid business reason for synthetic lanes: they are not flammable, therefore insurance is much, much lower for the bowling center. That's the reason that wood lanes are a thing of the past.

[fordman1]

Sorry for the confusion phonetic. What it is is a game where you buy a hand before bowling. There are 22 hands at $5 per hand. The cards are displayed on a board. Everyone has 2 hole cards and the flop is shown. After the 1st game everyone who isn't within 20 pins of their average is out. After the turn and the 2nd game you must be within 10 pins. Then the river you have to make at least your avg. Best hand win $88. The extra is kept in escrow. If anyone gets 4 of a kind or better they win a grand. It is ran on every league. We usually fill up 12-13 boards every week. Money left is used for the summer tournaments. Now that is totally clear any more questions.
I know it sounds easy but you would be surprised how many get knocked out.

[Phonetek]

Sorry for the confusion phonetic. What it is is a game where you buy a hand before bowling. There are 22 hands at $5 per hand. The cards are displayed on a board. Everyone has 2 hole cards and the flop is shown. After the 1st game everyone who isn't within 20 pins of their average is out. After the turn and the 2nd game you must be within 10 pins. Then the river you have to make at least your avg. Best hand win $88. The extra is kept in escrow. If anyone gets 4 of a kind or better they win a grand. It is ran on every league. We usually fill up 12-13 boards every week. Money left is used for the summer tournaments. Now that is totally clear any more questions.
I know it sounds easy but you would be surprised how many get knocked out.

Ah, yeah that's different. I've personally never seen that game. Pretty much the only card game we played on league was straight up 5 or 7 card draw. You get a card for each mark and so on. Whoever had the best had at the end won, pretty basic. I did confirm that just shooting for pots and the simple card games while bowling are fine, no license needed. However if you were to have a card table with people playing poker or other card games then you'd need a gambling license.
Same with pool tables, no license needed.

Rob, I forgot about the fact that wood lanes are flammable so I need to keep that in consideration for the additional insurance costs. Is the oil one synthetic lanes still not an accelerant? I never checked on the oil we use if it's petroleum based or not. When I go in on Wed to work I'll look and see what it is if I remember. Now I'm curious. I would think the insurance went down when the smoking ban went into effect.

[GrumpyCatFace]

By the time you catch treated wood on fire, the whole place is going down lol

[Phonetek]

By the time you catch treated wood on fire, the whole place is going down lol

Wood lanes are treated lumber?

[GrumpyCatFace]

Wood lanes are treated lumber?

I can’t imagine they’d be anything else, unless it’s quite old.

https://www.hunker.com/13401617/types-of-wood-used-in-bowling-lanes

[Phonetek]

I can’t imagine they’d be anything else, unless it’s quite old.

https://www.hunker.com/13401617/types-of-wood-used-in-bowling-lanes

When you say treated wood then wolmanized wood is what comes to mind, pre-treated using arsenic or chromium (chromated copper arsenate) which they no longer do since early 2000 because it's toxic of course. Basically what you'd use to make a deck, picnic table and such. According to the link you provided they didn't mention this. Putting oil on them could be considered "treating" the wood. Essentially it's just plain old maple and old growth pine, then glued and laminated as the site says.

Using wolmanized or pressure treated wood for lanes would be mega expensive, might as well use mahogany. Mahogany lanes would look beautiful though. LOL

[GrumpyCatFace]

Naples, dude. ;)

It’s ranked up there with Beverly Hills.

[J Anderson]

When you say treated wood then wolmanized wood is what comes to mind, pre-treated using arsenic or chromium (chromated copper arsenate) which they no longer do since early 2000 because it's toxic of course. Basically what you'd use to make a deck, picnic table and such. According to the link you provided they didn't mention this. Putting oil on them could be considered "treating" the wood. Essentially it's just plain old maple and old growth pine, then glued and laminated as the site says.

Using wolmanized or pressure treated wood for lanes would be mega expensive, might as well use mahogany. Mahogany lanes would look beautiful though. LOL

I think you are confusing pressure treated wood, which is intended for outdoor use and treated to prevent insect damage and rot, with wood treated with some sort of flame retardant.

My own guess is that if you made an untreated wooden door the same thickness as a wood lane, it would easily attain a 90 minute U.L. fire rating.

[JasonNJ]

If I had unlimited funds, I would purchase a 54 lane house near me and convert it to 42 lanes. Section off 10 lanes, I figured I would lose a pair sectioning it off. The 10 lane section would be a Kegel like training center. Cameras front, back and side. Specto\Cats system on the lanes. That private section would contain the Pro Shop and would also be available for private parties. I would get all new pin setters which you could program to set any pin combination you want. This way league bowlers can re-spot their own pins or come in and practice specific spares. Maybe have a camera on each pair of lanes which replays each shot on screen. Don't know if the software is available for this but make the pinsetter console screens Social Media aware. This way people can share their box score or even the video of them bowling. I would bring back colored pin bowling nights. I remember when I was younger I would love to bowl on those nights, if the red pin was the head pin and you struck you won a free game coupon. Also get a real bar\restaurant as well as the snack bar. That way the center could have another revenue stream and maybe offer a free bowling game coupon for people who come in for food.

[fordman1]

I have a question for the experts about the pin setters. Where I bowl the pin setters are really old and they said they don't want the new ones that are cheaply made. They have all kinds of spare parts stored in a warehouse they own. These are the original ones from 1957 and work great. They have all the new software and are getting new scores this month. They seem to keep up with modern tech except don't like the new cheap machinery.

How much truth is there to this?

[Phonetek]

I have a question for the experts about the pin setters. Where I bowl the pin setters are really old and they said they don't want the new ones that are cheaply made. They have all kinds of spare parts stored in a warehouse they own. These are the original ones from 1957 and work great. They have all the new software and are getting new scores this month. They seem to keep up with modern tech except don't like the new cheap machinery.

How much truth is there to this?

There is a lot of truth to it. We just ran across this same thing at work because of the upcoming remodel. They wanted to replace our pinsetters with a newer version. The mechanic objected because the ones we have are fine, he's put a lot of work into to perfecting them. There are many aftermarket parts that are actually better than factory. For example one part he showed me was originally made of brass you can't get anymore. The factory replacement is now plastic and fails quickly. The aftermarket is made from a polyurethane. He's also made many enhancements to improve on the original design that still aren't implemented in the newer ones. So he'd have to do all that over again too.

If they replaced all the pinsetters then he would have to re-buy all those parts again because the new ones come with the plastic. Bottom line is he knows THESE machines and their quirks and knows what is going to be need to be done and when. Replacing them we will have a whole new set of problems, deal with replacing inferior parts. Not to mention they'd be discarding all the new stuff he's recently replaced on the old ones. The pro's of having newer ones doesn't out weigh the cons at least in our case.

Even old pinsetters at least with our AMF ones we are able to use the latest and greatest scorer software which we have at least as of 2 years ago. If that center has kept accurate work logs and part replacement logs and detailed notes over the years it's well worth keeping the old ones. If they never kept track of anything then in that case it may not make a difference. Also if they haven't kept up with the machines and let them all go to hell then it may benefit them more to replace them. To know for sure they would really have to go over each machine and do a complete inspection top to bottom and look at the overall cost to get them up to par with parts and man hours to see which makes more financial sense. If they are too far gone then replace them, if they just need some TLC then keep them.

[fordman1]

Like I said they have warehouses full of parts and cataloged.

[Phonetek]

Naples, dude. ;)

It’s ranked up there with Beverly Hills.

Unless this fire retardant lumber for lanes is something that's already available and mainstream then it could make sense. If it's something that's never been done before then you have to worry about unpredictability. Is it going to cause compatibility issues with the oil? Is it going to change the game in an unexpected way? Will it cost more to maintain in the long run? You'd have to pay to do studies to find these things out. That extra cost would change the business plan and delay profitability of the original prospectus. Same with the additional cost of the "custom" lanes themselves. Although it's a blank check, certain things you just can't do. Blank check doesn't mean **** away. For example even in Beverly Hills getting nothing but high end reactive balls for house balls and custom Linds bowling rental shoes. Yeah that would be cool but likely make the investors scrap the project because you're being an idiot.

In my opinion if we were to go with wood lanes, the smarter thing would be to spend the money on a high tech top notch fire suppression system. One that isn't going to do more damage to the lanes than fire. Dumping large amounts of water on the lanes you will lose them for sure. Spending money on a waterless system would be more justifiable and cost less than the wood. That also would help with insurance costs probably more than the fire retardant wood.

[Phonetek]

Like I said they have warehouses full of parts and cataloged.

If the mechanics are fully capable of keeping everything up and running reliably and plenty of parts then definitely yes on keeping them. Bowlers could give a crap what pinsetters they use as long as they don't break down. The new software with an animated Ryno trampling the pins on a strike isn't going to be enough to keep bowlers happy if the lanes die every other frame.

[fordman1]

All serious leagues require that the cartoons be turned off. It adds 10-15 minutes to league time and no one wants to see it. It is for people who don't pay attention any way.

[YODA]

I honestly love my local alley. They have great leagues and a great program for kids during the week.
Lanes are always maintained. They even just now are redoing all their lanes. They have a small gaming area and a nice bar and restaurant.
Love it there

[Phonetek]

All serious leagues require that the cartoons be turned off. It adds 10-15 minutes to league time and no one wants to see it. It is for people who don't pay attention any way.

Agreed! I hate those animations. Even kids lose interest in them after a few times. They can be turned off, thank god. Between that and the "How to pick up this spare" guide drive me crazy. It's bad enough a machine keeps score for me, now I have to see that bunk?

[fordman1]

Just stopped by the alley and found out that they have enough parts for 40 machines. They are Brunswick.
The new scorers are Brunswick Sync. That going with the new Anvil lanes replaced a few years ago. Any and all profit goes into up grades every year.

[Albundy]

Also a retrogame room with one pinball table, these new crane games really are dumb..a nursery, and mini bowling lanes.. my 3 yr old loves them. Cushioned seats.. a well balanced air conditioning system. So glad we don't have the circle ball return anymore that would stick out on the lane

..the itrc is niiice.. I thought wow...bowling school! And it is all so new and clean..

[GrumpyCatFace]

Omg a nursery/play room would be awesome.

[Phonetek]

Omg a nursery/play room would be awesome.

I remember the place my mom first worked at where I ended up bowling kids league at used the banquet room as a play room. They had those big plastic cubes people have for outdoor play sets in there. They had an adult or adults supervising, we played games and stuff. The parachute game and duck duck goose and some other things. Wow I forgot all about that. Where I work, the party room isn't near as big as that one was. Then again that was a much larger center than ours in a stand alone building. Ours is a downstairs bowling alley, hotel, movie theater right above us, pizza restaurant and I think there is a dentist and barber in there too.

[Phonetek]

I'm still trying to come up with a good design for seating for 6 behind each lane not per pair and it's not as easy as you would think. 5 isn't so bad but that 6th seat is tough. I mean 6 comfortable, not stupid plastic type McDonalds type crappy chairs either. Even worse is the flip up plastic ones. If they do flip up I'm thinking movie theater style seats, cloth not plastic and they'd lean back some. Would that be cheezy? However, there is only so much room behind each lane in the settee area to work with. Especially having to consider that people come in with 6 ball bags now a days.

[fordman1]

Phoneteck are you a vampire? When do you sleep? It is a bowling alley not a movie theater. Just make sure there is some place to sit your beer.

[GrumpyCatFace]

There’s a nice one near cedar point that has a pair of booths facing each other behind each pair. That can accommodate 6.

[Phonetek]

Phoneteck are you a vampire? When do you sleep? It is a bowling alley not a movie theater. Just make sure there is some place to sit your beer.

LMAO, I am all over the map with time. I open, I close, work afternoons or whatever. I generally get 4-6 hrs of sleep a day give or take. Yesterday I went in work to start at 3pm and got home at 2 am. I can't just come home and jump into bed, I need to wind down first. I went to bed around 4, fell asleep somewhere near 5 before it started getting light. I got up at 9:30 today. Having my coffee and gonna get ready for work soon as I finish this post to be there by noon. Probably work until 9. I'm thinking of bowling a few when I get off. Then I'm off Sunday but I gotta be there at 9:30 to bowl with the Sunday regs.

That's why they love me there, they know I'll work any day any time. Killed it last night, first night for 2 leagues fully booked house all lanes. Just me and a pinchaser and all went smooth. The highlight of the night was closing the register to find it was $-0 $+0 meaning it was correct to the penny. That doesn't happen often. It's ALWAYS off + or -. Since the morning guy only had 2 customers I guess he got them right. So I came on a high from that alone. I'm probably the only person who closes a register and ends with a fist pump and a YEEEAAH BABY!

[LowDown]

My one issue that I wish bowling centers could fix is the clutter during league bowling. In my 4 man league we've got bowling balls everywhere. It seems as though everyone feels the need to get out their entire arsenal of balls. The ball return is completely packed and every cup holder around has a ball in it. I went by one lane and counted 34 balls out for the 8 guys bowling that pair of lanes. Then you get to the bags up on the main concourse where you can't take two steps without stepping over someones stuff. Cause of course one guy needs two 4 ball rollers for league and leaves them sitting in the middle of the isle and if he can do it why not everybody else. It's just a cluttered nightmare with very little consideration for anyone else. This only happens in the "masters" league, the other leagues that bowl around us aren't nearly as bad. I see people tip toeing and high stepping around us and I get embarrassed to be associated with this league. I've brought it up internally but there's no real motivation to do anything about it. The prevailing attitude seems to be, "I bowl here 3 times a week and they need my business so I can do as I please" instead of "This is my bowling center and I like it here and want it to succeed so what can I do to make it better".

I thought if maybe the center could enforce a required locker policy for the "elite" leagues. Or if there was a designated area for league bowlers to put their stuff. Or even if the staff at the center showed more interest in the league they might feel valued and change their attitudes a little. I feel like most of the bad behavior in this league needs to be addressed by the league however if I could design a bowling center I might look to see if there was a way I could head it off at the pass.I don't know if anyone else sees this in varying degrees or not.

It might just be one rude league.

[GrumpyCatFace]

All of that stuff should be in the settee area, not the concourse. I’d enforce a rule for it.

You can always call it a fire hazard, if you need to. ;)

[TTREX]

My perfect bowling center would have 35 lanes where leagues could bowl on the old 40ft Christmas tree oil pattern put down by a kegel lane machine. There would be another 35 lanes for nothing but open bowling bowling on typical open bowling type oil pattern that favor's house balls. There would be another 35 lanes for PBA experience & tournament conditions where everyone bowls scratch for decent big money pots!!!!!

There would be full service bar for all drinks alcohol and non-alcohol.

There would be a MacDonalds burger franchise in the place for food options..etc

The maintenance of the place would be top notch, very clean and well taken care of.

[GrumpyCatFace]

Oh I really like the idea of having “challenge lanes”...

[Florida Bowler]

My perfect bowling center would have 35 lanes where leagues could bowl on the old 40ft Christmas tree oil pattern put down by a kegel lane machine. There would be another 35 lanes for nothing but open bowling bowling on typical open bowling type oil pattern that favor's house balls. There would be another 35 lanes for PBA experience & tournament conditions where everyone bowls scratch for decent big money pots!!!!!

There would be full service bar for all drinks alcohol and non-alcohol.

There would be a MacDonalds burger franchise in the place for food options..etc

The maintenance of the place would be top notch, very clean and well taken care of.

Wouldn't you rather have 36 lanes of each?

[TTREX]

Quote: Wouldn't you rather have 36 lanes of each?

That makes more sense, but if i had unlimited funds it would be 40 lanes each :)

Our center has been divided up so that there is a section where there is only one lane instead of a pair at one end, it makes no sense, but it has my thinking messed up. I have no idea why they did that, house use to be 48 lanes now its only 25 with one lane being by its self against a wall....lol

It is a center redesigned for open bowling, they care more about open bowling, company parties and birthday parties, so i guess they did not care about removing that lane where the bar ended up.

I would have never ever done that!! I would have left it 48 lanes, and then built on to the end of the building to add the bar and lazer tag, but they chose to remove lanes to add the food bar, and removed the lounge to put in lazer tag....lol

It's a family fun center ya know...lmao

[fordman1]

How would you ever make any money with 36 lanes using the sports patterns? A good design is 60 lanes with 10 set aside for parties. It would be next to impossible to have enough scratch bowlers to fill that many lanes. Here in Metro Detroit the largest assn. in the USBC they can't get 150 bowlers to bowl in the open tournament. Too many really good bowlers and it cost too much for the payout. They have a few travel leagues and monthly tournaments but not much interest. Keep your Micky D's.

[TTREX]

How would you ever make any money with 36 lanes using the sports patterns? A good design is 60 lanes with 10 set aside for parties. It would be next to impossible to have enough scratch bowlers to fill that many lanes. Here in Metro Detroit the largest assn. in the USBC they can't get 150 bowlers to bowl in the open tournament. Too many really good bowlers and it cost too much for the payout. They have a few travel leagues and monthly tournaments but not much interest. Keep your Micky D's.

I think it would work but only here. We have those who will only bowl for fun, we have those who like to keep there scores low, we have those who want impossible lane conditions. The lanes that would not have much action would be the easy lanes.
All we have is pizza for food, so Micky D's would be good. WE do sell tons of beer tho....lol

[Aslan]

I'm a bit partial to the old style centers which I believe are called "split houses". Rob might know the actual terminology. But, it's where the center has 20 lanes on each side and the traffic and viewing area is in the middle.

I'd like every center to have a pro shop. It's really annoying to bowl in a center that doesn't have a pro shop.

I think every sanctioned center should have much tighter lane condition requirements and pre-league inspections. MUCH stricter...but, that's a bigger topic for another day.

I think every sanctioned center should have to sanction EVERY league except senior leagues and youth leagues. Maybe a requirement that 90% of adult leagues, at any given time, must be sanctioned. 25% of senior leagues if you have at least 4 running. And 25% of youth leagues if you have at least 4.

Although I know it would be a tremendous expense, the IDEAL center would have technology that allows a bowler to choose an oil pattern. The oil machine would be beneath the pin deck. If you pick "PBA Dick Weber"...and centers could require an extra fee for this...the oil machine comes out from the pin deck, oils the pattern, then returns beneath the pin deck.

Also, each rack needs to accomodate a minimum of 20 bowling balls. As has already been mentioned...some of these centers were designed 50 years ago when there were 3-4 person teams and everyone threw one ball. Now you got 8 balls on the rack and about 6-7 balls sitting on the floor, sitting on chairs, bags everywhere...I've seen entire seating areas where bowlers couldn't sit down because the balls were taking up the chairs.

I'd like to see 2 areas of seating. One right off the lanes for the bowlers...and then a couple tables further back. Maybe a tri-level layout where the main traffic is at one level, then you go down a couple steps (on either side if it's a split house) and you have a viewing area, then a few more steps to get to the lanes. It's just too crowded when everyone is jammed into a tiny area...bowlers, friends/family, etc... I've seen almost as many fights break out over tables as I have over bowling.

[asimovian]

Although I know it would be a tremendous expense, the IDEAL center would have technology that allows a bowler to choose an oil pattern. The oil machine would be beneath the pin deck. If you pick "PBA Dick Weber"...and centers could require an extra fee for this...the oil machine comes out from the pin deck, oils the pattern, then returns beneath the pin deck.I love this, and I'd pay a lot of money to be able to practice on lanes with that capability. Honestly, I'd pay extra just to have an existing center oil my pair the way I want. Does any place actually do that?


Also, each rack needs to accomodate a minimum of 20 bowling balls. As has already been mentioned...some of these centers were designed 50 years ago when there were 3-4 person teams and everyone threw one ball. Now you got 8 balls on the rack and about 6-7 balls sitting on the floor, sitting on chairs, bags everywhere...I've seen entire seating areas where bowlers couldn't sit down because the balls were taking up the chairs.Having just bowled the team event in my local association tournament, with 10 people on the pair, I couldn't agree more.

[vdubtx]

I love this, and I'd pay a lot of money to be able to practice on lanes with that capability. Honestly, I'd pay extra just to have an existing center oil my pair the way I want. Does any place actually do that?

Sure, just ask your local center. They will typically do if asked and you pay for it.

[Aslan]

Sure, just ask your local center. They will typically do if asked and you pay for it.

Why do I have a feeling that 49 out of 50 times you try this...the person at the counter will stare at you blankly for 2 seconds and then say, "What?"

[vdubtx]

Why do I have a feeling that 49 out of 50 times you try this...the person at the counter will stare at you blankly for 2 seconds and then say, "What?"

At an AMF or Bowlero center yep. Every time. LOL!!

[J Daisy]

I have a vision in my head of what "I" think a bowling center should be like. Basically it's taking the best things about every center I've bowled in and incorporating them into one, keeping in mind the worst things about them all. After that, throw in my own brand of creativity and customization to make it my own.

If someone came to you like my friend did to help design a bowling center and wanted you to run it. Maybe you just decided to build one of your own. How would you describe YOUR perfect bowling center? What would you add? How would you decorate it? What equipment? What would you that was different from the rest to attract people to your center? Why would people want to go there? I'm just curious to see what other people's ideas are for their dream bowling center.

My dream bowling center would look as much as it could like a bowling alley from the fifties or sixties. The lanes, score boards, ball returns, etc. would all be modern, but the chairs, tables and decor would all be classic. The people working there would wear vintage-style bowling shirts (which are actually sold on Amazon).

The service would be helpful and hands-on, asking newcomers if they needed help with anything rather than leaving them to figure things out on their own.

The music would be classic rock 'n' roll, and they would turn the music on every night at 11 o'clock. If somebody didn't want music on, they could come earlier. There should be a paper out, where people could write down their song requests. And while not quite as classic, the alley should have high power blacklights, with glowing guide lines and glowing pins, every weekend night.

The bowling alley should be open until at least 1 in the morning every day.

They should host special events, a new one every month, to be repeated each year. These can include things like car shows, bike shows, dances, costume parties, and tournies with special guest pro bowlers whose scores at this event the other bowlers try to beat to win a patch that says they beat them.

They should have a pro shop at the bowling alley that they open whenever it is needed, and that doesn't have crazy and very unhelpful hours like so many of them do.

They should have an arcade room filled with over a dozen classic arcade games and pinball machines to choose from, at classic prices.

They should have a small kitchen and food counter, where they serve things like burgers, hot dogs, pizza, fries, eggs, soup, pie, ice cream, root beer floats, soda, and coffee. A pretty waitress dressed like she worked at a fifties diner should bring the order to the table with a smile and a wink.

They should have a suggestion box, so that those who actually bowl there can submit ideas.

I'm not sure if any of this is logical or doable, but it sounds great to me, haha.

[Phonetek]

Oh you found this old post LOL Most of what you say is doable but not all completely logical. Open until 1 am every night....meh....depends on location. In a place like Vegas that can work. A small town in BFE not gonna work. All you will get is the unsavory characters who tend to not spend money or even bowl, they sit at the bar drinking either Fireball shots or $3 Pabst Blue Ribbons. LOL All you do is sit there wishing they would leave.

The Pro Shop hours would be another issue unless it's run exclusively by the bowling center and not a private individual and you had properly trained staff that could work to cover those shifts. That staff would have to be able to do the pro shop stuff in addition to other duties or you'd be paying them for a lot of down time sitting around waiting for customers. One of the centers I grew up in did that.

Pinball at classic prices? That would be a no, many centers lease those machines. I doubt the person leasing them would go along with that. If they did own the machines, it's using space and in business space is money. You pay property taxes per that space so you want to make every bit count. Nostalgia is great BUT as long as it pays the bills. Otherwise you will be nostalgic about how you once owned a 50's theme bowling center that went under. LOL

As for the other stuff, yeah it could be done because it's just a theme. Now doing song requests, hmmmm well if they are spending money at the bar leaving tips then I have no problem doing that. If not then you can get an old Wirlitzer jukebox hooked up to the stereo system they can put money in for that. Still fits the theme. The customers get their songs and the center brings in some extra money.

That's one thing I get in trouble at work all the time for. I frequently have my phone plugged in playing music even if it's just softly. My boss complains that if we are playing music then nobody is buying songs. True, but he sits in his office all day with his radio on and is often out running errands. We have to sit out staring at the lanes for our entire shift with nothing to listen to besides screaming kids and I tend to work very long shifts. That just makes them drag by. I tell him to come out there and do what I do without any music for as long as I do it then come and tell me not to plug my phone in. That ends the conversation. LOL Not to mention, if someone DOES put money in the jukebox it will over ride my phone. The only thing that over rides people's music they paid for is the microphone. So if they want to pay for music they will pay for music either way. At least if my phone is playing they realize there is a stereo system. Play nothing they assume there isn't.

As for the other ideas, I see no reason they couldn't work. Lastly, the service you mentioned being hands on and helpful. It SHOULD be like that anyway! To me customer service is the most important thing on your list and is every day I go to work. I chew my subordinates out if a customer is standing at the counter un-noticed because they are sitting there playing on their phone or gabbing. Anymore, the teens especially I make put their cell phones in the office when they punch in and they get them back when they leave. If it's an emergency whomever it is can call the center. Customer reviews are everything these days, standing at the counter for 10 minutes just to buy their kid a Ring Pop is 100% guaranteed to get you a bad review. Good reviews are hard to come by and you have to work hard and be outstanding to get them. Great customer service is a MUST!

[J Daisy]

Oh you found this old post LOL Most of what you say is doable but not all completely logical. Open until 1 am every night....meh....depends on location. In a place like Vegas that can work. A small town in BFE not gonna work. All you will get is the unsavory characters who tend to not spend money or even bowl, they sit at the bar drinking either Fireball shots or $3 Pabst Blue Ribbons. LOL All you do is sit there wishing they would leave.

The Pro Shop hours would be another issue unless it's run exclusively by the bowling center and not a private individual and you had properly trained staff that could work to cover those shifts. That staff would have to be able to do the pro shop stuff in addition to other duties or you'd be paying them for a lot of down time sitting around waiting for customers. One of the centers I grew up in did that.

Pinball at classic prices? That would be a no, many centers lease those machines. I doubt the person leasing them would go along with that. If they did own the machines, it's using space and in business space is money. You pay property taxes per that space so you want to make every bit count. Nostalgia is great BUT as long as it pays the bills. Otherwise you will be nostalgic about how you once owned a 50's theme bowling center that went under. LOL

As for the other stuff, yeah it could be done because it's just a theme. Now doing song requests, hmmmm well if they are spending money at the bar leaving tips then I have no problem doing that. If not then you can get an old Wirlitzer jukebox hooked up to the stereo system they can put money in for that. Still fits the theme. The customers get their songs and the center brings in some extra money.

That's one thing I get in trouble at work all the time for. I frequently have my phone plugged in playing music even if it's just softly. My boss complains that if we are playing music then nobody is buying songs. True, but he sits in his office all day with his radio on and is often out running errands. We have to sit out staring at the lanes for our entire shift with nothing to listen to besides screaming kids and I tend to work very long shifts. That just makes them drag by. I tell him to come out there and do what I do without any music for as long as I do it then come and tell me not to plug my phone in. That ends the conversation. LOL Not to mention, if someone DOES put money in the jukebox it will over ride my phone. The only thing that over rides people's music they paid for is the microphone. So if they want to pay for music they will pay for music either way. At least if my phone is playing they realize there is a stereo system. Play nothing they assume there isn't.

As for the other ideas, I see no reason they couldn't work. Lastly, the service you mentioned being hands on and helpful. It SHOULD be like that anyway! To me customer service is the most important thing on your list and is every day I go to work. I chew my subordinates out if a customer is standing at the counter un-noticed because they are sitting there playing on their phone or gabbing. Anymore, the teens especially I make put their cell phones in the office when they punch in and they get them back when they leave. If it's an emergency whomever it is can call the center. Customer reviews are everything these days, standing at the counter for 10 minutes just to buy their kid a Ring Pop is 100% guaranteed to get you a bad review. Good reviews are hard to come by and you have to work hard and be outstanding to get them. Great customer service is a MUST!

About the music requests, what I mentioned is actually what my bowling alley does, and it works great. It's one of my favorite things they do.

Another favorite thing about them is that they stay open until one or two in the morning. It's actually when they are busiest, because that's when they do the music and the blacklights, at least on two days of the week. They don't have the problem you spoke of, because they don't have a bar, just food.

I did not like the fact that when I first went bowling, nobody working there took the time to even show me how to put my name on the scoreboard, or asked me if I needed help with anything. I had never been to a bowling alley before, and while I knew the basics of bowling, I was clueless when it came to using the score machine. I had to figure it out on my own, or get help from other bowlers, who were more eager to help than the people working there. When the people working there saw I was becoming a regular, they became more helpful and friendly, but it was when I was new to it all that I could have used their help most.