Graaille

I have a dream . . . .

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You know how people go "If I had a million dollars/win the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes/win the lottery, I'd . . . " and then they come out with the new house, new cars, vacations, liposuction/plastic surgery, and the like? Well I have one of those dreams, and it centers around bowling.

You see, I figure that I'm one of the few people who if they won a huge amount of money, I wouldn't quit work - I'd start working more. You see, my dream is to build my own bowling center. I know what people say - building a bowling center in a down economy isn't a good decision, building it in the Piedmont of North Carolina isn't a good idea due to the constant threat of layoffs in the industries that we have left (our area's main economic pillars for many decades were manufacturing, banking, and agriculture - specifically tobacco). Still others would say that I don't have any experience running a bowling center and am woefully unprepared for the trials and tribulations thereof.

All true - won't deny it. But it's easy to find reasons how something will fail, the challenge is to find ways to succeed despite the inherent problems. It's still my dream, and I don't dream small. Like to hear about it? Let me tell you what it will be like.

The basics are that I'm looking to create a 72 lane center with a full 2-3 star restaurant included. I don't want normal burgers/fries/finger food to be the only thing served - but a decent menu prepared by a kitchen staff. If you come to my center because you love the food and have never bowled, you might just consider bowling a few times. Healthy food, not just various things breaded and dropped in oil for 4 minutes. The restaurant will have a window wall to overlook the lanes for those who are dining in, as well as a walk up ordering section for bowlers who want to eat closer to their lanes.

The lanes are broken up into three 24 lane sections.

The right side is strictly open bowling with Brunswick Anvilane surface - usually oiled with the standard Christmas tree pattern to make casual bowlers happy. This is also the side where leagues who want a soft shot can have their league play - but only non-sanctioned leagues.

The left side is league bowling / league bowler practice lanes. 24 lanes of again Brunswick Pro Anvilane, but these would be oiled with Kegel patterns, easy and intermediate, for the standard patterns. All USBC sanctioned leagues would bowl this side normally, and all league bowlers could practice on this side exclusively - no non-league bowlers allowed on the left side.

Across the back wall, seperate from the main part by a wall and double doors would be the Bootcamp section - check your ego at the door. 24 lanes broken up into 6 lanes of Brunswick Pro Anvilane, 6 lanes of Guardian, 6 wood lanes, and then the ESPN lanes, where the television experience would be replicated as near as possible daily - lights, shotclock, cheers thru a speaker system - the works.
Only PBA patterns/sport patterns from around the world would be put out, and a board listing what lanes have what pattern would be at the front. Want to practice Cheetah on wood? - you got it. Want to do a sweeper of Scorpion/Chameleon/Shark on Guardian? -- no problem. Want to see how the oil patterns for the European circuit play? Just ask and it'd be set up. If there was a serious USBC sanctioned scratch league set up, I can't imagine anyplace better than to go into a center set up like that. I figure if you can go across all 24 lanes in two days and maintain a 200+ average - you're ready to compete in any tournament in any country. My goal would be to draw the serious players out, sort of the Kegel center of the mid-Atlantic.

Now all I have to do is win the lottery. Piece of cake.

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