Archive for year: 2018
Getting Your Bowling Lanes Ready for League Season
Summer is winding down and it’s time to begin preparing for the upcoming fall season. Now is a good time for some lane and lane machine maintenance.
Most lane machine manufacturers have tune-up kits for lane machines. These kits include wear items such as buffer brushes, squeegee blades, wipers, spray nozzles, etc., which come in handy during a thorough cleaning.
Deep Cleaning
Dust and oil can migrate inside the lane machine and can build up over the course of one year. The deeper cleaning helps the machine last longer and perform more consistently and gives you an opportunity to look more closely at other items on the lane machine that might require replacing.
Nothing makes a bowler happier than consistent lanes.
Lane Conditioner
Once the machine is cleaned and all the necessary components are replaced and properly adjusted, you should be able to get an accurate evaluation of a new lane conditioner. lane conditioner technology is quickly changing with products like Defy and Defy v30 providing more durability and more consistency than any other oil on the market.
Testing a new conditioner can take some time so it is best to do it sooner rather than later. You want to be able to hit the floor running when the fall season begins.
For more information on conditioners, cleaners, and clothes, check out Brunswick’s Know Your 3Cs brochure.
Lane Maintenance
if you haven’t already, take a look at all your kickback plates and flat gutters. These items take a beating and it is not unusual for screws to break or become loose in the flat gutters which will affect how well your pins move.
The kickbacks and plates can get damaged so a little urethane coating on both can help protect them from the years of abuse. it is also good to inspect the lane panels if you have synthetic lanes. make sure all the plugs are in the panels, replace any broken screws and seal any panel seams to prevent moisture from gaining access to the underlayment and causing damage.
Addressing these items now will ultimately make your bowlers happier and help avoid some potential headaches once leagues get rolling!
Reprinted, in part, from the Brunswick Newsletter
SYNC: Real Life Results
Brunswick Sync® scoring and management system allows bowling centre professionals to leverage technology, data, and marketing automation to better build their databases and better target and reach the marketplace. With Sync, you can create marketing campaigns that are more targeted and effective than ever before.
Leveraging Data for Targeted Campaigns
Eastway Bowl, a 32-lane centre in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, uses Sync’s database to create marketing campaigns that are more targeted than what was possible just a few years ago. Eastway maintains an email database within Sync CRM; when customers sign up, they indicate their interests, allowing the centre to segment the database for targeted campaigns. “Digital information on customers is like gold,” says Josh Thomas, owner/operator of Eastway Bowl. “Being able to market directly to them with things like Facebook and email marketing campaigns is huge. We can really focus our marketing efforts in that way.” Eastway Bowl takes advantage of its database to promote birthday parties. Using Sync, the centre can send interested customers a personalized email and special offers before their birthday.
Real-Life Successful Campaigns Built in Sync.
Royal Pin Leisure Centers, which operates four centres with 270 lanes in Indianapolis, used their Sync database to promote their May the Fourth Be with You event (held on May 4, of course). Emails, in-game ads, overhead ads, transactional emails, and printed receipts were all created using Sync. The event was such a success that Royal Pin filled all four centres, two of which had to go to waitlists. Royal Pin also used Sync to capitalize on the frenzy surrounding the release of the smash hit smartphone game, Pokémon Go. The centres sent emails to their children’s birthday database and their adult bowlers, inviting them to the centre to bowl a free game. Youth bowlers brought friends and adult bowlers brought their children. More young people were exposed to bowling, and Royal Pin was able to expand its database. Further south in Georgetown, Texas, Mel’s Lone Star Lanes, a 40-lane centre, created a Women Bowling with Wine campaign. The event spanned four Fridays in August and invited women to bring their friends and enjoy bowling, wine, and appetizers. Sync was used to create overhead ads, in-game ads, and posts for Facebook and Instagram.
“Sync has been really successful in enabling us to push out a campaign immediately to all people we already have in the building, as well as on social media,” says Rocky Bush, events and marketing director for Mel’s. “The minute the women in the centre saw the overhead with the pink background and a cute woman drinking a glass of wine, they came straight to the front counter and wanted information. And we filled the place with less than two weeks advance notice.”
Each year, Mel’s hosts a Bowler to Veterans Link (BVL) fundraiser. Last year, the centre came up with a great idea for increasing total funds raised. Mel’s gave a few select local businesses the chance to sponsor lanes or teams. The sponsors shared all of the centre’s in-game tablet and in-game overhead ad space for the entire weekend. “It was a really huge success,” says Bush. “We raised over $10,000, and our sponsors got great exposure and great value for their sponsorship dollar.”
Another successful campaign involved leveraging the provided campaigns within Sync to introduce Angry Birds Bowling birthday parties. Mel’s debuted the Sync-exclusive game by offering two hours of free bowling and shoe rentals. The event was promoted in-centre and on social media advertising, with emails sent directly to their Sync database (including Mel’s Kids Club members).
Prizes were given away at the end of the event, and while guests bowled and waited for the prize announcements, they ordered pizza and drinks and played in the arcade. Arcade sales doubled compared to an average Friday, as guests awaited the prize announcements. Overall sales were higher in that two-hour timeframe, even though bowling and shoe rentals were given away.
“We packed the place, filling all 28 lanes twice,” says Bush. “It was a super fun event for families to come out and experience what the game was about and to see bowling in a different light. We’re going to keep doing community outreach events like that. That way, people will think of us for more than just bowling and think of us for family fun entertainment.”
Successful Campaigns are a Snap With Sync
Sync makes database development easy and automates your marketing. Using the Sync database, you can target and reach an audience that’s receptive to your message and most likely to act. Creating your own successful campaigns is a snap with Sync! In fact, using one of Sync’s stock campaigns, you can go from zero to wow in just five clicks.
- Within Sync, select “What do you want to do?”
- Select a start or end date
- Select your images/graphics
- Select your text/copy for your ads
- Click “start campaign”
It’s That Simple!
Sync elevates marketing automation to a whole new level of ease and effectiveness.
With Sync, you can set up a targeted email blast in 60 seconds or program an entire
year’s worth of campaigns in just 30 minutes.
Click here to learn more or to schedule your free, personalized Sync demonstration.
Reprinted from the June 2018 Brunswick Bowling Newsletter
Summer Maintenance Checklist
The hot, summer months are upon us and while traffic may be slowing, the need for bowling alley maintenance remains. Here is a checklist of centre maintenance activities you should be keeping an eye on at this time of year.
Atmosphere Controls:
- Clean out A/C ventilation systems.
- Keep an eye on humidity during the summer.
- Change filters.
Electronics:
- Dust out electronic enclosures including POS systems.
- Allow for ample ventilation.
- Check old electronic spare parts board.
- Replace old batteries.
Building Maintenance:
- Thoroughly clean floors from winter salt. Stripping and waxing might be needed.
- Thoroughly clean approaches from winter salt and dry thoroughly from summer humidity.
- If time allows, strip and wax floors where applicable.
- Painting and touching up walls/equipment.
- Carpet Cleaning to remove any winter salt and dirt.
- Outside maintenance to remove winter issues now that snow is melted.
- Clean off roofing drains.
Bowling Shoes and Bowling balls:
- Thoroughly check and clean shoes.
- Replace any worn or damaged shoes as they could cause safety hazards
- Thoroughly inspect bowling balls for damages and sharp edges.
- Replace damaged bowling balls for equipment and customer safety.
- Cleaning bowling balls with lane cleaner will help prevent dirt from reaching pins and pinsetters.
- Checking and cleaning bowling pins will help prevent jams or stops.
Pinsetters:
- Cleaning dirt and debris from pinsetters will make a huge difference to the start of the winter leagues.
- Replace any broken or worn parts.
- Check on status of pins and clean. Visible wood is a sign of pins needing to be changed out.
Staff:
- Summer is an optimal training time for mechanics to prepare for the busy winter season.
Lane Surface:
- Have your lanes inspected for changes in tilting and warping?
- This is a perfect time to change or test out new oil or lane conditioner to improve bowler experience.
Financing Your Future
Investing in the future of your bowling centre costs money. Financing and refinancing capital purchases are critical steps to your overall business success. More often than not, that means approaching banks and other lenders to make your case for why loaning you that money is a safe investment.
Despite the strong, stable revenue a modern bowling centre can generate, banks and other lenders will often express concern because of the highly specialized usage of the real estate involved.
“Many local banks struggle to understand the bowling center business model, in part because those banks do not have very many of the operators in their client portfolio, and because they are unfamiliar with the financial statements that bowling center operators put together,” said Kurt Harz, the former vice president of sales at Brunswick in an article that appeared in the Commercial Observer.
At Striker Bowling Solutions, we have helped proprietors position themselves with banks and lenders in various forms. including Business Plans, Financial Analysis, Objective Planning and much more. Our experience can be leveraged to help you get approved for the loans you need to move into the future.
For those looking for smaller purchases, we have relationships with lease companies that can make the transaction happen fast and for the betterment of your company.
If you want to discuss how we can help you create a plan to invest in your centre’s future, give us a call.
Top Tips for Transitioning Your Lanes to Summer
As the winter league season comes to an end it is important to keep in mind that maintaining pattern consistency is critical to ensuring your league bowlers return. It is also the time for city and provincial tournaments to begin. Ensuring your lane machine is clean and functioning properly is critical to creating a good experience for your customers. Here are a few things to think about.
The first step is to be sure that the lane is properly cleaned. Inconsistent cleaning can adversely affect your scores and cause you to lose league bowlers.
Check cleaner sprayer nozzles. Dirty or clogged nozzles can cause irregular lane coverage. Also, check the filters inside cleaner spray heads as well as the filter before the cleaner pump. Check your squeegee blades and make sure they can last the season. If they can’t, replace them. Replacing these blades is not difficult and will be well worth the effort. And make sure the squeegee, old or new, is properly adjusted. If your lanes aren’t completely dry prior to conditioning, your pattern will be compromised. Ensure the cleaner you are using is appropriate for the type of lanes you have and the stubbornness of the dirt and oil you need to remove. Invincible is by far our number one selling cleaner and is an excellent choice to remove many conditioners that are on the market. For tougher jobs, Brunswick Judge® will easily remove oils that are designed to separate and therefore are usually more difficult to remove. Be sure to experiment to determine the best mixing ratio for your needs and use that mix consistently.
(More on the Brunswick’s 3Cs – cleaners, cloths, and conditioners)
Don’t make the mistake of changing patterns too often. Unnecessary pattern changes can just confuse your bowlers and make good scores too difficult to achieve. The best time to experiment with new patterns, new conditioners or even to do some maintenance such as changing the buffer brush is during the off-season. Dirt, dust, temperature, and sitting time are all things that can cause inconsistent patterns. So be mindful of these variables as well. However, if you need to make changes during the season, ask a professional to help you and keep your bowlers advised as to what you are doing and why. Your Striker Bowling team can offer you important tips and is just a phone call away.
Keep gutters, lanes, approaches, and capping free of dirt and dust. Dirt and dust are the number one contributor to wear and tear and can significantly reduce the life expectancy of your lanes and increase pattern break down.
Inspect your lanes! If you have synthetic lanes, make sure all the lane plugs are installed. Replace any broken screws. Repair any cracking or gouges in your lane using Inject-a-patch or approved lane epoxy. Make sure your panel seams are sealed too. Any of these issues, if not fixed properly, can cause significant lane surface damage. If you have wood lanes, repair any ball burns or exposed wood using urethane or water-based lane finish. Dips, raises and tilts on your lane surface can cause pattern changes and issues. Consult your CTF representative for the sanctioned numbers before making adjustments.
All major work should wait until the summer unless absolutely necessary. The same goes for replacing your lane machine. Your customers are your top priority and following these tips will help you keep them happier and eager for the next league season to arrive.
Adapted from Brunswick Bowling Center Newsletter, April 2015
STRIKER BOWLING SOLUTIONS WELCOMES NEW SERVICE & SALES MANAGER
For Immediate Release:
STRIKER BOWLING SOLUTIONS WELCOMES NEW SERVICE & SALES MANAGER
March 1, 2018, Oakville, ON – Striker Bowling Solutions, Canada’s leading supplier to the bowling industry and exclusive capital agent for Brunswick Bowling in Canada is pleased to welcome Dave Perovich as the company’s new Service & Sales Manager.
Perovich will be responsible for helping Striker Bowling develop a powerful customer service structure and maintain a customer-centric focus as the industry continues to transform, driven by powerful new innovations and changing customer needs.
Perovich has been in the bowling industry for more than 25 years, most recently in sales with Buffa Distribution. He began his career with the Bowlerama chain and worked several years in centre operations before moving to the supply side of the industry. He was instrumental in growing and evolving Bowling Sales of Canada, eventually becoming Vice President, Administration & Purchasing. In that role, he oversaw the general operations of the company, purchasing, sales and marketing, and customer service functions.
“Dave has built a reputation for honesty and integrity in his many years in the industry, and we are thrilled to have him join the Striker Bowling team,” said Pat Haggerty, President.
“What I love about this industry is the people,” said Perovich. “They’re down-to-earth and hardworking, and those are the kind of people I have enjoyed working with in my time in the industry.”
“I’m very excited about joining Striker Bowling,” he added. “A company where I’ll have the opportunity to really help some of these great people to succeed and grow in this dynamic industry.”
Dave Perovich can be reached at 1.800.232.2369, ext. 238 or davep@strikerbowling.com.
About Striker Bowling Solutions
Striker Bowling Solutions is a leading partner and supplier to the Canadian bowling industry and the exclusive Capital Agent for Brunswick Bowling in Canada, providing services to all bowling game types from coast-to-coast. We are proud to enjoy the largest market share in the country with over 75 percent of bowling facilities utilizing our products and services. Striker Bowling Solutions is part of the Xtreme Bowling Entertainment family, which also includes Xtreme Hospitality – a buying group that provides marketing dollars and Tier 1 pricing on supplies, Pinpoint Contracting, and Splitsville Entertainment. Find out more at www.strikerbowling.com.
Handsome Payoffs from Modernizing Your Bowling Centre
The thought of renovating a traditional bowling centre can be overwhelming. Fortunately, Brunswick and its industry partners, like Striker Bowling Solutions, are experienced and ready to help. More importantly, all the effort and investment required for modernization can pay off — handsomely.
Modernizing with Brunswick has resulted in exponential revenue growth for countless centres, including the two profiled below.
‘Staggering’ Results for Circle Bowl After Modernizing
Does it pay to modernize? Shawn Aiello, general manager of Circle Bowl & Entertainment in Ledgewood, NJ, doesn’t mince words.
“It isn’t important to modernize a traditional centre … it’s mandatory!” said Aiello. “Our results have been staggering. Our revenues have gone up around 300%. What we used to generate in seven days, we now do on a Saturday night,” said Aiello.
Sync not only helps us efficiently manage this influx in business, it also helps bring the business in. Customer expectations are higher than ever, and Sync delivers on the expectations of our customers and our staff.”
Circle Bowl installed Brunswick Sync scoring and management system, Pro Lane™ synthetic lanes, and new bumpers, seating, and concourse as part of its major modernization project.
The business transformed itself from a 34-lane traditional centre to a 25-lane family entertainment centre, complete with a five-lane VIP lounge with custom Colorfull™ lanes, new bar and restaurant, full arcade, laser tag, and rock climbing.
“We chose to modernize for a number of reasons,” said Aiello. “The market was calling for it; league bowling had been declining at a 30% clip for three consecutive years; and our bowling centre revenue wasn’t supporting the square footage we were occupying. There is no way that you can be successful if you stay in the past.
You need to keep evolving and bringing in new customers to stay in business. There is way too much entertainment competition, and people expect more for their money.”
Things have gone so well that Circle Bowl isn’t standing still. “Results from the first project have been so positive for the customers that they’re working with us on another modernization project,” said Kris Des Roches, Brunswick Bowling Products management consultant.
“You can’t be afraid to make harsh decisions about your operations,” continued Aiello. “My advice to any traditional centre owner looking to modernize is, do your homework and hire the best help for modernizing your business.”
Roseland Bowl – Revenues Increase, More Customers Stay Longer Since Renovation
Bowling centre modernization is key to getting more customers to visit more often, stay longer, and spend more. Jack Moran’s Roseland Bowl in Canandaigua, NY, is proof that it pays for bowling centres to modernize.
“With declining league business, I saw an opportunity to create an entertainment area by removing some of our lanes,” said Moran. “After doing pro formas on various attractions, I knew renovation would generate additional revenues without losing any league bowling. We downsized from 60 lanes to 44 and renovated 18,000 square feet.”
“You need to change with the times,” Moran continued.
“Individuals want to be entertained, and they’ll pay for it. Families love bowling, but after an hour or hour and a half, they start looking for something else to do.”
That’s where added attractions come into play. Moran installed 32 arcade games, laser tag, bumper cars, and a redemption area. He also upgraded the bowling experience with Brunswick Pro Lane Synthetic lanes, ball returns, Lanescape video masking units, and Center Stage furniture.
“We’ve seen family bowling returning, and families having more fun now,” said Moran. “With our added attractions, the average family now stays closer to three hours or even four, because there are so many attractions to entertain them.”
But Moran wasn’t content to sit still after the success of his renovations. He took out a pair of lanes so he could create a private boutique bowling room out of the centre’s first eight lanes.
“Now we can host private parties in the boutique bowling room and in a private meeting/dining room that we recently renovated,” he said.
Moran recommends that centre owners who are considering a modernization project seek assistance.
He suggests researching your market area and finding a strategic partner, like Striker Bowling Solutions, who can guide you every step of the way. Striker has advised dozens of centres on major and minor modernization projects and we can help you determine the right plan to bring you the biggest return on your investment.
If you’ve been putting off a modernization project, take it from these successful proprietors. As daunting as it may seem, modernization pays off in spades by meeting customer demands, boosting your business, and increasing revenues. Call on Striker Bowling Solutions specialists, who can share market data and review financial information to determine if modernization is right for you and your centre.
As Brunswick Bowling’s exclusive capital projects partner in Canada, we can help you develop a business plan and connect with proven resources for help with financing, food and beverage operations, design, construction, and more. Not to mention that only Striker, through Brunswick, can outfit your centre with the very best equipment and scoring/POS system in the industry.
Through our association with Xtreme Hospitality we can even help you save with tier one suppliers like Molson-Coors, Coca-Cola, Sysco, Groupon, and more!
Visit www.strikerbowling.com to get started.
Adapted from the Brunswick Bowling Newsletter