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
