2023 January Issue

REAL PEOPLE REAL RESULTS REAL STORIES

9 290+ 10

LEAGUES LEAGUE BOWLERS LANES OF EDGE STRING

Keeping our Model A pinsetters running reliably was a struggle. We simply couldn’t find the right help. When you have 10 lanes and one goes down on a busy league night...it really hurts the guest experience. We debated between free-fall and string machines, but the quality and simplicity of EDGE String was the deciding factor. And we can maintain it ourselves.

Our bowlers really like EDGE String's speed and reliability...our 50-person men’s league is finishing about 20 minutes faster.

Robin Bailey, Owner Bailey’s Tiger Bowl Battle Ground, WA

To learn more visit:

HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND ON TO A PROSPEROUS 2023

Anew year often brings well-intended resolutions of more exercise, healthy eating habits, and other diabolical endeavors. But what about your business? Do you establish business resolutions you would like to accomplish in the next 12 months? Setting business goals and achieving them is a powerful motivator as the new year is underway and may be more palatable than dropping those stubborn last few pounds.

Women of varying ages and economic status love a good Ladies’ Night Out! No slight to you men out there, but many women feel overworked and frazzled and could use a little recreation with their friends. This could be a terrific opportunity to provide a solution to help the sanity of women in your community. This month’s cover story features two proprietors who have done a bang-up job with ladies’ casual leagues.

Two featured articles focus on current economic conditions and what your center can do to fight back. Carey Tosello of eBowl.biz takes off his digital marketing hat and slips on a different one that focuses on the economy. Carey’s insightful and informative article is a must-read that provides valuable information on inflation and deglobalization and offers important tips on what you can do to combat the challenges of our unstable economy. The second article is from Bruce Davis of BBBI, who dishes up thought-provoking tips and suggestions on raising prices and how to present them in your marketing.

Youth bowling remains at the forefront of many operators’ minds. Bring in the kids, and you’ll increase revenue in other parts of the business. Competitive youth league bowling is a scorching topic and a challenging one for proprietors to wrestle down. Corrie Pelc’s article highlights the success of a 20-lane center in Pennsylvania that dramatically grew its youth league

program with a unique approach that drew them in and is keeping them there. Steve Sempeck’s From the Proprietor column shares how to work with local schools for a win-win scenario that raises money for schools while benefitting the center.

Be sure to head over to www.bowlingindustry.com for IBI’s exclusive online-only content. While 10-pin bowling is the norm in the U.S., other types of bowling provide a different experience that customers love. Check out what Funk Bowling has to say about the subject. Escape rooms remain popular with consumers, and the folks at Indestroom explain the best ways to choose the right supplier for your facility.

IBI is launching new resources for operators as we kick off 2023. This month, you’ll notice a new publication delivered along with this month’s regular IBI issue. What’s HOT & TRENDING for Bowling and Family Entertainment Centers is a guide highlighting new products and services for progressive operators. Operators, suppliers, and industry experts share the latest trends and how they affect center operations. The IBI team wishes all our readers, advertisers, and industry associates a prosperous, safe, and healthy New Year.•

Editor stephanie@bowlingindustry.com

PS: Don’t forget to sign up for the $30,000 giveaway. Register each month for your chance to win at www.bowlingindustry.com

– Stephanie Davis, Publisher &

How to Choose an Escape Room Supplier

BY INDESTROOM

In the past couple of years, escape rooms have become an increasingly popular attraction for all ages. There are many different factors to consider when planning an escape room such as size, type of escape room experience, level of difficulty and more! Read how Indestroom explains the best way to choose an escape room supplier when adding one to your FEC.

How to Smoke Drinks

BY JAMES MIDDLETON OF MIDDLETON MIXOLOGY

Last issue, James Middleton was IBI’s “Inside Line” interview. He talked about his bartending and firefighting career and how both inspired his smoky drink tool, the SmokeTop. Watch his video to see how he recommends bartenders smoke drinks for the ultimate guest drinking experience that has dynamite upsell opportunity!

Why People Buy

BY BRUCE DAVIS AND ANDY VASKO OF BOWLING BUSINESS BUILDERS INTERNATIONAL

In this “4 Minute Marketing Drill,” Bruce Davis and Andy Vasko explain the two reasons why people buy. This quick video will explain those reasons in depth and how they relate to the bowling and FEC industry.

Bowling for Any Business

BY FUNK BOWLING

There are many different types of bowling experiences, and each one fits a unique venue and audience. While traditional 10-pin bowling is still the most popular in the U.S., the other types of bowling provide a different experience for customers. Funk Bowling explains the six different types of bowling and which one might be best for your business.

SPARK!

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS.

Spark is bowling’s hottest attraction: totally addictive, multisensory, interactive, one-of-a-kind, next-level bowling. See for yourself: Scan the QR code or visit brunswickbowling.com/spark to immerse yourself in Spark, another game-changing innovation from Brunswick.

KIDS!

By Corrie Pelc

There is no denying that over the past 10-15 years, bowling centers have seen a decrease in youth bowling league participation.

“There is a big problem in our country with youth bowling. It’s been on the decline for years,” says Andy Vasko, former longtime bowling proprietor and marketing partner for Bowling Business Builders International (BBBI). “In the past, when parents bowled in a league, their kids often went with them and were exposed to bowling at a young age.

As the adult sector of the business declined, our youth business did, too. When you factor in that many sports today are offered as club sports operating year-round, the competitive options for kids have expanded exponentially.”

While bowling centers certainly have their work cut out for them when it comes to attracting youth bowlers, Nellie Fox Bowl in Chambersburg, PA, shows it’s not impossible to grow a youth bowling program.

Make It Affordable

Brett Hockensmith purchased Nellie Fox Bowl in December 2017. He started with only 20 bowlers in the center’s youth league, so he decided to try something new in 2018 to increase that number. He charged each youth league bowler $100 a year for a 25-week season. The $100 annual fee pays for the bowler’s sanction fee and their 25 weeks of bowling.

“Many traditional centers have overpriced youth offers out of bowling,” Hockensmith says. “They are looking at it from

the wrong end of the microscope to where they need to get money now, so they charge $8-$10 a week. Many parents can’t afford that; paying $100 a year is much more affordable.”

Hockensmith’s youth league is organized into two halves — one with 13 weeks and the other with 12. At the end of each half, Hockensmith holds a finals event for the top four teams to decide on the championship-winning team. Parents liked the idea so much that this year they have 93 bowlers spread across 18 teams and two Pee Wee teams where children use bumpers.

More Revenue Opportunities

Hockensmith holds his youth bowling league on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m., an ideal time to take advantage of the morning hours and offer a variety of breakfast items at their concession stand.

“I [offer] a full breakfast in the morning,” he explains. “We make omelets, egg sandwiches, pancakes — everything you would make in a normal restaurant we do back here for that day. We tend to make between $700 and $900 weekly just off the parents and everybody else ordering breakfast.”

Hockensmith says his pro shop is always jam-packed thanks to his youth bowling league. “We sell a lot of Rhinos and Raws bowling balls to the kids,” he says.

“My ball driller is drilling 10-15 balls a week. I try to get equipment in the kid’s hands, so we’ll have giveaways where we’re giving kids bowling balls and different things.”

In his first year, they secured two sponsors; now, they have 20 sponsors each year. “Once the sponsors found out that the youth bowlers were getting every penny they gave us, they just keep coming back every year,” he says. Sponsorship funds also help pay for a youth league bowler who cannot afford the annual fee.

Hockensmith uses the sponsorship money to pay for awards and other gifts for the youth league bowlers. For example, he tries giving each youth bowler a gift during the winter holiday. “One year, I got T-shirts and hoodies,” he recalls. “Last year, I got them a quarterzip and a mug. This year, we’re buying each of them a real bowling jersey and a jacket.”

Youth league bowlers are enticed to come to the center during non-league time by only paying $1 a game. “That gets a lot of kids to come in and practice and open bowl,” he adds. Hockensmith found he’s also helping form new lifelong bowlers as he had 18 youth bowlers age out last year, and 14 of them joined his adult bowling leagues.

Community Sponsors

Hockensmith has also found a way to get the surrounding community involved in the youth bowling league by offering sponsorships. He charges businesses $300 to become a team sponsor, getting their banner hung up in the bowling center for the year.

For bowling centers that want to increase their youth bowling league, Hockensmith urges them to institute BBBI’s Kids Bowl Free program. “About 30 to 40 kids in my youth league came from Kids Bowl Free,” he says.

“I offered the Kids Bowl Free program whenever I am open. Anytime I had open lanes, I offered it seven days a week. And so, they keep coming in, and you start talking to them, and you get to be friends. And then you talk to them about joining the league. And that’s how I got most of my bowlers.”•

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Recession, De-globalization, THE GOOD NEWS

By Carey Tosello

The changing economic environment is a growth opportunity

As we enter a post-pandemic New Year, let’s look at some of the economic forces we will likely encounter in 2023. While it is true that there is little we can do to shape these global events, acknowledging them and preparing our businesses will go a long way to our continued success. Knowing that our environment is changing and requires different strategies is step one for a profitable 2023.

Recession

An inflation-fueled recession was inevitable after the government dumped trillions of dollars into the economy. The Federal Reserve will continue to raise interest rates until inflation subsides, as inflation robs everyone of the value of their income. This will cause corporate America to shed jobs to control expenses, making more workers available to hire. As these layoffs occur, more people will be looking for work, which will be a big help for centers that are still struggling to staff up after the pandemic. Don’t expect to have a line of applicants out the door, however, as a look at U.S. demographics tells us there will be fewer people in the workforce for at least the next 20 years. With soaring energy costs, lower net wages, and higher interest rates, people will tend to stay closer to home, which makes bowling an affordable local option for their entertainment dollars. The good news is that bowling has historically done well during a recession, which we will discuss shortly.

De-globalization

De-globalization is defined as the reversal or decline of the effects of globalization. It also includes the process of diminishing interdependence and integration between certain units worldwide, typically nation-states. It is widely used to describe the periods of history when economic trade and investment between countries decline.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made Europe aware that cheap Russian energy supplies were being used to allow Russian aggression without interference from the West. It is unlikely most European countries will be going back to Russian energy, forcing Europe to purchase more expensive energy elsewhere. Count on anything made in Europe to cost more, on top of inflation. The Chinese government has for years used espionage to steal military and manufacturing secrets from the West. With their position regarding the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, random closures of entire manufacturing cities to “prevent” Covid, and threats of their regional neighbors, many companies have already begun weaning themselves off cheap Chinese manufacturing.

Apple has built a giant iPhone factory in India, Samsung is manufacturing more of their products in Vietnam, Sony has moved production to Thailand, and Hasbro has moved manufacturing from China to India and Vietnam. Reshoring of manufacturing facilities is happening in the U.S. and Mexico, too. As more and more companies move

their manufacturing out of China, there will be no return to the cheap products our economy has become accustomed to.

What does this mean for bowling?

ALL products we have been purchasing from China or Europe will either cost more or disappear. Make sure you have an alternate source for any Made in China items you regularly use, and be prepared to pay more for those items as manufacturing shifts to other countries with higher labor costs. With fewer items to spend their disposable dollars on, more people will look for experiences instead of buying more stuff – experiences like bowling and other FEC attractions!

The Good News

Bowling centers that upgrade their facilities and offer 5-star experiences will see the business continue to grow, even after passing on increased costs. YEAH! However, centers that pass on their increased costs without providing a great customer experience will struggle to earn return visits and maintain revenue targets.

FOUR THINGS TO FOCUS ON IN 2023:

Upgrade your facility and service to capture the shifting dollars moving from buying products to experiences.

While bowling has traditionally fared well in recessions, this time around will be a little more challenging. Selling on price alone will not work, as even price-conscious consumers will leave a bad review of your business if the experience isn’t great. Remember that your rating on review sites directly impacts future business.

Review your customer experience from when guests enter the building to when they walk out the door. How is your staff greeting customers? Are your rental shoes and house balls fresh and new, or something out of an All In The Family episode? While fries, burgers, and pizza are expected, along with healthier options, are yours awesome? Ask for customer feedback using SurveyMonkey (or something similar) with a QR code at the front counter. Train your staff to ask every customer at check out to scan the QR code to let you know their experience. Monitor the survey results and tweak your service as needed.

As my father taught me when he bought his first bowling center: “It might be your business, but the customer funds it, so ask what they want and then deliver it.”•

Carey Tosello is a former proprietor, founder of eBowl.biz/BowlRx.com, and frequent digital marketing presenter. In addition to traveling the world, his passion is to help centers grow their business. Carey can be reached at carey@eBowl.biz.

Step up your local marketing efforts by focusing on two demographics:

• Families: promote that you provide excellent family fun and are close to home.

• Millennials: promote great food, cool drinks, and a fun night out.

Automation: String machines, selfservice ordering of food and drinks, and prepaid and online reservations are all excellent long-term investments. Because staffing will continue to be a challenge and an increasing part of your expenses, savvy operators should consider automating where they can.

Reimagine your digital presence to ensure that it showcases all that you offer. Your website, Facebook, Instagram, and email campaigns must clearly and visually sell the memorable experience you provide.

just wanna

HAVE FUN! GIRLS

By Ryan Vasko

Popular Ladies’ Night Out leagues attract casual customers

Women want it, and operators love it — Girls’ Night Out. A popular and growing league format is geared toward busy, over-committed women who want a break in their week to let loose and escape their responsibilities for a couple of hours.

Proprietors love the crowds of thirsty, happy, and hungry patrons who show up each session looking for laughter, bonding with friends, and maybe even a chance to expand their social circle. For you ladies out there, you know that a scheduled night out with friends can save your sanity and right your mood when it’s gone south.

Offering a unique ladies’ night league at your center almost seems like a community service that every operator should be extending. Enter Brad Sommer, proprietor of Don Carter Lanes in Rockford, Illinois. Brad is a creative guy when it comes to combining bowling formats that bundle beverages, food, and a whole lot of fun.

Almost ten years ago, Sommer came up with an idea for a ladies’ night out league. He labeled it Women Bowling With Wine (WBWW) and had vino-loving ladies clamoring to join the fun. Brad shared his promotion with other operators, which resulted in many centers running his format or some version of it all around the country.

Sommer was looking for a way to connect with casual bowlers, specifically women looking for weekday fun with a casual, fun night away from the stressors of home and work. “When we first started these WBWW leagues, and this continues today, for 90% of people, it’s the first league they’ve ever joined,” Sommer said. “It’s more about the social aspect of getting together with their girlfriends and having a fun night out.”

Sisters Patti Rebman-Bellman and Mary Lou Rebman-Poli, from Rebman Recreation in Lorain, Ohio, gave this format a try seven years ago and continue to succeed. Rebman’s weekly gatherings of ladies and libations have proven to be another reliable source of revenue, a great way to expand the center’s reach, and grow its customer base.

“There are some prior league bowlers, but mainly it’s just women who want a night out to have fun,” Patti said. “But then they make these friendships, and that keeps it going.” “They see a neighbor or a friend of a friend, bowl a few games, and then they all end up in the bar at the end of the night,” added Mary Lou.

Rebman Recreation found that a 12-week league was a bit too long, so they adjusted and found that six weeks was just enough to keep the bowlers engaged without getting burned out and keep them coming back for three

to four sessions a year. They settled on a looser, 8-pin, no-tap format so bowlers of all skill levels and abilities could roll a strike now and again. They have a rolling bar cart that they take to each lane at the start of the night and add in extra merriment featuring things like mystery bowler, mystery game, and pin prediction contests that offer chances at sought-after prizes.

“We’re always out there talking to people,” Mary Lou said. “We just PR every night. You get to know people so much better.” “If we find out one of the girls loves cabernet, we make sure to work that one into our prizes one week,” said Patti. “It’s how we choose the prizes and tchotchkes we give each week.”

When necessary, the willingness to grow, evolve, and pivot helps keep these formats fresh. Sommer has expanded and tinkered with the 9-pin strike format to match his bowlers’ interests over the years. “You’ve got to be flexible,” Sommer said. “You have to always look to reinvent the format and find the next big thing.”

LEADS TO MORE BUSINESS

One especially nice bonus for centers is the extra business it leads to. Rebman Rec has seen a birthday party uptick and additional revenue at their bar, and all are tied directly to their Women Bowling With Wine groups. “We see people come in and out, but we have a core group that keeps coming back and brings a lot of others with them,” added Mary Lou. “And we usually see a good number eventually move to sanctioned leagues too.”

Sommer agrees these leagues are great feeders for other parts of the business. “Once they get the bowling bug, they’ll have their kids’ birthday parties here or maybe have their kids join a youth league,” Sommer said. “One

of the ladies even brought her whole company in, 200 people, for a party. It is a snowball effect.”

MARKETING WBWW

While flyers, emails, and online posts have helped attract some of their current followers, Sommer has found that being clever with targeted Facebook ads helps connect with the non-bowling crowd. “80% of our signups come from sponsored Facebook ads,” Sommer said. “We market to women, 25-55, and highlight things that refer to wine, wine tastings, a party atmosphere, or anything that ties into that fun aspect. We don’t even highlight bowling.”

No matter how these fun-loving women are found, retaining them and building follow-up leagues depend on a great experience delivered by the center’s staff. Operators who get creative and add a little extra flare will reap the rewards from these casual customers who just want to have fun. Harness that energy through creative, targeted offerings and see your revenues increase.•

Ryan Vasko is a writer based in Portland, OR with 20 years of experience as a journalist, speechwriter, and marketer. Growing up in his family’s bowling center Ryan spent significant time bowling with his dad and grandpa and working at the center. His dog is a good boy.

OR IS IT? The Price is Right...

By Bruce Davis

Proper pricing of your products and services is one of the most important marketing tasks to which an operator should give consistent, proper attention. Success in growing and sustaining a business is the collection of revenue from customers that provides sufficient margin to produce a strong bottom line.

Most businesspeople understand this principle, yet many operators toil long and hard only to be disappointed with a lack of profits while others in the same industry grind out strong bottom lines year after year. What’s the difference? While some people are better at controlling costs, the real winners understand the importance of proper pricing techniques and pay keen attention to them frequently.

Having worked with thousands of bowling center and FEC operators, I want to share some thoughts and tips on pricing strategies that will hopefully light a lightbulb or two for you. Employing strategic pricing practices can help you attain a stronger bottom line and avoid the problem of raising prices too little, too late.

I hope that one or two of these ideas will grab your attention and cause you to spend more time thinking about pricing your products and services.

Most customers are far less sensitive to price raises than operators think or fear. Most guests swipe their cards and move on if they receive a perceived bargain.

Don’t confuse a bargain with a low price. A bargain is a purchase or expenditure that results in a person getting something for a perceived value worth more than they paid. Ask yourself, “Are our experiences a bargain?”

Educating your staff to be prepared for price questions is a good idea. Consumers are accustomed to price increases in most areas of their expenditures, but it is wise to have frontline staff prepared in case anyone poses questions.

If your marketing strategy is based on low prices, you may die by low pricing! There is always someone else who will sell for less. Instead, create more value and get the price you want.

Keep in mind that customers attracted by low prices are usually less loyal. Customers return and become loyal when their memories of the experience include a good value. Focusing your marketing on what is valuable is a more lucrative strategy.

Higher pricing leaves you room for marketing discounts and special deals. People LOVE discounts and deals, especially in today’s escalating inflation.

Establish a marketing price. For example, a cost of $5.95 is viewed by most customers as closer to $5.00 than $6.00. The same goes for $9.95 versus $10.00 and $19.95 versus $20.00.

Price by demand! If specific time segments have more demand than supply (waiting lists), it is time to consider raising prices for that segment. Likewise, for a particular promotion, you may offer Pizza, Pins, and Pop. Extend different price points based on demand or time segments. Consumers are accustomed to this, ranging from grocery store pickup or delivery times, plane or bus seats, and scheduled ride service pickup times.

12

Consider adding a convenience fee to your set pricing when selling via a reservation system in high volume times. This fee will bring bonus money directly to the bottom line.

13

Package pricing for bowling, food, and beverages creates a gray area in a consumer’s mind. It’s an excellent way to offer a comprehensive package of fun with a higher price point than doing so individually.

Good marketers test price changes before making final adjustments.

An easy way to raise prices is to include a complimentary premium as part of the purchase. Think of this as an add-on bonus to what you’re already offering. It’s the happy meal toy idea approach, and it works!

Studies show if you have multiple package options (as in birthday party packages), you will increase your average sale if you present your highest price package first, then the mid-priced one, and lastly, the lowest-priced option.

14

Work to create a slack adjuster — or two — with a drink, a food item, a special service, or something with an unusual flare. Slack adjusters allow for a higher price for something because it is an upgrade upsell or different from other items. An excellent example for the bar would include offering a smokey cocktail, an upgraded Bloody Mary with all the toppings, a signature drink, or a special glass.

Working with a few of the above pricing considerations takes time, but it’s work that can pay big dividends. Simply cutting prices to attract business is lazy marketing and will eat away at the monies produced by your more profitable segments.

You could earn a good margin in return if the consumer gains perceived value from you. Spending more time on your value and pricing propositions is key to longrange success for your business.•

Bruce Davis is President of Bowling Business Builders International (BBBI) whose flagship program Kids Bowl Free has registered over 35 million children for participating centers.

Rethink

Scoring System Investments Already Made-AND in the Future

TouchDesk Management System

DON’T FALL BEHIND

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We’ve grown more than ever in 2022! Now we’re going all out for 2023. The goal is to have 50% of league play centers connected

It’s free for centers to join Lanetalk, and you give your bowlers the chance to compare, compete and follow bowlers from all around the world – in real time! Make sure you don’t end up out in the cold – connect your center to the world’s biggest bowling community today.

Lanetalk is free for centers, fast and easy to set up. For details or to connect your center today – lanetalk.com

The financial story of your center begins and ends with your company’s chart of accounts. Over the past few months, I have discussed the importance of financial statements, inventory, and Cost of Goods Sold and how these documents and figures tell your story.

If you are like many others reading this article, you may now know that you need your financials to tell a different story than they currently do. It’s time to turn the page and begin a new chapter, and this must start with a thorough review of your chart of accounts.

Many different categories of accounts are necessary to produce a proper chart of accounts. We will be concentrating on the following account types as they are the types of accounts necessary to produce a proper Profit & Loss (P&L) statement:

• Revenue

• Cost of Goods Sold

• Expenses

• Other Revenue

• Other Expenses

The account types above directly reflect the different sections of a formal P&L statement. Therefore, it is so crucial that your chart of accounts be set up correctly. The hierarchy of your accounts is also prudent and will be more apparent as we discuss the first set of accounts below.

Revenue

If you look at the different segments of your overall business and break them into departments, you will likely have the following:

1. Bowling – Included in bowling may be sub-departments of League Play, Open Play, Party and Events, Tournaments, Shoe Rental and Locker Rental.

2. Food and Beverage – Included in this department would be Food, N/A Beverages, and Alcohol. You could break down alcohol further to separate liquor, beer, draft beer, and wine if you wish.

3. Vending – If you own and operate your vending machines. If you like, you could add sub-accounts for Candy/Chips, Beverages, and Merchandise, but this is usually unnecessary.

4. Pro Shop – This is a necessary department if you own and operate your own pro shop. It should be broken into two sub-departments: Merchandise Sales and Services Provided.

5. Arcade – If you own and operate your arcade and redemption center, you will also need this department. It can be broken down into two sub-departments of Redemption and Non-Redemption for COGS purposes if you would like.

6. In some cases, you may have additional departments for other major elements of your business, such as Laser Tag, Mini Golf, or the like.

When you do your monthly inventory, you want to make sure that you break your inventory numbers into the appropriate categories that tie directly to the COGS accounts above.

The revenue section of your Chart of Accounts could look like this:

1100 - Bowling

1110 - League Play

1120 - Open Play

1130 - Party & Event

1140 - Tournament

1160 - Shoe Rental

1170 - Locker Rental

1200 - Food & Beverage

1210 - Food

1220 - N/A Beverage

1230 - Liquor

1240 - Bottled Beer

1250 - Draft Beer

1300 - Arcade 1310 - Redemption Games

1320 - Other Games

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

Your COGS accounts should tie directly to revenue lines from above. You would want to set up these accounts with

2100 - COGS F&B

2100 - Food

2120 - N/A Beverages

2130 - Liquor

2140 - Bottled Beer

2150 - Draft Beer

2200 - COGS Arcade

Redemption

2300 - COGS Vending 2310 - Candy & Chips 2320 - Beverages 2330 - Merchandise

2400 - COGS Pro Shop Merch.

1400 - Vending

1410 - Candy & Chips

1420 - Beverages

1430 - Merchandise

1500 - Pro Shop

1510 - Services

1520 - Merchandise Sales

Expenses

This section of your chart of accounts should be as plainly written and straightforward as possible. Most of these accounts don’t need sub-accounts, with a few exceptions. You may want to break down expenses like this:

1. Maintenance & Repairs –You may want to separate building/grounds repairs and equipment repairs if you feel it is necessary.

Creating sub-accounts for water, electric, trash, and gas, may be a good idea for breaking down one of your most significant individual expense lines.

You may want to separate salary from hourly or F&B from bowling, depending on how you want to evaluate this large expense line. You could also place other expense lines inside this category, such as payroll taxes, benefits, and processing fees.

Your Expenses section might look something like this:

Your center will likely have many other expense accounts, but this is a brief example of how it might look.

Other Revenue and Expenses

This section of your chart of accounts is usually very small and only includes the type of revenue and expenses that do not tie directly to your primary business. These would consist of (if you have them):

• ATM Commissions

• Lottery Commissions

• Rental Income

• Arcade Commissions (If you don’t own the machines.)

• Gaming Commissions

• Interest Paid (Expense)

• Any other revenue or expenses not directly related to the operation of your primary business.

This section is straightforward, and I don’t think you need to see a sample of how it would look.

The above example is a highly recommended way to set up your chart accounts to allow your financial statements to tell the best story possible about the financial health of your business.

Some Final Thoughts

1. First and foremost, before deciding to change your company’s chart of accounts, discuss this with your bookkeeper or accountant and allow them to give input and ideas.

2. There are no set-in-stone rules for setting up your chart of accounts. There are standard practices. What I am suggesting is what would make the most sense for a business in the bowling or family entertainment industry.

3. You can change your chart of accounts anytime, but it would be simpler to do at the start of a new fiscal year.

4. Ask for guidance or assistance from others within the industry. Accountants and bookkeepers are great, but many don’t understand the uniqueness of the bowling industry.

I hope you have enjoyed this series of articles about your financials and their importance to your ongoing business decisions and exit strategy. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send an email to travis@firstframebowling.com or call (844) 923-2695. •

Travis has 15+ years of center management experience and is currently the operations manager at First Frame Bowling and the midwest representative of the Hansell Group. You can contact Travis at travis@firstframebowling.com or (844)923-BOWL (2695).

SAY ‘YES’ TO MORE BUSINESS BY LETTING CUSTOMERS SEE EVERY OFFER AVAILABLE.

More bowling center options mean more bookings and more return customers. That’s why Conqueror Web displays all the choices for people and their group. But not just on the requested date and time. The system helps drive traffic to a wider array of options available in other time slots, too. You’ll prevent customers from getting frustrated, giving up and going somewhere else—and keep them coming back for more.

JUST WINGIN’ IT!

By Mike Fernandez

Food operators have been up in the air over the chicken wing dilemma, with their increasing price and their lower availability.

Next year, Americans are projected to eat 1.42 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday alone! That monstrous amount might seem inflated, but it’s directly from the National Chicken Council, which claims that number continues to grow yearly.

Those are some major numbers. It makes sense, though, as chicken wings are one of America’s iconic dishes. It’s a versatile menu item that fits almost every setting, can be cooked via nearly any method and is seasoned to match any unique taste buds. We consult with many bowling experts at IBI but not many chicken wing experts!

Rondo:

So, we reached out to Rondo Fernandez, the selfproclaimed “King of the Wing” and owner of Mojo’s Bar and Grill in Ocala, FL, for a saucy perspective.

Of course, we must check his credibility first. “My whole life, I have worked in restaurants that serve wings. My restaurant, Mojo’s, serves 300,000 pounds of wings per year. We have won the King of the Wing award for eight years. I love wings! I can eat them up every day.”

Rondo’s wing team has won King of the Wing for 10 out of the past 13 years and Best of the Best Wings four years in a row. That does it for me, so let’s take a crack at some problems and solutions.

IBI: What led to the short supply and high prices? Any idea when things will normalize?

There were lots of contributing factors, including having to shut everything down [for COVID] and then ramping back up; the wing supply dipped while demand skyrocketed; we

Are you a drum or a wing guy?

Customers still flock to America’s favorite dish

Booze

all know about the staffing issues; the chicken feed price went up; and all wages along the supply chain surged up as well. Each of these factors played a part. The prices are starting to come down, which is great, but I don’t think they will ever get to prepandemic levels.

IBI: What moves have you made to combat some of the prices and inflation?

Rondo: We were brutally honest with our guests, even joking about the price increase on our menu. We tried market pricing. Due to the added percentages, we had to remove wings completely from our third-party platforms like Uber, Door Dash, and other delivery apps. Meanwhile, we encouraged our guests to try other delicious things on our menu. We taste-tested a thigh and pushed our boneless wings. We currently have a wing blowout night on Wednesdays for dine-in only.

Thankfully, things are looking up for our finger food friends. Prices have fallen back a bit, and the National Chicken Council announced that there is no wing shortage this year, so we can all rest easy.

Favorite

prep method? Rondo’s style, of course: • A chili

PAIRING WINGS AND BEER BOOZE

MAKING THE HOT HOTTER

Hoppy beers are the perfect route to a spicier experience since hops accentuate the heat of foods. The hoppier, the spicier!

Recommended: Hoppy lager, American Amber Ale, American Pale Ale, IPA

COOL IT OFF

This one is easy since wings and beer are lifelong friends with an unbroken bond. You’ll have no problem finding the perfect beer for the perfect wings for any of these categories.

Chicken wings are often sauced with bold flavors, so you’ll need a strong beer to match.

Mike Fernandez is a freelance contributor on all things regarding food, booze, and fun. Growing up in his family’s restaurant business fueled his passion for good eats and tasty treats. By day

Mike works in business development for IBI, by night he scours south Florida for the latest trends in food, drinks, and recreation.

A malt-focused ale or straightforward lager will cool things down. Malt, the grain in beer, provides a sweetness that helps balance out the hops and spice. A crisp sip is definitely chill.

Recommended: Oktoberfest/Marzen, Hefeweizen, Pilsner, English Brown Ale

SWEETEN THE DEAL

Honey barbeque is the most popular wing flavor in the country, and sweet sauces require sweet pairings that won’t overpower it. Belgian ales always have some dark fruit flavor, citrusy hints, or peppery character that match the wing’s sweet sensations.

Recommended: Belgian Dubbel, Belgian Triple, Saison, Sour Ales

By Steve Sempeck

When we bought our first bowling center back in the big hair, bad clothing, and even worse music days of the ‘80s, a few older and wiser proprietors took me under their wing.

The late, great Jim Dill from Nebraska, a dear friend and past owner of Hollywood Bowl in Lincoln, NE, gave me some advice that I never forgot or absent-mindedly didn’t fall out of my round Polish head. He said, “Focus on families, kids, and schools.” If we as a business could gain the community’s trust, especially kids, families, and schools, the rest would all fall in place, like leagues, birthdays, tournaments, and special events.

All these years later, he was right and still is right.

There are a ton of things we coordinated with schools to do: from post proms to fundraisers to PE classes to in-school bowling and class graduations. You name it, we did it, just like many of you do. Schools always ask for donations for their carnival, prom, or something else. Next time they do, don’t get frumpy thinking that all they do is put their hands in your pockets. Instead, use that opportunity to reach out and get business from them.

We did a promotion with area grade schools that was easy, fun, and made us look like heroes. None of our competitors were doing anything like it, so it was a great way to set ourselves apart. I’m sure many of you have had kids or relatives dragging you to a school fundraiser night at a restaurant where 10% of their sales go back to the school as a donation. Usually, it’s a “Monday Pizza Night at the Pizza Shack for Danny Bonaduce Grade School.” You eat, drop $30 bucks, and the establishment kicks back $3 to the school — easy-peezy.

We did our version of this, where we approached area grade schools and offered the head of the PTA-PTO “Family Bowling Night at Stevie Ray’s Bowling Center.” We provided the flyers and 10-15 garage sale-style signs you poke in the grass. We gave them to each school about two weeks before their bowling night, and they put them out in the neighborhoods near their schools. It simply said, “Don’t Miss Family Bowling Night at Stevie Rays Bowl.” The general wording meant we could reuse the signs for any school. We also had a few

From the Proprietor’s Desk

large, reusable banners made that said, “Coming Up Family Bowling Night! Don’t Miss It!” The schools would hang them in the gym, cafeteria, or commons.

Instead of a flat 10% back donation, we had three or four specific offers. On league nights, we ran this from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. We ran it from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on nights we didn’t have leagues. We stayed away from weekends.

One of our offers was one game of bowling, including shoe rental, bumpers, and a soda for $5 a person. Another offer was two games, shoes, bumpers, a hot dog or pizza slice, and a soda for $10 a person. We also had a “Family Fun Blow Out Package” that was one hour of bowling, shoes, and bumpers for up to 6 people with unlimited soda and a large pizza for $39.

We gave $3 back on every large pizza we sold during that time frame. Now, before you panic that the food cost is out of control, a large pepperoni pizza that you sell for maybe $12 should cost you no more than $3 or $3.50 — you’re still getting $8 or $9 out of the sale. The families would buy extra soda and all the other bowling alley fare like fries and cheese balls. And you wouldn’t believe the beer and wine we would sell to the moms and dads who didn’t bowl and were there to hang out with friends and neighbors. Everyone LOVED IT!!

As a super bonus, for any school that booked one of the “Family Bowling Nights” with us three times during the school year, we gave them a fourth one free that they could use in April or May only.

Want to be a hero to the school and a bunch of families? Then go to the PTA-PTO meeting, present a check for a few hundred dollars, and show a quick video montage. They will never forget you! Guess where the families will go for a birthday party, night out, or family fun? Because now they know you, they trust you and recognize that you are true to the community’s kids, teachers, and families.

Of all the promotions we have done in 40 years, this was one of our favorites. Again, you can’t just sit back and wait. Go get it!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at ssempeck@gmail.com. I always will help my fellow proprietors.

Keep ‘em rolling!•

Steve Sempeck, Bowl Co Marketing and Management, Omaha, NE, ssempeck@gmail.com, 402-253-4371

Investment Opportunity

Very Experienced Bowling and FEC Management Team Is Looking For A Few Additional Investors for A New Project in Good Old Nebraska

We’re reopening a 32-lane center that closed during COVID. Before closing, the center had been operating successfully for 40 years.

The city and chamber of commerce are on board with the project, along with people living in the area. The demographics are off the charts with very limited competition nearby. Besides bowling there are numerous streams of revenue planned.

We have 60% investor financing committed already. The investment includes the land and building along with the operation of the business.

For more information contact Steve Sempeck at 402-253-4371 or at ssempeck@gmail.com

Capital Equipment/Supplies

SWITCH BOWLING

PREFERRED VENDOR LIST

www.switchbowling.com

John Fatigati 201.694.7985 john@switchbowlingusa.com

Offering a full line of equipment, furniture and scoring for everything from modernization to new center builds since 2006, Switch Bowling features Italian designed style built into products with uncompromising quality and value.

Cashless Technology

INTERCARD

www.intercardinc.com

Sales Department 800.732.3770 Sales@intercardinc.com

Intercard introduced cashless technology to the amusement industry and has been leading the way for 30+ years. Cashless systems from Intercard increase customer spending and satisfaction and boost revenues by up to 30% at entertainment centers worldwide.

SEMNOX SOLUTIONS

www.semnox.com

Sales Department 610.400.8901 Sales@semnox.com

Semnox’s online cashless payment systems – a one stop solution for your entire bowling center operations.

Consulting, Management and Marketing

Insurance

Lighting/Sound

TRIFECTA MANAGEMENT GROUP

www.trifecta-mg.com Bruce Nussbaum 818.879.7100 Inquiries@trifecta-mg.com

TMG works closely with stakeholders to create and manage innovative concepts through customized value added and consulting services including operations, team development, marketing/advertising, culinary and technical. With the goal of creating memorable experiences, customized for local markets, TMG can help take your concept from idea to operational, or anything in-between.

ALCOHOL CONTROLS www.alcoholcontrols.com Sales Department 630.486.1880 profit@alcoholcontrols.com

We carry numerous liquor pour control systems, liquor portion control pourers, and beer controls that allow you to accurately measure how much alcohol or beer is being served during a day and cross-reference it with the number of sales made. We have pour tracking systems, liquor pour spouts, and even shot pouring training tools, as well.

VIRTUAL DINING CONCEPTS www.virtualdiningconcepts.com

Kelly Grogan 508.351.2556 kgrogan@virtualdiningconcepts.com

Our goal is to help the restaurant community generate additional revenue and sources of income through virtual brands. We give you the expertise and know-how of seasoned restaurateurs, knowledge from national chain experience and the vision to put it all together in one complete, easy to implement solution.

www.wbpiprogram.com Cameron Linder 800.200.9998 contact@wbpiprogram.com

WBPI has dedicated itself to insuring bowling centers for more than 30 years and is exclusively endorsed by 8 state bowling proprietors insurance associations. Our staff of insurance experts and professional bowlers provide staff training, insurance education, advocacy, and business advice. No one fights harder for you! Contact us today for a competitive insurance quote!

DECIBEL STUDIOS

www.decibel-studios.com Guy O’Hazza 310.693.5165 guy@decibel-studios.com

Decibel Studios is an innovative global technology solutions company that designs, engineer, installs, and maintains custom controlled audio, video, lighting, show control and special effects systems, including augmented and virtual reality, 3D and 4D interactive theaters, for various entertainment, corporate, hospitality, retail and institutional groups.

Lighting/Sound

DFX SOUND VISION

PREFERRED VENDOR LIST

www.dfxsoundvision.com

Mike Bovino 800.555.5280 info@dfxsoundvision.com

Your FEC specialists creating extraordinary experiences by providing dynamic audio, video, lighting and automation services and integration that elevate communication and give your entertainment center that WOW factor.

Marketing

BBBI/KIDS BOWL FREE

Andy Vasko 877.841.4590

Online Reservations

www.kidsbowlfree.com

Andy.Vasko@kidsbowlfree.com

At BBBI our goal is to create new customers and profits for bowling centers through our time tested Kids Bowl Free Summer Bowing Program and our new League Development System featuring Fun Bowling Leagues for all ages.

BOWLING LEADS

www.bowlingleads.com

Zach Boulanger 844.468.4144 Zach@bowlingleads.com

We help bowling centers find new leads and turn them into raving repeat customers with our done for you automated marketing system.

EBOWL.BIZ & BOWLRX.COM

www.eBowl.biz Carey Tosello 541.549.0999 Carey@eBowl.biz

Digital marketing for bowling: BowlRx websites, Facebook for bowling, and more.

THE KAPLOE GROUP www.kaploegroup.com Fred Kaplowitz 516.359.4874 fredkaplowitz@gmail.com

The ultimate marketing and management company for your leisure, entertainment, or recreation business. Professional consulting and coaching available.

ALLEYTRAK

www.alleytrak.com

Chris Behling 815.519.9843 Chris@alleytrak.com

AlleyTrak is the complete lane reservation and management system designed specifically for bowling alleys. Manage your recurring events, leagues, parties, packages, along with many other features AlleyTrak has to offer. Save time by allowing guests to make reservations online 24/7.

PARTYWIRKS www.partywirks.com Sales Department 877.345.401 sales@partywirks.com

Partywirks is more than an online booking software company for parties, events, lane reservations and leagues for your bowling entertainment center. Our easy-to-use, easy-to-manage multi-function system encourages upselling, helps generate future interest, and also allows your visitors to inquire, invite, share, learn, sign waivers, and shop online.

BMI MERCHANDISE

www.bmimerchandise.com Sales Department 800.272.6375 Sales@bmimerchandise.com

BMI’s extensive product line features the trending themes, licenses and brands driving amusement play. We bring our customers a constantly changing mix of the finest electronics, novelties and toys – priced right.

REDEMPTION PLUS

www.redemptionplus.com

Mike Tipton 888.564.7587 Smile@redemptionplus.com

Products that perform. Services that simplify.

GOODWILL CENTRAL

BOWLING

COMMUNITY & BVL IGNITES THE 80TH FUNDRAISING YEAR

BVL (Bowlers to Veterans Link), bowling’s oldest and own charity, has awarded the largest donation in the organization’s 80-year history with a $500,000 grant to be split between two national veterans’ programs: VET Center and the National Association of State Veterans Homes (NASVH). BVL Chairman John LaSpina recently announced the donation, praising bowlers and proprietors for their enduring support of veterans. LaSpina announced that BVL had raised $1.2 million during the 2021-2022 fiscal calendar year, its biggest fundraising year ever. “In a time of great challenge for the industry and our customers, bowlers responded by putting veterans first,” added LaSpina. He noted that this historic donation is just one of many activities that BVL is spearheading to support recreation therapy programs and services for veterans during the 80th anniversary. For more information on BVL, visit www.BVL.org.

ATTENTION OPERATORS: If you would like to share your center’s success raising money for BVL with other IBI readers, please contact Stephanie@bowlingindustry.com for a chance to have your center and its BVL efforts highlighted in a future issue.

EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS, AND NEW BEGINNINGS

It seems that wherever you turn, there is a new, fantastical, fun venue with an array of glitzy choices. FECs are continually morphing into bigger and better places to spend time.

DOWNTOWN SOCIAL IS VALDOSTA, GEORGIA’S NEW GO-TO PLACE

The new DOWNTOWN SOCIAL is a boutique bowling and sports suite experience for both adults and kids. Tiffany Bentley, one of the owners, shared that Valdosta needed something else to do because there are only bars open after 10 p.m. Downtown Social is a multifunctional space that offers bowling plus additional games such as shuffleboard, virtual reality, and pinball. There is also a full menu and bar. Birthday parties and private events are available.

FIFTH ARROW IS A MUST-STOP IN SAN FRANCISCO

CANDLEPIN? DUCKPIN? WHY NOT!

Massachusetts is the home of candlepin bowling. It began in 1880 in Worcester, MA. While not as popular as nine-pin, it is still alive in Massachusetts, although harder to find. RYAN FAMILY AMUSEMENTS in Raynham has six lanes, including candlepin leagues. Brockton’s WESTGATE LANES has 10 lanes, and ALLEY KAT in Kingston offers 26 lanes and a number of league options. Duckpin bowling is less regional and is cropping up all over the U.S. as a different option. DUDEK BOWLING LANES in Warren, RI, is a family-owned venue that offers duckpin. Lots of FECs are dedicating lanes to this variation. Hey, a ball and a pin, no matter the shape, is fun!

August Hall, three minutes from Union Square in San Francisco, has been around for a long time. In 1890, it was a Victorian Playhouse; in the 1940s, it was a USO Club and then a movie house where Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo premiered in 1958. Now it is August Hall, an entertainment hot spot that has three bars and live entertainment. Downstairs there’s a gem of a destination— FIFTH ARROW. This industrial chic venue has three lanes of bowling, retro games, and a bar. It is available for private buyouts.

BOWLING, RESTAURANT & LOUNGE FOR SALE

Owners retiring. Over 14,000 square feet in pristine condition with state of the art bowling lanes and equipment and well appointed kitchen. Seating capacity of over 200. The ‘Fred’s Team’ has grown the business to be well established with excellent cash flow. A popular night spot for locals and tourists alike. Located in the Heart of Northern Michigan near Forest Dunes Golf Course and the popular Higgins and Houghton Lakes. For details email RuthAClemens@gmail.com or call 989-429-3100. Coldwell Banker SCHMIDT Realtors.

EXPERIENCED MECHANIC NEEDED FOR 32 LANE CENTER

Great opportunity in the Tampa Bay area 8270 AMF Pinsetters // Salary and benefits determined by experience // E-Mail resume to manager@oakfieldlanes.com or Call Tammy Jacobs @ (813)681-4783

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.

Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800)255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

PRO SHOP TRAINING. Classes always forming.

Jayhawk Bowling Supply (800)255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

MANAGEMENT AND MECHANIC POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Multi-unit family-owned business in New Jersey is looking for senior management and mechanic team members. Email resume to sgroce@nationwidebowling.com

MECHANIC RETIRING

HIGH Level mechanic retiring – willing to train next hire for our 26 lane center with restaurant. Only the third mechanic since 1959 for our very stable, family business. Great opportunity in beautiful northwest NJ/PA border town. Salary and benefits commensurate with experience. Email resume to rob.plenge@comcast.net or call Rob 908-763-1192.

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Drill Bit Sharpening and Measure Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800)255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com

I1969n 1969, YABA counted 15,522 leagues with 498,543 young members. Over 4 million adults bowled as ABC members. No wonder Danskin chose bowling to spotlight its sportwear. Always known for dancewear, Danskin sport tags wanted the boost from popular youth activities and a shot from on the lanes was just the ticket.

The little girl might be struggling to get her fingers just right, but she looked well-put-together doing it. First, ntoe the cost of this outfit, a total $13.50 for the spiffy sailor-style pants and turtleneck sweater. Today, triple that and maybe you could buy a total ensemble. Next, check out the bowling ball in the background. The Danskin logo goes well with bowling!

The simplicity of the ad is a great counterpoint to the times. Music ran the gamut from Elvis to Neil Diamond and from The Beatles to CCR, just to name a few. Movies saw edgier subject matter in Midnight Cowboy and Easy Rider . However, one thing has remained constant: a person could bowl the night away and not have to take out a loan to do it. •