Not much going on?

[Phonetek]

I have little time these days but periodically check out what’s new on here. It seems posts few and far between anymore. That’s shame because it’sa good group on here. There’s plenty of bowling to talk about.

I personally am extremely busy. We bought a house and moved back in august. As fate would have it, I’m within walking distance of a bowling center. I attempted to stay working at my previous center but driving 60 miles one way was completely stupid and very costly with the gas prices.

Needless to say I went to the center by my house and after a very brief conversation with the owners they hired me on as their first ever General Manager. They have been very pleased with the energy, ideas and changes I have made and give me free reign to do whatever I see fit.

I’m not doing anything all that special, just bringing them things I have learned and an occasional unique idea. The league bowlers are eating it up and business has significantly increased across the board.

The owners both are in very poor health and went from having to be there several hours a day to now only coming in a couple hours a week. I feel like I’m really helping them out and very good about my decision to come there. I not only found a great home for my family but a great home away from home to work.

Yeah it’s a step down from the very prestigious center I was previously at. A much smaller center having only 24 lanes but it’s a place I can be very happy at for a long long time. My wife even works with me so even with the long hours I put in, I get to spend time with her. Win win. We also bowl together on the Wednesday league at this center.

It’s been a long journey since I first joined this board but I feel I’ve finally reached the correct destination. Coming in as an outsider I was unsure how well it would go over. As it worked out I fit right in and was quickly accepted by everyone from the owners, employees, league bowlers and all locals as well. 🙂

[J Anderson]

I have little time these days but periodically check out what’s new on here. It seems posts few and far between anymore. That’s shame because it’sa good group on here. There’s plenty of bowling to talk about.

I personally am extremely busy. We bought a house and moved back in august. As fate would have it, I’m within walking distance of a bowling center. I attempted to stay working at my previous center but driving 60 miles one way was completely stupid and very costly with the gas prices.

Needless to say I went to the center by my house and after a very brief conversation with the owners they hired me on as their first ever General Manager. They have been very pleased with the energy, ideas and changes I have made and give me free reign to do whatever I see fit.

I’m not doing anything all that special, just bringing them things I have learned and an occasional unique idea. The league bowlers are eating it up and business has significantly increased across the board.

The owners both are in very poor health and went from having to be there several hours a day to now only coming in a couple hours a week. I feel like I’m really helping them out and very good about my decision to come there. I not only found a great home for my family but a great home away from home to work.

Yeah it’s a step down from the very prestigious center I was previously at. A much smaller center having only 24 lanes but it’s a place I can be very happy at for a long long time. My wife even works with me so even with the long hours I put in, I get to spend time with her. Win win. We also bowl together on the Wednesday league at this center.

It’s been a long journey since I first joined this board but I feel I’ve finally reached the correct destination. Coming in as an outsider I was unsure how well it would go over. As it worked out I fit right in and was quickly accepted by everyone from the owners, employees, league bowlers and all locals as well. 🙂

Glad to hear things are going well. I hope everything continues to work out for you and your family

I usually don’t start threads. The only scores I post are from sport leagues or tournaments and I wasn’t bowling in my local sport league this fall, just subbing on occasion. I will have to post about our local youth/adult tournament once I get through the paper work and post the official results. For now all I will say is I bowled two bad games and two so-so games before getting my act in gear for the last two games. Details later this week.

[boatman37]

Yeah I don't post much on here anymore. Seems if you post something you get a smart a$$ed response from 1 or 2 so I pretty much cut down to only posting scores and was even called to the carpet for doing that so....not much point in posting here

[boomer]

Congrats - I hate the whole thing of "big, shiny, prestigious" is what we have to get. Get what you're happy with and be happy with it!

Good job Phonetek!

[Phonetek]

Congrats - I hate the whole thing of "big, shiny, prestigious" is what we have to get. Get what you're happy with and be happy with it!

Good job Phonetek!

If anything it looks great on a resume. It’s one of the top 10% centers in the country. I’m grateful for the experience and knowledge I gained from it. Had it made financial sense I would have never left.

That said, because of what I learned it made coming here a snap in getting what I wanted. Now I get to pass on what I learned and they are extremely pleased here. I get free reign to implement my ideas from the owners and so far everything is working very well.

Many of the league bowlers are very happy with the things I have brought to them and make a point of telling me about it. In the few short months I’ve drastically improved lane reliability, minimized ball damage, brought new items to the bar and restaurant, new tournaments, new pots and ways to increase league prize funds and I started a program for frequent bowlers (including league bowlers) to earn free games for every dollar spent at the establishment.

Before I came nobody even did league announcements? Granted 90% of them are ignored but the fact that it’s done now makes them feel appreciated for being there. Sometimes it’s just the little things. I’m by far no genius, some stuff I brought with me from previous center. However I’ve done some original things that have never been done before. When you love what you do it’s easy and it’s not work. Although I do work hard and a buttload of hours, it’s not a chore and I look forward to every shift.

[boomer]

I'm not saying working at a big, prestigious place is bad . . . But I work at a small, prestigious college and every student here seems to want to work at a big prestigious capital investment company or bank or something - just seems soul-draining.

I'm absolutely "chuffed" that you're at a small center where you can bring some cool ideas in and make people happy.


I'm bigly into craft beer, brewing and that scene. I hate that all my small, intimate breweries are determined to grow up big and become less intimate and more production. I remember visiting a brewery in Butte Montana, the Quarry (they dig beer), where the owner deliberately SHRUNK his operation because he was losing that intimate experience with his customers. He stopped supplying about 90% of the kegs and cans so he could brew smaller batches again, do what are called partygyle brews (multi-part batches where you pull off a high-gravity portion at the beginning, then a more normal part for the rest to make two different strength beers) and hang out with his customers again.

His is my model.

Sounds like yours might be my model as well - OOH OOH OOH - combination craft brewery and bowling center!

[Phonetek]

I absolutely brought craft beers there including a local beer. When I got there they had 20 different domestic and 2 craft beers in their selection. They said craft would never sell here. I cut the domestics down to the basic 6 and have a rotating stock of craft. Pilsner, IPA, laggers, stouts, sours, seasonals you name it. Always something fresh and it’s been flying out of the bar.

Sadly we only have 3 draft beers and they won’t let me switch them. Same garbage all the time. Bud light, Miler light and shock top. We don’t even provide orange slices. Personally I think Blue moon would do better especially with the orange. It’s the one thing they won’t let me change.

Personally I’d love to have 20 tappers. Nothing sells beer better than letting a customer taste a squirt of it first. Pretty sure everyone knows what bud light tastes like by now. Since pitchers of it sell well I’d still keep them.

[Ryster]

Ever since Bowlero acquired my center, it just hasn't been the same. Dirty, poor pinsetter maintenance, increased ball damage, unhappy league bowlers in general. I go in, bowl my league games, and leave. I don't even open bowl anymore because I despise the open bowling experience at Bowlero.

The LeaguePals app used for league standings is not a good experience. I look at the standings only to see where my team is, then never look at it again until the next week. BLS is so much better, but no longer used by Bowlero. Part of their new PBA LBC program. LeaguePals only, even for the USBC certified leagues.

Bowlero is like bowling in an arcade/bar/restaurant. Just a cold, unfriendly vibe compared to an independent center.

[Phonetek]

I’d never even think of working for a Bowlero. Then again they’d never hire me, if they did it would be short lived. They wouldn’t pay me square anyway. They are the Macdonald’s of bowling. Only interested in being the biggest not the best and doing things the corporate way. People with unique and outside the box thinking are not welcome.

They care only for open bowl, turning it into an arcade type game and charging crazy prices. Why they acquired the PBA is beyond me. They own the professionals but do nothing to further it as a sport in their centers? Kind of a joke and makes them the biggest hypocrites in the industry.

If they buy every center around then I’ll quit bowling and retire. I could go on but it could get kind of mean. I’m happy where I’m at in a private owned center where I can do traditional things and make it better as a sport. Our regional BPAA which I’m part of is constantly coming up for new things for youth bowlers. We are getting them ready for collegiate bowling, always giving them chances to earn scholarship money and having great tournaments and coaching for them.

Open Bowl and birthday parties are great and all but where I’m at, youth, leagues and tournaments now come first.

[Phonetek]

I’d never even think of working for a Bowlero. Then again they’d never hire me, if they did it would be short lived. They wouldn’t pay me squat anyway. They are the Macdonald’s of bowling. Only interested in being the biggest not the best and doing things the corporate way. People with unique and outside the box thinking are not welcome.

They care only for open bowl, turning it into an arcade type game and charging crazy prices. Why they acquired the PBA is beyond me. They own the professionals but do nothing to further it as a sport in their centers? Kind of a joke and makes them the biggest hypocrites in the industry.

If they buy every center around then I’ll quit bowling and retire. I could go on but it could get kind of mean. I’m happy where I’m at in a private owned center where I can do traditional things and make it better as a sport. Our regional BPAA which I’m part of is constantly coming up for new things for youth bowlers. We are getting them ready for collegiate bowling, always giving them chances to earn scholarship money and having great tournaments and coaching for them.

Open Bowl and birthday parties are great and all but where I’m at, youth, leagues and tournaments now come first.