Etiquette...

[Ryster]

That sucks. I don’t get why these places chase away leagues. As big as we are and busy as we are, open play alone just could not sustain this place for long. Even the last place that was dinky, if it wasn’t for the leagues they would have died. Well they are dying anyway but long before now without leagues.

So stupid, it’s guaranteed money!

Bowlero's thinking is this:

League lineage is $12/bowler. 10 bowlers on a pair for 3 hours gets them $120. League bowlers receive a 20% discount on food and drink. Some might buy a $5 drink (for $4), but that is about it. Most people on my league bring a bottle of water and do not order the overpriced food. So Bowlero only gets the lineage and that's it. Most bowlers have their own shoes, so they aren't getting shoe rental fees from league bowlers either.

League bowlers get a reduced open play rate of $2.75 per game. A perk, yes, but Bowlero considers it a loss when they could be getting up to $7 per game from non-league bowlers.

Open bowling is $7/game per person, plus $6 shoe rental. 3 open bowlers on one lane, each bowling 2 games, gets them $60. If both lanes on that pair have 3 open bowlers, now they are at $120. If they can turn that pair twice in 3 hours, now they are at $240. Add in $30-$50 in food and $40 in drinks each turn of the pair, and now they are at $300-$430 from open bowlers for that same 3 hour period. Then those people go spend another $20-$40 in the arcade and it is gravy on top. There are always waiting lists for lanes in the evenings, so it isn't like lanes are just sitting. When it is raining out or the kids are off school, it is even busier.

[Phonetek]

I guess if it works for them then more power to them. I find it difficult to believe they have wait lists for lanes 7 days a week. There isn’t a place around here that’s like that. The local Bowlero to me is dead except when the schools have practice and meets.

[Ryster]

I guess if it works for them then more power to them. I find it difficult to believe they have wait lists for lanes 7 days a week. There isn’t a place around here that’s like that. The local Bowlero to me is dead except when the schools have practice and meets.

I just checked Lanetalk live scoring for our Bowlero center. 2:20 in the afternoon and there are 110 people currently open bowling. 26 of 48 lanes in use. Still some lanes available, but definitely a good crowd in there already. School is still out for Christmas/New Year so that is certainly a factor.

Thursday night is their biggest league night. All 48 lanes are in use for leagues on Thursdays, so there will be 200+ league bowlers in there tonight and no lanes for open bowling until after 9PM. Then they close at 10. There are usually 30-40 people that come in at 9 and start waiting for open lanes so they can bowl a game or two before closing. Bowlero would rather there be open lanes all evening for those open bowlers instead of effectively locking them out for 3 hours.