I'm surprised how much and how often I see people saying "bowling is dying! our business is dead!" Etc. But then I go in to local alleys and see prices... $5.95 for a game. WHAT...THE...F.
My center's Rock N Bowl is there most popular league. It's low cost high fun, handicap league. Makes it easy for folks to break in. It's intimidating to folks to join leagues who havent before. They play music have contests several times a season.
Make it easy to ask and easy to join. Bowling looks like a clique to newcomers. My only other thought would be to follow the demand. If there is a larger group of bowlers who like low stress bowling you should cater to them. Don't let an aggressive vocal minority dictate your centers terms. (hardcore bowlers can be obnoxious and skew your view of what the demand really is.)
In the Bag: Storm Marvel Pearl, Storm IQ, Columbia 300 White Dot
In the Locker: Storm Tropical Breeze, RG Defiant, RG Bandit
I'm surprised how much and how often I see people saying "bowling is dying! our business is dead!" Etc. But then I go in to local alleys and see prices... $5.95 for a game. WHAT...THE...F.
Use social networking sites to advertise if you havent done that already
The bowling alley I now work for offers a ton of different options.
1. Discounts for local schools with ID (possibly with advertising at the school)
2. Agreements and discounts for local church groups
3. Birthday packages
4. League discounts
5. Free game cards at many local businesses for having made a purchase. (advertising as well as an offer)
6. Display in the local mall (unfortunately the mall is all but a ghost town)
7. Cafe and Bar
8. Dollarmania on select nights ($5 for a wristband, and $1 thereafter for shoes, per game, certain food items, drinks, etc)
At some centers, they offer other options, such as:
1. Hourly rates per lane as opposed to per game
2. Theme nights (Such as decorating the center for a holiday and having colored pins giving prizes for getting strikes when it is the head pin, or offering discounts if people dress up)
3. Print coupons in the local newspaper
High Game: 246 (300 soon)
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In The Bag: DV8 MARAUDER, Brunswick Nexxxus, Brunswick T Zone
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TONIGHT WE BOWL! DV8 DAMN GOOD BOWLING
I was in a new, for me, bowling center today and it was crowded with people. I looked around a little and the owner has poured money back into the place in terms of other activities, and they are in good with the local High School as the school offers bowling as a gym class. Here's a link to the site for ideas: http://pinstationbowling.com/ It was also clean as a pin including the men's room.
AMF's $8 all you can bowl pricing from open to 5 is a great idea for filling the lanes during the workweek - I had fun yesterday for about 3 hours (would have gone sooner but I had to get my new ball drilled down the road from there first) plus I got $2 off that price for me my GF and two of the kids we brought. That's the kind of pricing that gets ME to walk in your door because I like to bowl a TON of games when I go and I ain't payin' by the game if I don't have to.
Local league is expensive and full of old people with really bad hygiene. Tough sell
Did you accidently sign up for a seniors' league? How did you end up in this league? By that I mean, did you research the available leagues at all or ask around or just sign up for what was convenient? I wanted to do more leagues this season but couldn't get all my questions answered to my satisfaction. So I waited and have visited the lanes during these leagues to gage whether they are a good fit for me. I worked at the bowling alley in high school so I was more aware of the possible horrors than most people would be.
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