Local Business Spotlight
Smoke-Free Communities: After sitting down and talking with David King, Franklin Lanes owner, it didn’t take long to realize how much great history this local attraction has.
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roudly displayed on the back wall of Franklin Lanes is every 300 game ever bowled there, with the first perfect game dating back to 1944. King began working at Franklin Lanes in 1958 and later purchased it in 1985. He told me great stories, like how in July of 1945 the alleys were covered with plywood to create a dance floor. This dance floor wasn’t just created for any old sock hop, but for jazz legend, Duke Ellington. Franklin Lanes has all the amenities you would expect in a bowling alley, including one of the best burgers in town, which I can personally attest to. Franklin Lanes offers open bowling on most nights and time bowling, where you pay by time on the lanes rather than per game. Franklin Lanes also offers many different types of adult and youth leagues. An adult and youth league will be starting October 6th as well as a bumper league for children 8 and under beginning on September 7th. Franklin Lanes is also a great place for hosting parties and fundraisers. If you have been to Franklin Lanes in the past year, one thing you probably immediately noticed was that there is no longer any cigarette smoke. One aspect typically associated
with bowling alleys has been the smoky atmosphere, but no more. Having worked in the bowling industry for over 50 years, King has seen a lot of changes and going smokefree was one he personally enjoys. According to King, the alley’s smokefree status has made the bowling alley more family-friendly and has increased the amount of birthday parties and fundraisers held at Franklin Lanes. It has also had no negative effect on their league participation. Being smokefree has definitely made the cleaning duties at Franklin Lanes much easier. The place just looks nicer and smells better. So if you’re looking for something to do, check out Franklin Lanes. The alley has a fun atmosphere, rich history and it’s always great to support a locally owned business. And if you’re in the mood, King is definitely not short on interesting stories. While there still may be an occasional gutter ball, one thing you can count on is having a great time and breathing clean air. —Casey Williams, Assistant Director for Healthy Communities Partnership
Tobacco Free Initiative and Smokefree Communities Franklin Lanes is located at 1801 West Franklin Street in Evansville, IN. Reservations and league registrations can be made by calling 812-423-6204 or check them out at www.franklinlanes.net.
86 | September 2013
• www.evansvillemediagroup.com