IBI 2020 February Cover Story

COVER STORY

THE NEWEST, LATEST, AND BEST 22

IBI

February 2020

COVER STORY

Gary and Eve Skidmore live the mantra in their newly renovated center in Albuquerque

By Mark Miller

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“My first year [on the tour] was difficult, but I won in Austin, ith their business treading water and moving Texas, my second year and that gave me the confidence to closer to retirement, Gary and Eve Skidmore continue,” he said. ”You always think you can win but you don’t knew they needed to do something to make Skidmore’s Holiday Bowl attractive to the get the confidence until you win.” people of Albuquerque, NM, and beyond. The Skidmores Between 1981 and 1998, he won six titles, finished in second decided to transform their traditional bowling center into an place four times, and made 17 televised finals. His success FEC. They found a bank willing to lend them the $4.8 million allowed him to partner with McLeod to purchase Holiday needed to pay off the old mortgage and execute the project.

Bowl in 1986 from Jack Burt, the general manager of original The long-time proprietors introduced their new concept to the owner Tom Shaw, who opened it 1958. The Skidmores have public last year. now owned Skidmore’s Holiday Bowl outright for many years.

While the financials have proven that they made the right “I was very lucky and blessed with everything I was able to decision overall, the Skidmores learned the hard way the accomplish, and everything I have in my life now is because of things they would do differently if they had to do it again. They bowling,” he said. want other proprietors thinking of Skidmore’s Holiday Bowl doing something similar to know has long been an innovator: about their journey. it was the first center in New Before understanding where Mexico to add glow-in-thethey are, it’s important to know how dark bowling; and it was the they got there. It started when Gary first center in the state with was 5 years old, bowling with his an updated scoring system. father at the former Sport Bowl in “We’ve always tried to give downtown Albuquerque. the customers the newest, He was 27 years old when he latest, best stuff, so that’s joined the Tour after a number of helped us,” Gary said. “I’ve years working in retail sales while always been a firm believer The newly renovated lanes at Skidmore’s Holiday Bowl bowling weekends on the PBA that at the end of the year, Regional tour. He didn’t try the big if there’s excess profit, I stage right after high school like so many others of his would rather reinvest it in the business than take half of it.” generation due to a lack of confidence. But when his stepfather, Across the street, Lomas Bowl opened in 1957 and later Duncan McLeod, put together a group of people to finance became Leisure Bowl under late owner Dick Tanner. The 32his dream, he finally took the plunge in the summer of 1981. lane facility was bought by the Skidmores and daughter Alisha

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February 2020

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COVER STORY and husband Zeke Ziska from Janet Tanner in 2012.

They changed the name to Skidz Family Entertainment Center. It was soon after buying Skidz that the Skidmores started seeing the new trends in family entertainment and began to think about ways to improve the business.

After operating both centers for nearly four years, the owner of the Kia dealership next door to Skidz made the Skidmores an offer to buy the real estate.

“We had no intentions of selling,” Gary remembers, but it was an offer they couldn’t refuse.

“We had started noticing the decline in league numbers,” Gary said. “We had plateaued without any measurable increase in income for three years. We were kind of treading water. Part of that was the economy. We started doing research into how we can grow the business. We started looking at different options, and the FEC concept was very appealing to both of us.

“We started doing more research and got some ideas. But then we realized we needed a bank to help us. We connected with Mike Cairns at Live Oak Bank in Wilmington, North Carolina. They treated us like family. They brought a corporate structure to a mom-and-pop operation.” The Skidmores momand-pop approach to business meant that they new practically every customer’s name. But the back-of-the-house business

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February 2020

The new bar and restaurant area at Skidmore’s Holiday Bowl

concepts like budgets, percentages, and spreadsheets were brought to the table by Live Oak Bank.

The Skidmores used $1.4 million of the $4.8 million loan to pay off the existing mortgage. The remaining $3.4 million was designated for the renovation project, which included removing six of the original 32 lanes to make room for a two-level, 24,000-square-foot addition. Trifecta Management Group lead

by Mike Auger helped put the various proposals together and trained the wait staff. continued on page 30...

COVER STORY ...continued from page 24

The new bar and restaurant area at Skidmore’s Holiday Bowl

They bought a pizza oven and other items from Standard Restaurant Equipment to create a new, expanded fresh-made kitchen. They upgraded the menu to a full service restaurant featuring fresh made pizza dough, burgers, and fried chicken fingers with house-made dipping sauces. “We can do anything in that restaurant that you can do in any fine dining restaurant,” said Gary, who added 20-25 staff in the food and beverage area.

The Skidmores replaced 12 outdated games with 52 modern video and prize games they bought outright from Player One. They also added a redemption center under the direction of Redemption Plus. The settee areas were updated with more modern, comfortable seating.

“It’s been a learning process for us as far as getting everything right,” Gary said. Part of that learning process was the time it ultimately took to complete the project. The Skidmores thought they were going to re-open in August 2018, but construction delays pushed the opening back to October 15. Those delays cost the business lost revenues from not being done on time: $66,000 in revenue in August 2018; $140,000 in August 2019.

There were also extra expenses based on the contractor errors.

In hindsight, Gary wishes penalties for contractors who do not make the scheduled construction deadlines had been included in his agreements with the contractor. Performance-bonus clauses included for completing tasks ahead of schedule would have motivated the contractor to stay on schedule and within budget. “I would never recommend the contractor who did our project to anyone,” he said.

“There were decisions that were made that caused delays that weren’t necessary if they were done right. “This contractor came recommended by both Brunswick and Live Oak Bank, people in the industry who said he was the right guy,” says Gary “It was quite unfortunate. Do your own research and find contractors who anticipate changes.” Gary suggests personally checking the references of the approved contractors.

He recommends the contractor contractually agrees to the budgets and deadlines ahead of time. If the pre-approved deadlines aren’t met, extra costs, like loss of income, will be the burden of the contractor.

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“This way it’s a win-win for both sides,” explains Gary. “ You don’t mind giving someone a little extra money if they get you open sooner.” Gary firmly believes that if the contractor understands there are costs to him because of his delays, this will incentivize the contractor to stick to the budget and the construction schedule.

What was supposed to take 120 days ultimately took 250 days. But the good news came when the Skidmores compared the financials from this year with two years ago, before they started the project.

Before the project, about 65-70% of the revenue came from bowling. Since then, it’s been nearly a 5050 split. In the first six months after the renovations, Skidmore’s Holiday Bowl took in $670,000 in food and beverage and $750,000 in bowling. The numbers look fantastic: $2.9 million in revenue is projected for 2019, about $500,000 better than its best-ever year.

Those are important numbers to someone like Gary, who turned 65 in March. With seven children, nine grandchildren and one great grandchild, Gary and Eve are excited about the future. “For the long-term

The new arcade installed under the direction of Redemption Plus

health of the business, so that Eve and I can retire, so our son Aaron Bacoccini can step in and take over, [the renovation and upgrade] were the best things we could have done,” Gary said. “We definitely can see the light at the end of the tunnel.” With the Skidmores planning to retire by the end of 2021 and the business on solid ground, Gary says, “We’re excited about that process.” It’s been a daring experience, but without the risk, there would have been no reward. ❖

Mark Miller is a freelance writer, editor, and public relations specialist from Flower Mound, TX. He's the author of Bowling: America's Greatest Indoor Pastime available at Amazon.com.