International Bowling Industry Magazine April 2021

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MOVING FUN FORW FORWARD RW WAR A D

CONTENTS

April 2021 | VOL 29.4

A toast to good health from High Rollers, Banff, Alberta, Canada

Profile

6

Shorts

By Patty Heath

20

In My Opinion Life Interrupted

By Fred Kaplowitz

36

Nick Vaughn on his home lanes

22

Feature High Rollers’ Recipe For Business Success

By Robert Sax

41

22

Showcase

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Classifieds

46

Remember When 1941

By Patty Heath

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Stephanie Davis Stephanie@bowlingindustry.com

P.O. Box 7350 Overland Park, KS 66207 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com www.BowlingIndustry.com

HOTLINE: 818-789-2695 MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

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Cover Story Reopening In Progress Bowling proprietors share insight into the new normal

By Robert Sax

36

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER David Garber garber@bowlingindustry.com

OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com

CONTRIBUTORS Patty Heath Evan Henerson Fred Kaplowitz Robert Sax

MARKETING MANAGER AND SALES Natalie Davis Natalie@bowlingindustry.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424

FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)

Profile Right At Home Nick Vaughn realizes his dream

By Evan Henerson 4

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THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

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OF CONSUMERS BELIEVE INTERACTIONS SHOULD MAKE LIFE EASIER BY DELIVERING OUTCOMES.

Mental fatigue has all of us looking for an "Easy" button. Have you made choosing your center a no-brainer for customers?

We have solutions to address consumers’ demand for convenience that are a piece of cake to implement. Learn more at brunswickbowling.com/bettertogether.

©2021 Brunswick Bowling Products, LLC. Form #0321-01-A

SOURCE: “Global Customer Experience Excellence research 2020: The COVID-19 special edition.” www.kpmg.com, July 2020.

SHORTS

PEOPLE WATCHING

Presented by Trustworkz Katelyn Shaiman, social media manager at TrustWorkz shares a few hot-button topics for proprietors to consider.

After a year of pandemic protocols and social distancing, many bowling managers and owners are now adept at pivoting. While the “new normal” continues to evolve, are you making the most of your digital marketing efforts to inform and excite potential customers?

q TRY THESE TIPS:

1.

Communication is key! As customers become more comfortable with gathering again in their favorite facilities, many are still searching for reassurance that health and safety is a top priority for your bowling alley. Put their minds at ease by making your COVID-19 protocols easy to find before they even step through the door - add a banner to your website, update your Google listing to reflect accurate information, and use social media to spread the word about your efforts.

2. Shine a spotlight on happy customers! After a year of limited social interactions, your customers want to show off all the fun they’re having. Build on that free advertising by responding to customer posts and reviews, sharing pictures, videos, and “check-ins,” and highlighting positive reviews, especially ones that mention your new safety procedures. Not finding UGC (user-generated content) online? Post signage in your facility reminding customers to mention you on social.

3.

Hit refresh! One great way to shake off the stress of the last year? Give your online presence a glow-up. Something as simple as a new Facebook cover photo can give your business a boost, but if you’re really ready to shake things up, now is a great time to audit and update your website. Whether that means fresh photos, new blog content, or a totally new look, make sure your site is mobile-friendly and ADA compliant to extend your reach.

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Gary Forman Named Interim ED of Bowling Centers of Southern California California bowling centers have had a tough year, to say the least, having little if any days that proprietors have been able to open their centers. Gary Forman, the new interim executive director, knows this story all too well after he closed his Fountain Bowl center Gary Forman in 2020. Forman will be taking over the reins from Margot Gallardo who resigned in February 2021. Forman knows the BCSC inside and out, as he was a two-term past president and served on the board of directors for 26 years. “I am pleased to be appointed to this position to serve as the advocate of my Southern California bowling industry colleagues,” stated Forman, “I’ve served on this association’s board for a quarter of a century and I am excited to further my work as an advocate for our members now that I have sold my business.”

Ventola Projects has hired Tony Tallarico as the new director of U.S. operations. Tallarico comes with a long history in the FEC industry, overseeing Fun-Land of Fredericksburg, and more recently as the new business development manager for QubicaAMF. He will head up the U.S. sales for Ventola Projects, helping to increase the ever-expanding distribution of VAvR LED systems, consisting of its Tony Tallarico combined general task lighting and multi-coloured glow effects typically seen in a bowling center. Tony says, “Ventola ticks all the excitement boxes, and my job will be to help spread that message across the states. I can’t wait.”

TAKE ACT ION & MAKE T HE CHANGE!

(800) 942-5939 Info@SteltronicScoring.com www.SteltronicScoring.com

String Machines and Sport Bowling Executive Summary: The use of string machines is stretching beyond recreational bowling applications and into the competitive side of the sport. as seen by certifications from many highly respected governing bodies.

Yet, despite qualitative and quantitative research showing the many benefits of string machines, some skepticism lingers.

Nevertheless, a groundswell of string bowling acceptance bodes well for the future of the sport in general.

In this installment we will: • Discuss the progression

of global string machine certification for sport bowling

• Reveal quantitative and qualitative studies on the

practical differences between string and free-fall pinspotters

• Expound on what the future

might hold for universal string machine adoption, and its impact on bowling in general

c;JUBICA�AMF MAKING BOWLING AMAZING

SHORTS

INDUSTRY AT LARGE 8 LASERTRON CONFERENCE REBOOT MAY 18-19

LASERTRON has announced its first in-person conference since January of 2020 located inside their Rochester, NY, facility.

The focus of the conference is to help FECs and BECs create truly unique, addictive, branded, turn-key laser tag and arena experiences for their guests. Lasertron provides equipment, laser tag supplies, and a fully branded laser tag arena experience. The conference is free to attend in person and will be set up with social distancing in mind.

If you would like to sign up, email Ann Kessler at akessler@lasertron.us

8 REDEMPTION PLUS RELAUNCHING ITS IAAPA BRASS RING-WINNING SERVICE PACKAGE

8 HUNDREDS GATHER VIRTUALLY AT AMUSEMENT 360 TO LEARN AND PLAN FOR THE INDUSTRY’S COMEBACK

With an increase in client demand and reducing prices across the board, Redemption Plus is poised to recharge the bowling industry. “We paused our Service Package when the industry shut down because we downsized staff and had to pivot.

But we are seeing our customers come back to life

Creative Works hosted another successful Amusement 360 Event, where hundreds of optimistic attendees came together virtually to learn and prepare for the industry’s big comeback.

This marks the 11th year that the Amusement 360 Event has been helping new and existing family entertainment operators improve their businesses. For the third time since the start of the pandemic, the event was fully virtual. In all, more than 450 people registered, making it one of the largest Amusement 360 Events ever held. The event featured over 15 speakers and experts, a record for this program. As operators strive to get back to pre-pandemic operations, Creative Works strategically curated a list of topics to help operators right now, while setting them up for success down the road. In addition to the usual sessions about operations, marketing, and financing, this Amusement 360 Event featured self-improvement and leadership topics, including how to bring energy and focus into a business, and how to accomplish more in less time. “We brought in nonindustry speakers to help attendees create not only a better business, but a better life as well,” commented Danny Gruening, the vice president of marketing at Creative Works. “The response from attendees was phenomenal, and we’re thrilled they all walked away with knowledge they can act on right now.”

The next Amusement 360 Event is planned for August 24-26, 2021 in Indianapolis, IN, and both virtual and in-person registration options will be available in the coming months.

in a big way and see this as a great opportunity to raise our level of service to be more meaningful and that includes lowering our product prices significantly and waiving the annual fees for the Service Package,” said Mike Tipton, chief operations growth officer.

The Redemption Plus Service Package includes insights that help centers streamline operations and maximize the return on an investment made to a redemption program. As a bonus, the Service Package is included when a client uses Redemption Plus’s design services. Design services are more than just 3-D planograms: they are detailed, creative, and completely reflective of the unique brand and experience the client is aiming for. “We know redemption isn't your top priority, which is why we make it ours,” says Redemption Plus.

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SHORTS

INDUSTRY AT LARGE 8 OMNI ESPORTS PLATFORM TOPS TWO MILLION PLAYS

Virtuix, developer of the Omni Arena virtual reality esports attraction, announced that its esports platform has surpassed two million plays. Omni Arena includes built-in weekly and monthly esports contests with a $100,000 annual prize pool. “By offering a $100,000 prize pool, our esports series attracts customers to FECs and drives repeat play,” said Jan Goetgeluk, Virtuix’s founder and CEO. “Some of our esports teams have already played more than 100 times, paying as much as $15 each time.” Virtuix believes the FEC industry is turning the corner following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company has installed five Omni Arena systems, including at Kalahari Resorts in the Pocono Mountains, PA, and at Xtreme Play in Danbury, CT.

8 TWO NEW OFFERINGS FROM BOWLING BUSINESS BUILDERS INTERNATIONAL KIDS BOWL FREE SUMMER PROGRAM BBBI announces that The Kids Bowl Free Summer Bowling Program for 2021 is quickly ramping up. Over 1,100 centers have already signed on and most have opened their pages which allows the program to start registering children. Most participating centers are eager to get set up for The 2021 Kids Bowl Free Program to ensure a strong summer with many operations planning to start their programs earlier than they have in the past. Once a center opens its page for the upcoming summer, BBBI starts its marketing process to attract families to a center’s KBF page for registration in the program.

Centers wanting information about The 2021 Kids Bowl Free Summer Bowling Program should contact BBBI's office at 1-800-720-0410 or they can email lori@kidsbowlfree.com for a KBF info packet.

RISK-FREE NEW LEAGUE DEVELOPMENT BBBI also announced that they have recently completed pilot programs of their new League Building Machine that has successfully formed new adult fun leagues for centers in the initial test rollout. Phase Two of the pilot program is currently underway with additional centers experiencing considerable success. Coming soon, BBBI will offer this service to a wide range of centers that qualify. This exciting program is a risk-free way for centers to build business without investing marketing dollars or staff involvement other than taking care of bowlers once they walk through the center doors. Stay tuned for more to come on this innovative, new program which should be widely available by mid-to-late April 2021.

8 LOVELAND LASER TAG TAPS SEMNOX FOR SELF-SERVICE KIOSK

Loveland Laser Tag, a 5,700-square-foot FEC — with laser tag arena, escape rooms, indoor ropes course, bumper cars, 4D motion theatre, laser maze, climbing wall, and arcade — is an action-packed adventure arena in Colorado. The venue recently implemented Semnox’s self-service redemption kiosk Klaimprize. With the unprecedented market conditions following the COVID-19 pandemic when a lot of venues in the entertainment and leisure industry have been staying low, Loveland Laser Tag has taken this as an opportunity to modernize the facility and reduce operational overhead while finding ways to encourage social distancing and keep the business going.

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O F C O N S U M E R S H AV E INCREASED THEIR USE OF MOBILE APPS AS A RESULT OF COVID-19.

The functionality, performance, convenience, and personalization that apps provide continue to drive digital engagement in their direction. Do you have a digital strategy to drive customers in your direction? Let’s talk about how we can get you up to speed, quickly. Visit brunswickbowling.com/bettertogether.

©2021 Brunswick Bowling Products, LLC. Form #0321-01-D

SOURCE: “Global Customer Experience Excellence research 2020: The COVID-19 special edition.” www.kpmg.com, July 2020.

Don’t let customers forget how much fun they had at the center. Reach out! Remind them through Facebook, email, Twitter, Instagram, postcards, etc. Staying in front of your customers is a high priority as business reopens.

SHORTS

ß BITS & PIECES ß ß ß

GOODWILL CENTRAL

Beach Bowl Approved for $7.5 Million Renovation

The iconic Beach Bowl center in Jacksonville Beach, FL, which closed in November 2019 after 50 years in business, has found a new lease on life. Jacksonville Beach city councilman Dan Janson announced that the center will continue to offer bowling plus other “entertainment additions,” along with an alfresco rooftop seating area. Exact details have not been released on the other additions, but bowling will be a headliner.

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Help During the Cold

Green Valley Bowling and Billiards located in Green Valley, WV, was one of the fortunate places that did not lose power during the recent snowstorms. Proprietor Bernie Gills, knowing he was lucky, decided to open up to the local community as a warm place to stay and to get some food. Gill said it was easy to socially distance, in his 30,000 square foot center. He wanted to give back to his community because they are the reason he has a successful center.

BRATTLEBORO BOWL GETS HELPS FROM BARSTOOL SPORTS Barstool Sports aids another bowling center, this time in Brattleboro, VT. Dave Portnoy and the fund he created to support small businesses is now helping Brattleboro Bowl proprietors Kevin Napaver and Andrea Papanek. The husband-and-wife duo have owned the center since 2017 and brought it back to life by being the community hub for gatherings. Their video submission to Barstool Sports – which they thought was a Hail Mary pass – connected with the Portney group: they got selected to receive funds which will keep them going for at least another three months. Watch the video submission here:

What is your center doing? Email Patty Heath at heath@bowlingindustry.com.

VIRGIN DRINKS ARE HOT!

On Our

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After experiencing a “Dry January” with no hangovers, many consumers are serious about ditching alcohol-laden drinks for good. Enter ArKay Beverages. ArKay has figured out how to keep 100% of the taste of alcohol with 0% of actual alcohol. With 30 flavors available, including gin, vodka, rum, brandy, tequila, whisky, bourbon, and Canadian whisky, this alternative alcohol-free option is ideal for those preferring clean and healthy beverage options while still enjoying an adult experience. Visit www.arkaybeverages.com for wholesale information.

CONSUMERS DRIVING CONTACTLESS TREND Contactless options have emerged as the Number One request regarding customer safety at drive-through restaurants. Restaurant chains like Burger King and Tim Hortons are modernizing 10,000 drive-through locations to meet demand. The new digital menu-boards will feature flexibility to add immediate, remote contactless payment to allow guests to order and pay simultaneously, and speed up drivethru lanes. Check out these bowling industry partners for more information on contactless options. www.semnox.com and www.intercardinc.com

IN MY OPINION

Life: Interrupted

I

t has been a year since I saw my son, his wife, and two children. It has been more than six months since I saw my daughter, her husband, and two children; they popped in for an hour or so on their way to Bethany Beach for a week’s vacation, from Pittsburgh, to drop off Mavis, the Labradoodle dog.

It has also been a year since I got a haircut, but then again, there’s not much to cut.

After a year of living virtually, looking into screens large and small, I am eager to return to real life and see my family again; to be able to hug them, kiss them, hold hands, walk along a beach, or on a trail in the forest without wearing a mask.

This has been a year of adjustments, of fear, and of getting over the fear. It was a year of inconveniences, of wearing masks, of staying six feet apart and learning not to complain too much because, like my dear friend and neighbor, Phil, you could have been on a ventilator and died.

Like many other small businesses, it was a year of survival for bowling proprietors, of making it through the next day, of waiting for the next PPP check or disaster relief loan. It was a year of looking long-time employees in the eyes and telling them you couldn’t pay them anymore. It was a year where you and your families missed a lot of paychecks. Basically, it was a year from hell!

But most of all, 2020 brought me a renewed sense of what being together means. Whether it be with family, friends, clients, neighbors, or anyone else in my circle of life, the words “I miss you” resonate so much louder and stronger now.

I suspect I’m not the only one. Many of your customers want to be together with their families and friends as well.

So I strongly encourage you that as you embark on a new marketing journey for the summer, continue to emphasize the benefits of being together at your center. Think of other together activities that can be played at the center. Set up games that adults and kids can play together: maybe a ring toss court, darts, or adult vs. child pool tournaments. I’m sure you will think of something.

Tell stories about families being together, talk about what you did and how you felt not seeing family and friends. Be real. Be authentic. Be together. ❖

About Fred Kaplowitz Marketing is in Fred’s DNA. He loves to solve problems, and he meets challenges head-on. He has successfully produced results for hundreds of clients. He is a husband, father, consultant, coach, teacher, motivator, copywriter, and a speaker. He has been a friend and contributor to IBI for the past 25 years.

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By Fred Kaplowitz

FEATURE

HIGH ROLLERS’ RECIPE FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS

A

By Robert Sax

t more than 4,500 feet above sea level, High Rollers is smack dab in the middle of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. So even though it’s located in a basement, the hybrid bowling center in Banff, Alberta, can claim to have “the highest lanes in Canada.”

Opened in 2017, High Rollers introduced the bowling and beer hall concept to Banff, one of the most popular travel destinations in Canada. The concept was developed by Michael Mendelman and his team at the Banff Hospitality Collective, a restaurant management company that counts many of the town’s most popular eateries among its members.

High Rollers’ location at the Clock Tower Village Mall previously housed a nightclub and the owners wanted to try something new. Beer halls with interactive entertainment were a booming trend, and Mendelman was inspired to include bowling after studying several successful hybrids in Canada and the U.S. “Rather than going to a dance club, people were looking for more of an interactive entertainment opportunity where they could hang out and still have great drinks and be able to talk to one another and engage a little bit more than you would in a nightclub,” says Jessica Pacheco, BHC’s director of sales and marketing.

High Rollers features six lanes of ten-pin bowling with string pinsetters and other equipment from Brunswick. That vendor also trained High Rollers’ 22

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managers to run it, which the owners preferred to hiring an experienced bowling operator and teaching them to run a bar and restaurant. Other entertainment choices there include pool tables, foosball, and eight arcade games, plus music by a DJ or live band every night.

As you would expect from a contemporary beer hall, High Rollers features 48 beers on tap, many of the craft beers brewed in Western Canada. Not up for a beer? You can have wine or an artisanal cocktail featuring craft liquor from Banff’s own Park Distillery.

The food menu is centered on New York-style pizza baked in a brick oven, with varieties ranging from traditional cheese to kale and prosciutto. Rounding out the choices are several bowls and burritos. Customers can eat, drink, and mingle on the lanes or at long communal tables in the woodsy but stylish mountain lodge decor. In the summertime, there’s outdoor dining with beautiful mountain views on the street-level patio.

Their website features images of happy Millennials, but High Rollers is popular with a wide range of customers found among Jessica Pacheco of High Rollers

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OF CONSUMERS HAVE SHIFTED PURCHASES FROM O F F L I N E T O O N L I N E A S A R E S U LT O F COVID-19.

Consumers are not only doing research online, but purchasing there. Is your center doing business where your customers are? Let’s make sure you aren’t leaving money on the table. Learn more at brunswickbowling.com/bettertogether.

©2021 Brunswick Bowling Products, LLC. Form #0321-01-B

SOURCE: “Global Customer Experience Excellence research 2020: The COVID-19 special edition.” www.kpmg.com, July 2020.

FEATURE the more than four million visitors to Banff each year.

“The number one tourist destination in Canada attracts people from all walks of life,” says Pacheco. “We’ll have massive groups of men over 50 attending a pipeline conference, we also have a huge following of young transients [in] town for the ski season and we see tons of families as well.”

High Rollers has also developed a strong following among the locals, with Sunday the biggest night for Banff residents. There are also seasonal bowling

leagues of twelve weeks each, with as many as twenty teams competing on a Tuesday night. Management would love to add additional bowling and had originally wanted 10 lanes, but there wasn’t enough space. There is no other 10-pin bowling in town, though the nearby Fairmont Banff Springs resort has four lanes of classic Canadian 5-pin bowling.

While the bar business has been strong since its opening, the food side of High Rollers took longer to establish. “I

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FEATURE increased,” she says.

Although High Rollers is a big success, there are no plans to add more locations or franchise the concept. A keystone of Banff Hospitality Collective is that members are unique, independent businesses. “If we were to expand,” says Pacheco, “it would likely be in a ski town or resort town setting.”

The location in a breathtaking national park in the Rocky Mountains is a big draw for High Rollers’ staff and customers. High Rollers is clearly happy to hold the high ground. ❖

think that initially the hybrid between [bowling] restaurant and beer hall wasn’t understood fully by people,” says Pacheco. “We didn’t have a lot of people coming in [just] to eat.”

So management stepped back and revised its branding, broadening High Rollers’ appeal by adding kids’ birthday parties, fundraisers, and corporate events with all-inclusive packages featuring fun, food, and bowling. “It was more of a bar crowd [until] we started hosting special events like Christmas parties or corporate team building. That really helped shape [our] business” says Pacheco.

Corporate events are a major category at High Rollers. Banff hosts hundreds of business conferences a year, and Pacheco aggressively markets the venue to meeting planners and event organizers across Canada and the U.S. “Bowling definitely brings people in, but the amount of people who come in or stay after bowling to eat and drink and hang out, has really

HIGH ROLLERS RECIPE FOR BUILDING EVENT BUSINESS Banff National Park is the number one tourist attraction in Canada and a top destination for business conferences. Here are some tips from High Rollers’ Jessica Pacheco on how to generate event business from all those visitors.

4Compile an annual local conference calendar and reach out to the conference organizers to offer delegate discounts and event information.

4Create an events website which is a onestop shop for event planning. (Our website is promoted with paid advertising and referral links from our restaurant venues.)

4Optimize your main website with corporate/conference key words to rank well on Google/Yahoo search.

4Partner with destination management companies and host familiarization tours for them so they know the features and event options of your center.

4By hosting a lot of group events annually you will develope a solid reputation as an event venue.

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.

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‘300’ Reasons Why EDGE String is Designed for Sport Bowling Perfect Games Bowled on QubicaAMF String Machines Around the World World’s First Sanctioned 300 Game on String*

Australia’s First Sanctioned 300 Game on String*

North America’s First Sanctioned 300 Game on String

Paul Pasion

Robert Townsend

Kevin Hill

Ron Richards

Carlos Granados

Lew Varner

Airport Bowl London, England January 15, 2019

Canberra ACT State Championships Zone Bowling Belconnen ACT, Australia February 10, 2019

Woodlawn Bowl Guelph, ON, Canada July 25, 2019

HeadPinz Entertainment Center Ft. Myers, FL, USA January 21, 2020

Some Strings Attached Invitational HeadPinz Entertainment Center Naples, FL, USA July 25, 2020

Lewistown Lanes Lewistown, PA, USA December 23, 2020

* 300 game was bowled on QubicaAMF TMS String Pinspotters.

First 300 Games Bowled on EDGE String in the U.S.A

‘300’ Reasons Why EDGE String is Designed for Sport Bowling Perfect Games Bowled on QubicaAMF String Machines Around the World World’s First Sanctioned 300 Game on String*

Australia’s First Sanctioned 300 Game on String*

North America’s First Sanctioned 300 Game on String

Paul Pasion

Robert Townsend

Kevin Hill

Ron Richards

Carlos Granados

Lew Varner

Airport Bowl London, England January 15, 2019

Canberra ACT State Championships Zone Bowling Belconnen ACT, Australia February 10, 2019

Woodlawn Bowl Guelph, ON, Canada July 25, 2019

HeadPinz Entertainment Center Ft. Myers, FL, USA January 21, 2020

Some Strings Attached Invitational HeadPinz Entertainment Center Naples, FL, USA July 25, 2020

Lewistown Lanes Lewistown, PA, USA December 23, 2020

* 300 game was bowled on QubicaAMF TMS String Pinspotters.

First 300 Games Bowled on EDGE String in the U.S.A

COVER STORY

By Robert Sax t’s been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic was announced and America’s bowling centers and FECs were shut down. Some states allowed reopening after just a couple of months under varying restrictions. Other states, most notably California and New York, kept BECs shut much longer.

Approximately 80% of centers are now open to some degree. Some can only offer food and beverage for pick up or delivery, others are limited to 25-50% of capacity. With birthday parties and other events decimated, operators have had to be more creative than ever to generate revenue and stay in business.

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COVER STORY Once the initial shock of shutdown had passed, a number of operators jumped on the opportunity to give their centers a deep cleaning during their downtime.

Some also completed projects that had been on the back burner, such as adding a snack bar, expanding outdoor patios, and refining operations to lower operating expenses. In some cases operators did the work themselves while some used their employees as helpers to keep them employed. “When we got shut down March to May, we did two years’ worth of projects that we had already planned, “ says Pat Allen of Conway Family Bowl in Arkansas. “We renovated the bowling center. We did a lot of things that we’d been wanting to do.”

In some cases, adapting to new requirements for the pandemic led to additional benefits for customers. At The Strike Zone in Georgia, general manager Michael Brinson moved most of his ball racks from the lanes to the front door to make it easier to sanitize them and ensure that customers got a clean ball. The balls were sorted by weight.

“What we found in doing so was the customers loved it because now they don’t have to search [as hard] for the bowling ball they want,” says Brinson.

Operators also began reaching out to each other for support and ideas. Andy Vasko, a veteran operator

and sales manager for the Kids Bowl Free program, has customers around the country. He says that a few weeks after the shutdown many of them began asking him for advice and tips on how to stay open or reopen. “We’ve been in touch with the operators throughout the pandemic because not every state closed,” Vasko recalls. “I would say it started early. Most of the summer we were in contact with people.”

Vasko says the initial questions focused on several crucial matters. One was how to serve customers safely while complying with statemandated restrictions on occupancy. Another was how to

communicate to customers that they were open and that their centers were safe and sanitary.

After that, the leading topic was how to get leagues operating again. “People were very interested in getting their leagues started back up because that’s a guaranteed income for them,” says Vasko, “and how to While operators’ experiences varied, here in brief are some of handle them was a very common question, what are the more significant lessons learned: other centers doing?”

Brown Deer Lanes in Wisconsin was closed for 67 q Go with the flow. You can’t change the situation but you can days.

Owner Kim Starz-Nicholas says pent-up demand adapt to it. brought in bowlers as soon as she reopened, but she was q Listen to your customers about what they need and want now. limited to 25% of normal capacity. She realized that getting her summer bowling and outdoor volleyball q Be creative. Find new incentives to bring in customers. and cornhole leagues going was vital. With only one q Look for new sources of revenue, including raising prices and week’s notice to prepare for reopening on Memorial Day, offering new services. she and her manager launched a phone blitz. “We have q Keep in touch with your league bowlers. all of our customers in our cell phones and there was a text-messaging frenzy,” says Starz-Nicholas. “Once our q Use the downtime to catch up on projects and planning. customer base realized that we were going to be able q Renovate, reimagine, and reenergize. to open, they were blowing our phones up.” q Build good relationships with local and state government Starz-Nicholas also went old-school with a hyperbefore the next crisis. local flyer advertising campaign to find new customers.

“We did mailbox delivery. I drove around in my car.

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COVER STORY

Bowl Haven Lanes’ COVID protocols in action

That was interesting because people ‘I had no idea that there was even a bowling center there she says.

“That was better than direct mail because they were getting [a flyer] right in the flag of their mailbox. We got totally new customers just from that.”

To meet social-distancing and sanitation requirements, some operators made league play more flexible. They

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shortened league schedules, allowed smaller teams to compete if some members were avoiding public spaces, and even allowed individuals to bowl outside their usual league hours. At Bowl Haven Lanes in Alton, IL, league players could “pre-bowl” in pairs earlier on league day and have their scores counted for that day’s play. “We would suggest coming in at slower time” says general manager Bill Netzhammer.

Other operators were grateful for the loyalty of their league bowlers, especially those that had to shut down multiple times. “We’ve had it happen twice and when we’ve re-opened pretty much 90% of the people have come back to league bowling,” says Mark Mattacheck, owner of North Bend Lanes in Oregon. “We have good contact with our league bowlers and they want to bowl.”

Where league play had dropped

Bowl Haven Lanes general manager Bill Netzhammer

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COVER STORY a little bit later. So now we can offset some of our losses from leagues with open play,” he says.

Another creative way to bring customers back is to show how much appreciation you have for them. At Eastgate Lanes in Ohio, co-owner Dan Bedinghaus organized a “customer appreciation” tournament modeled on the International Bowling Museum’s annual Xtravaganza event. Entry fees were modest, there was lots of food and door prizes and the tournament generated enough revenue to send two winners to the actual 2021 Xtravaganza tournament in Las Vegas.

While many seniors initially stayed away because of their high-risk status, it appears that in some areas they are returning once they have received the COVID vaccine. “The senior population has been the last

Bo and Dan Bedinghaus of Eastgate Lanes created a successful Xtravaganza-type league to keep cash flowing during the pandemic

off, some operators adjusted by shortening and shifting league hours and making more open play available. That worked at Conway Family Bowl in Conway, AR, where Pat Allen says open play has been 55% and league play 45%. “It opened up an avenue for us because we have people coming in after the league, whereas before, the leagues would get done

Strike Zone capitalized on the Bernie Sanders meme

to come back,” says Vasko. “I was talking to an operator in West Virginia and she said more and more seniors are coming back now.

They’re coming in and saying ‘I got my vaccine.’”

There’s a similar situation at Allen Cope’s centers in Louisiana. “Our senior leagues lost about 30% or 40%; obviously they’re in a little bit higher bracket concerning COVID exposure,” he says. “We’re starting to see some of the senior bowlers starting to come to practice. Some of them haven’t joined league back yet, but they’re talking about it.”

Pizza from Strike Zone is hot and ready to go even during the pandemic 32

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Many operators also experimented with alternative ways of generating revenue. These ranged from renting out party rooms as study centers for school children to offering take-out dinner specials to selling wine.

That last one may be unique to Mark Mattacheck, who started his Redneck Wine Club a few years ago. While his center was closed, he

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COVER STORY reached out to his more than 500 wine club members and boosted to go sales.

Mattacheck also upgraded his outdoor patio area, allowing him to serve food from his existing kitchen. With few other restaurants open in Bend, his food sales tripled. He doesn’t expect those numbers to continue once other area eateries reopen, but he is confident they’ll remain higher than before the shutdown. “We’ve exposed a lot of people to our service and food. I think we’ll maintain probably 75% of that business.”

Cash-strapped operators initially hesitated to raise prices but recognized that with the pent-up demand for entertainment they could raise them modestly on re-opening without upsetting their customers. “We had a little bump in price that has helped sustain some good cashflow. We’d lost all the league revenue and all that other revenue, we had to do something” says Netzhammer. “I don’t really think that any customer said a word. I think it was expected in some respect, like the grocery store and the gas station.”

The need to lobby local and state governments over restrictions and re-opening meant that many operators and their industry associations became more politically active than ever before. From demonstrating outside state capitol buildings to meeting with representatives to filing 34

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North Bend Lanes’ outdoor seating area allowed the center another way to stay open and welcome guests

lawsuits, lobbying activity became a crucial part of the campaign to reopen. Not all efforts succeeded, but enough of them did that many operators have vowed to keep up their lobbying efforts in the future.

Jay Burnett, owner of World of Sports in Virginia, is one who plans to stay politically active. “I think the takeaway is, we’re always learning, thinking in terms of what is the future going to hold?” he says. “I think as an industry, and as individual operators, we just need to be more engaged in local and state politics.”

Operators around the country learned a lot during the shutdown and re-opening, and those lessons will surely influence their future operation. The pandemic has made operators smarter, more innovative, and proactive about building business and serving customers well. If they can keep that momentum in the post-COVID-19 world, the rebound will likely be faster and longer lasting. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.

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PROFILE

By Evan Henerson

RIGHT I AT HOME Nick Vaughn realizes his bowling dreams

n the summer of 2020, when the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City took visitors through Nick Vaughn’s home as part of its annual Artisan Home Tour, they needed to carve out some time to throw a few balls. In addition to its many other amenities, the 15,000 square foot home Vaughn built in Overland Park, KS, has two bowling lanes in its basement. This is all very much, as the saying goes, by design. An avid bowler since the age of 14 and a member of the prestigious Shocker Bowl team at Wichita State University, Vaughn contemplated a career on the professional circuit.

Allocating space for the lanes in his home was every bit the fulfillment of a vision.

Jayhawk Bowling Supply and Equipment in Lawrence, KS, installed Brunswick lanes and freefall pinsetters. “We have known Nick for a long time. John, owner of Jayhawk Bowling Supply and Equipment, and Russ Wilson, pro shop manager, both bowled at WSU, so we had that connection from the start,” said Alex Hardman of Jayhawk Bowling Supply and Equipment.

Nick Vaughn, left, thanks Alex Hardman of Jayhawk Bowling Supply and Equipment for the masterful install 36

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PROFILE

“It’s always been a dream of mine to have a couple of lanes in my basement if I could,” said Vaughn, for whom ease of proximity will make practicing and setting up sports shots that much more convenient.

“I started my own company. I’ve been able to accumulate some money, and we’re making it a reality.”

The private lanes aren’t entirely for the personal use of Vaughn, his family, and friends. Tony Franklin, the host of the “Out of Range” podcast, is a longtime friend, and Matt McFayden is a former college teammate. The three men have discussed Vaughn hosting a winner-take-all tournament with PBA bowlers invited through his friends’ connections. People would assemble, be interviewed, and bowl in a very different environment than a more typical PBA event.

“I do want to have friends over and have parties, too. I have two children, and I will enjoy being able to bowl downstairs,” said Vaughn. “The idea of a tournament was just kind of a weekend idea with friends over a beer.”

Vaughn’s interest in bowling developed early, but had he not been a self-described “late bloomer,” his future house-planning discussions with the architects from Starr Homes might have focused more intensely on rims and nets than on Brunswick neck pinsetters.

Vaughn’s father, Tom, was in the military and bowled on the Air Force team. Occasionally he would take young Nick along, but basketball was the boy’s favorite sport. By 8th grade, Vaughn stood at 5’2’’, and, thinking he might not have the height for hoops, he took up bowling more seriously. He joined a junior league and found that he had an aptitude for the sport.

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“I was an athlete, and I played lots of sports, but bowling came easy to me, and I had some early success,” Vaughn recalled. “I was fortunate to get good coaching very early, and I didn’t develop a lot of bad habits. I caught the fever of it and kept doing it.”

After his family settled in Tucson, AZ, Vaughn received coaching from PBA Hall of Famer Paul Colwell and Gene Preston, owner of the pro shop at Golden Pin Lanes, who taught Vaughn how to layout and drill balls.

Vaughn placed 3rd in the 1995 Coca-Cola YABA International Championships. He participated in multiple cashes in USBC Masters, PBA Regionals, and Team Challenges. When he arrived at Wichita State and tried out for the Shocker Bowl team, he was considered one of the finest young bowlers in the state of Arizona.

Vaughn came to WSU as a business major with an eye on one day joining the professional circuit and managing a center when his career ended. But first, he would have to endure the rigors of Shocker Bowling, which would be no easy feat.

“He would be the first to admit that, like a lot of people that come to our program, they think they’re pretty darn good, and they find out pretty quickly that they’re not as good as they thought they were.

That’s kind of where Nick was,” said Gordon Vadakin, WSU’s bowling coach for 46 years. “Nick was a high-quality player, probably one of, if not the best, young players from Arizona at that time. He was moving up to a high-quality program that required a very high skill level and great work ethic and a lot of things that I don’t believe most players coming to us - Nick included - are exposed to at a younger level.”

Vaughn made the team both his junior and senior years. As college was wrapping up, Vaughn’s passion for bowling burned no less strongly, but he started considering other options professionally.

“I was one of those players good enough to be on tour, but I didn’t know if I was good enough to make a lot of money on tour,” he said.

“My career took off, and I never looked back. It was one of those things if work and life had gone differently, I probably would have tried the tour.”

Instead, he moved into marketing and innovation. He began with a

PROFILE

local swimwear company before moving into the outdoor industry as a senior product manager with the Coleman Company, and then the Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards. In 2012, he co-founded Insight 2 Design, a firm that creates outdoor products and lighting such as sleeping bags, packs, camping furniture, lanterns, headlamps, and flashlights. The company – like Vaughn – is based in Overland Park. He and his wife, Ola, have two children, ages 11 and 8.

Vaughn has continued to bowl and has maintained close ties with his alma mater, speaking to current team members and endowing the Nick and Ola Vaughn Scholarship, a five-year, $50,000 commitment that is the largest in the program’s history. Vadakin, who retired in June of 2020, is grateful for his former player’s generosity and also to the sentiment behind the donation.

The values he learned as part of that team helped make an already great bowler an equally superb teammate, according to Vadakin.

“He came before a group of athletes in an educational class we had in April of 2019, and he gave those players the 10 qualities that you get out of Shocker Bowling that prepare you or even give you a leg up on anyone else that’s out looking for a job in any field,” Vadakin said. “That got everybody’s attention.”

“We’re learning team play so we can communicate better in front of a camera out on the PBA tour,” Vadakin continued. “We’re learning things in a quality sports program that don’t necessarily just relate to our sport. Nick was learning how to have a great work ethic, communicate, and be a great team player because all of those things you learn in a quality sport program are applicable to what you do in virtually any other aspect of a career of your life. It was humbling to hear this because he said, ‘I didn’t learn those things in my business classes at Wichita State. I learned those on the bowling team.’”

Vaughn says his home lanes are a nod to his home center, Golden Pin Lanes. He had designed it with a raised countertop and a concourse higher than the lanes so that they are not at the same level. The lanes overlook the home’s gym and bar area. Just for the record, Vaughn eventually sprouted to a hoops-friendly 6’3’’, and his home has a 40

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basketball and volleyball court as well.

“I feel like bowling is in a good place when it comes to the recreational side, but I’m very concerned about the sport of bowling,” he said. “One of the

things I’m passionate about is whether there is a way to save traditional bowling, league bowling. I think [sport] bowling is going to hit bottom. Maybe it already has. I’d like to rebuild the sport.

“Proprietors dictated where bowling went, and there’s no other major sport where that’s the case,” he added. “The venues don’t run any other sport, and I think bowling kind of has to think about that.” ❖

Evan Henerson is a features and lifestyle journalist who lives in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in TV Guide, American Theatre, Orange Coast and the Los Angeles Daily News where he was a staff writer and critic for nine years.

SHOWCASE SUPERSIZING BAR PROFITS

TATER TOTS ARE HOT!

Bar profits are heating up with Beer Tubes. A standard Beer Tube holds up to 100 ounces compared to the 64-ounce traditional pitcher. Beer Tubes aren’t new to the bar industry, but they may be new to your customer base. While they are most commonly used to serve draft beer, Beer Tubes can also be filled with soft drinks or cocktails. To learn more, check out the video below or go to http://beertubes.com/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqQlmhcQSLY

Statistics show that in the U.S., Americans consume 70 million pounds of tots each year. That translates to roughly 192,000 pounds of tots per day!

What’s even better than tots? Tater Kegs, a jumbosized, crispy tater offered in eight different flavors. From the freezer, to the fryer, to the customer, Tater Kegs are an easy and delicious addition to your center’s menu! Check out more at www.taterkegs.com/

CLOUD-BASED WITH BRUNSWICK Sync® One™ is a revolutionary buying option that allows centers to purchase Sync, the industry’s most comprehensive and only cloud-based scoring, management, point-of-sale, and automated marketing system, with up to 75% lower initial investment. Now, every center in America can leverage the power of Sync to transform their business! The low, monthly subscription fee includes hardware with a lifetime warranty, perpetual software updates, OpenLane loyalty app, and 24/7 customer support. Sync One is the only scoring and management system you’ll ever need, with Brunswick managing all hardware maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. With Sync One, Brunswick’s leadership and innovation are once again bringing meaningful change to the bowling industry. Learn more https://brunswickbowling.com/bowlingcenters/equipment-products-supplies/sync-one-1

STELTRONIC INTRODUCES TOUCH SCREEN CONSOLE A replacement for your existing keypad consoles with a commercial-grade, 19-inch touch screen. With our new touch screen console, we elected to use a commercial-grade touch screen instead of a personal use tablet, as we believe you need industrialstrength hardware for public use.

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CLASSIC SOCKS FOR BOWLING FANATICS Centers are selling bowling logo socks to raise extra cash. Mix and match athletic and glow bowling socks by the dozen. Expert Hosiery/Funtime Footwear is THE athletic footwear supplier for bowling, skating, and FECs. Call us for details on how centers are using bowling logo socks. P: (919) 799-7707 E:support@experthosiery.com Funtimefootwear.com.

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CLASSIFIEDS SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy of International Bowling Industry is sent free to every bowling center, independently owned pro shop and collegiate bowling center in the U.S., and every military bowling center and pro shop worldwide. Publisher reserves the right to provide free subscriptions to those individuals who meet publication qualifications. Additional subscriptions may be purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $60 per year. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $65 per year, all other foreign subscriptions are $80 per year. All foreign subscriptions should be paid in U.S. funds using International Money Orders.

POSTMASTER: Please send new as well as old address to International Bowling Industry, P.O. Box 7350 Overland Park, KS 66207 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label.

Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2021, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN

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P.O. Box 7350 Overland Park, KS 66207 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com www.BowlingIndustry.com

HOTLINE: 818-789-2695

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April 2021

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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE INFECTED with the REMODEL BUG as you FALL into League Season? ENTERTAINING the idea of a face-lift? Got you covered: A2s, parts, lanes, scoring, seating, and, of course, masks. knotritellc@gmail.com.

FOR SALE: 10 pin drilling machine with vacuum system, measuring ball, scale, etc. Call Vic at (780) 454-1110.

NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.

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

REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751.

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CENTERS FOR SALE ILLINOIS: 24-lane, recently remodeled center w/ new parking lot. 40,000 s/f on 1.67 acres.

Qubica scoring and POS system. Strong leagues w/ 900+ bowlers, also pool leagues. Sports bar & grill, pro shop, video gaming, & banquet hall w/ lots of room to convert. Owner retiring. Call (847) 613-5020 for price & info.

NEBRASKA: 32-lane center, land & building.

Features Brunswick A2 pinsetters, Brunswick Pro Anvilane lanes, Brunswick 2000 ball returns. Also, large lounge seating to 250; party room seating up to 80; game room, café with established catering service. Center caters in-house and to other locations year-round. For more information, call Don Mehring, Action Holdings Real Estate, office (308) 384-3777 or cell (308) 380-0444.

EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Call (608) 764-1464.

EDUCATION & TRAINING PRO SHOP TRAINING. Classes always forming. Jayhawk Bowling Supply (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

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

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April 2021

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REMEMBER WHEN

1941 P

ublications seek material, photos, and illustrators to create covers that pull in readers. Sometimes it’s to highlight a topic found inside, but often it is just a picture that charms and is identifiable to all.

Here, in January 1941—before war will darken the mood—we see the ever constant, through the ages, scenario: man versus woman; boy versus girl. She is energetic, focused and pixy cute. Even her hair flies up in a heart as she “strikes” the first blow. He is ready, amazed and on the way to being smitten or humiliated. (I prefer the smitten.) We, the reader, chuckle, pick up the magazine and begin to turn the pages.

What better activity to spotlight the competition of the sexes than bowling. In 1941, with 5004 certified centers and climbing, ABC membership hit 746,000 with 127,705 women boasting membership in the WIBC. ❖

- Patty Heath

The artist, Vernon Grant, illustrated the covers of over 17 magazines between the 1930s and 1950s.

His whimsical characters and gnomish figures caught readers’ attention second only to Norman Rockwell.

You might not think you know him, but his legacy lives on in his creations of the Kellogg’s SNAP! CRACKLE! AND POP! Of course, you know him!

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We are HERE for YOU!

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Coming together is just the beginning, working together is the success.

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Seniors in high school who are children or grandchildren of a BPAA member may apply.

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THE STRING BOWLING REVOLUTION www.qubicaamf.com/string-bowling-revolution

THE STRING BOWLING REVOLUTION THE INDUSTRY’S ONLY COMPREHENSIVE SOURCE FOR INFORMATION ON GLOBAL STRING MACHINE TRENDS

String machine adoption is skyrocketing in the USA and all over the world.

Unlike before, there is an easy way for bowling operators and new investors to learn about this amazing option!

The String Bowling Revolution site is the industry’s first and only comprehensive information source on string machines.

• Learn how operators can now deliver sport bowling and entertainment more easily, more efficiently, more profitably and more sustainably than ever before • Stay up to date on the latest string machine news and events around the globe • Follow global trends on string machine adoption and certification for competitive sport bowling • Hear what string machine proprietors across the industry are saying • Discover the game-changing business benefits string machines deliver

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