That's the same way I interpreted it. No thanks, I'll take care of my BOWLERS that keep the place rolling vs. the casual idiots that come in once or twice a year. If they get mad they don't have to come back, I won't miss them. They can even slam me on Google reviews, don't care. We're a 4.8 out of 5 rating, a couple morons isn't gonna hurt.
Their main plan is to buy existing centers and rebrand them. They are building a few new centers, but acquiring existing centers is their primary business model. There is a privately owned, 24-lane center across town and Bowlero recently contacted the owner with an unsolicited offer. The owner rejected the offer and said they were not for sale. Bowlero's goal is to be the brand for bowling in the United States and acquisition is the fastest way for them to do that.
Since our center was acquired, they have totally rebranded it aesthetically. Full Bowlero paint scheme, all new Bowlero furniture, Bowlero pricing and food menu, etc. Next they will be taking out the old carpeting and replacing it with laminate flooring (yes, they installed the new furniture before replacing the flooring.) The one thing they have NOT done is repair issues with the pinsetters and ball returns. Lanes are breaking down more than ever, and the management has stated there are currently no plans to make any repairs to the equipment.
We are also hearing through the grapevine that Friday night leagues may not be asked back next season as Bowlero would prefer for the center to be fully available for open bowlers on Friday nights. Time will tell on that one. The 80-100 league bowlers that are in there on Fridays might not be pleased about that if it comes to pass. Tournaments are a thing of the past, however. Ever since Bowlero acquired our center the only tournaments that have been held were those scheduled prior to the acquisition. No new tournaments have been permitted...because open bowlers are more important and profitable (shoe rentals, food and drink orders, arcade revenue, $7/game open bowling rates, etc.)
Very sad to here indeed. I'm 99.9999% sure that if they approach the owner of our center and two other centers he owns he will tell them to go pound sand.
He is a business man but cares about the sport. At long as he's alive there is no way he'll cave unless they pay him 5 times what is worth. Even that is questionable. These are his babies and he wants them to be the best. He's done a great job at it so far.
One up side is that there are a couple centers that died in the past couple years that have just been sitting. Bowlero had announced they are reopening then. I think a functioning Bowlero is better than a dead center.
My experiences with Bowlmor/Bowlero have been mixed. In the town where I grew up, the one remaining center became a Bowlmor when the AMF centers were taken over. Every league was thrown out the first year. I may have bowled there for a no-tap tourney shortly after the acquisition and found the approaches a bit sticky. Otherwise it was okay. I have heard since then that did something to the length of either the lanes themselves or the approaches that makes them non compliant with USBC regs.
I have bowled in some NEBA tournaments at Bowlero centers in East Hartford and East Haven where my only complaint was that the snack bar prices were exorbitant. The Bowlero in the town where I live is not pleasant to bowl in. The approaches have either been too sticky or too slippery when I have tried practicing there. Combine that with having it so dark you can’t see the arrows until you’re within a foot or two of the foul line and I haven’t been there in a couple of years.
John
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!
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