international bowling industry may 2013
DESCRIPTION
The World's Only Magzine Devoted Exclusively to the Business of Bowling.TRANSCRIPT
8SHORTS
• Brunswick tapsBoondocks for
Excellence• Ducky’s introducesDuckpins in Florida
• Gregg Pasdiorajoins Twelve Strike
• Jack Moran receivesthe Victor LernerMemorial Medal
Compiled by Patty Heath
16TRIBUTE
CJ FoxRemembering the
man who was filled with agreat passion for life and
had a deep connectionto his work family.
By Fred Groh
20COVER STORY
The Movies-Bowling-Dinner Combo
A look at how the FrankEntertainment Company,headed by Bruce Frank,
makes bowling the star atits latest venture,
CineBowl and Grille.By Robert Sax
Cover and cover storyphotos by Keith Douglas.
CONTENTS VOL 21.5
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THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING
IBI May 2013
PUBLISHER & EDITORScott Frager
[email protected]: scottfrager
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERChris Holmes
OFFICE MANAGERPatty Heath
CONTRIBUTORSBen BreunerFred Groh
Patty HeathGeorge McAuliffe
Mark MillerRobert Sax
EDITORIAL DIRECTORJackie Fisher
ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTIONDesignworks
www.dzynwrx.com(818) 735-9424
FOUNDERAllen Crown (1933-2002)
12655 Ventura BoulevardStudio City, CA 91604(818) 789-2695(BOWL)
Fax (818) [email protected]
www.BowlingIndustry.com
HOTLINE: 888-424-2695SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy ofInternational Bowling Industry is sent free toevery bowling center, independently ownedpro shop and collegiate bowling center inthe U.S., and every military bowling centerand pro shop worldwide. Publisher reservesthe right to provide free subscriptions tothose individuals who meet publicationqualifications. Additional subscriptions maybe purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50per year. Subscriptions for Canada andMexico are $65 per year, all other foreignsubscriptions are $80 per year. All foreignsubscriptions should be paid in U.S. fundsusing International Money Orders.POSTMASTER: Please send new as well asold address to International Bowling Industry,12655 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA91604 USA. If possible, please furnishaddress mailing label.Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2013, B2B Media,Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprintedwithout the publisher’s permission.
MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:
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27BEYOND BOWLINGSPECIAL SECTION• Bowl Expo
EntertainmentVendor Preview
• Food & Beverage Options in the21st Century
• Interesting Interview: Mike Auger of TrifectaManagement Group
44WHAT BOWLINGMEANS TO MEOld Lanes, New LifeA group of volunteers inSt. Louis gives old lanesnew life at The MissouriSchool for the Blind.By Mark Miller
50MARKETINGIt’s Sheer MAYHEM!Brandon Rainone has a newtwist on league promotionsthat will rock new bowlersto your center.By Ben Breuner
62REMEMBER WHEN1953“Fresh up” with Seven-Upand bowling.By Patty Heath
52 Showcase
54 Datebook
55 Classifieds
8 IBI May 2013
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Commerce One Corp., a New Jersey development group, has purchased the vacantBaker Lanes in Cherry Hill which closed in 2011 after 53 years as an iconic BYOB bowlingalley. Plans are to reopen the space as Optimal Gym and Bowling Lounge. There willbe 20 to 24 lanes and a fitness club with state-of-the-art equipment. The bowling loungewill be upscale and include a nice restaurant.
Commerce One purchased the site for $650,000 and will invest about $1.5 million inrenovations. There is a similar facility in South Philadelphia which has proven to be a verysuccessful concept. The hopes are that it will open sooner than later and definitely in 2013.
April 1 has been deemed the day that Windsor Bowl will step into the 21st Century.Nestled in California’s wine country, the center has been in the throes of a $500,000renovation. According to Jaime Pattison, owner since 2007, and the Press Democrat,the wood lanes have been replaced with synthetic lanes. The new lanes’ bumper guardsthat prevent gutter balls will rise automatically when it is a young bowler’s turn thenrecede for adults. It’s all programmed into the automatic scorekeeping. Adults andkids will be able to bowl together. New bowling shoes and balls are also in therenovation mix.
What won’t change at Windsor is the camaraderie among its bowlers and the courtesyPattison says they extend to one another, especially when someone is throwing the ball.
EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS& NEW BEGINNINGS
BOONDOCKS�–�BRUNSWICK�2012�CENTER�OF�EXCELLENCEBoondocks Fun Center, Northglenn,
CO, was selected as Brunswick’s 2012Center of Excellence. “With so manyoutstanding centers, this is always adifficult choice,” said Brunswick Bowlingpresident Brent Perrier.
The Boondocks brand has two othercenters located in Kaysville and Draper,Utah. It was after the success of bowlingin the Kaysville location that convincedowners Damon Day and Randy Fullmerto add bowling lanes to the Northglennlocation, which also boasts severaloutdoor attractions including two 18-hole miniature golf courses, a 100,000-gallon bumper boat pond and threedifferent go-kart tracks for drivers ofdifferent ages and heights. The renovation added 12,000square feet to the Northglenn location, housing 20 bowling
lanes plus a new corporateevent center and two state-of-the-art meeting rooms.
John Roush, Brunswickdirector of sales/Western region,who nominated the center said,“Boondocks provides high-quality entertainment, friendlycrew members and outrageouslygood service. Also, I’ve seen theback of the house of manyentertainment centers, but I’venever seen more detailedattention paid to maintenanceand cleanliness than here.”
According to Day, theaddition of bowling rounds out
Boondocks’ appeal and is one way to differentiate themselvesand enhance the guests’ experience.
From�left�to�right:�Jason�Dean�(Brunswick�New�Business�Consultant),�Casey�Lee(GM,�Boondocks,�Northglenn,�CO),�John�Scherbarth�(GM,�Boondocks�Kaysville,�UT),Randy� Fullmer� (Boondocks�CEO),� Damon�Day� (Boondocks�COO),� Court� Huish(Boondocks�partner),�Michael�GM,�Boondocks�Draper,�UT),�and�John�Roush�(Brunswick,Director�of�Sales).
The one-time headquarters of the Make a WishFoundation in Tampa Bay, FL. will be transformed intoDucky’s Sports Lounge, which will feature a modifiedform of mini-bowling where guests can wear theirown shoes and roll a slightly smaller ball down thelanes. The 5,700 square-foot space will include anoutdoor deck and a restaurant. A notable investor isEvan Longoria, the Major League third baseman forthe Tampa Bay Rays.
Keith Goan, another of Ducky’s owners explained,“Ducky’s will have a little something for everyone—mini-bowling for friends and families, a convenienthappy-hour spot for the downtown crowd and anincredible game-watching venue for sports fans.”
The name Ducky’s derives from Duckpin Bowling,popular in the Northeast for more than a century, andwas reportedly a favorite sport of Babe Ruth. Nowthe game is moving south. This could be a “ducky”situation for the renewed popularity of the older, NewEngland-style game.
10 IBI May 2013
We are five months into the year. Valentine’s Day and Easter aregone and summer looms. Centers have been busy helping topromote the activities and charity events in their communities.What better thing than to run a business, create fun and helpthose in need.
Here is what some of your fellow centers have been up to:Pinz Bowling & Entertainment Center, Studio City, CA, was the
site of A Place Called Home’s 6th Annual Stars & Strikes CelebrityBowling & Poker Tournament to Support Inner City Youth.
Mayor Jerry Weiers of Glendale, AZ, raised funds for one of hisfavorite charities at the 7th Annual Shriners Bowling FundraiserPalooza at Glen Fair Lanes. The event benefits children throughoutArizona who are in need of air and ground transportation to oneof 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children in the United States, Canadaand Mexico.
Midway Lanes in Mandan, ND, helped the Central DakotaHumane Society with its Alley Cats and Dogs bowling fundraiser.The CDHS is a no-kill animal shelter serving the surrounding areaof Bismarck-Mandan. Another no-kill shelter was the focus for Purr& Paws, a cat and kitten rescue and adoption organization, held atSpare Time-South Glen Falls in New York.
People took to the lanes at AMF Rolling Meadows Lanes inRolling Meadows, IL, to help raise money for Linked by Pink, a non-profit that raises funds to support women battling breast cancer andtheir families.
Another breast cancer bowling event was held by the MaurerFoundation’s Fourth Annual Flamingo Bowl at 300 Long Island inMelville, NY.
One of the older events—30 years—is the “Darryl, Susan, Lisa& Mark Elbe Bowl For Breath.” This is a scotch doubles tourney heldat Bel-Air Bowl in Belleville, IL, which has raised more than $600,000for cystic fibrosis research. This year it proceeded without theleadership of Darryl Elbe who passed this last September and hadbeen the face of the tournament, drawing 700 bowlers annually, forthe past 29 years.
The Center for Domestic Violence Services (CDVS) in Milford, CT,held its 25th Annual Bowl-2-Benefit at AMF Lanes Milford. All theproceeds benefit domestic violence programs and services. Last year,the Bowl-2-Benefit raised more than $93,000.
In Panama City Beach, FL, there was a Bowl-to-Achieve at Rock’It Lanes sponsored by the Junior Achievement of NorthwestFlorida. This was the second event for this group which is dedicatedto teaching kids in the fifth, eighth, 11th and 12th grades aboutentrepreneurship, personal finance and work-related life-skills.
Rainbow Lanes in Paw Paw, MI, was the place to be to help fightMuscular Dystrophy at the “Bowling for Muscles” benefit organizedby Pamela Ernst who suffers from MD1, a rare form of the disease.
We would love to hear what your center is doing. Please emailPatty Heath at [email protected]. Let’s spread the wordand inspire others.
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12 IBI May 2013
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Los Angeles’ Lucky Strike LA Live wasthe venue for Chris Paul’s fifth annualChris Paul PBA All-Stars Invitational. Theevent raises money for Paul’s CP3Foundation, which funds a number ofprograms that “enhance and promote education, health, sports andsocial responsibility for youth and families.”
Paul bowled along with Los Angeles Clippers teammate BlakeGriffin and PBA stars Norm Duke, Chris Barnes and Missy Parkin.
NBA CLIPPER CHRIS PAUL’S
BOWLING FUNDRAISER
WATCHMedia
Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfielder AndrewMcCutchen showed off some hidden talent:bowling. Not sure of the venue but the scoreis impressive—239. He had five strikes ina row, an oops round of 8 and one of 9 toend a nice game. Career after baseball?
MOVE OVER PRO BOWLERS
Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood was where theaction was for Twilight Saga’s Taylor Lautner.He was celebrating his 21st birthday and bowlingwas the choice. Trying to keep a low-profile, hedidn’t even want anyone to sing “Happy Birthday,”but friends, including co-star Kristen Stewartdid anyway. Before leaving, he did sign one of theLucky Strike pins. Who’s the girl? No idea.
21ST BIRTHDAY BOWLING
By summer, Brunswick’s 100-year-old complex of manufacturing buildingsin Muskegon, MI, will give way to agrassy “green space” to be madeavailable for future redevelopment,according to Brunswick Vice Presidentof Operations Brad Gandy.
The buildings, dating back to 1906,produced Brunswick bowling balls,
pins and pinsetting equipment until 2006.“Now is the time to take it down,” Gandysaid. “We don’t want it just sitting anddeteriorating. We want to remain a viableplayer in this community.”
Brunswick’s bowling division isheadquartered in Muskegon and has noplans on leaving, according to companyofficials.
CENTURY-OLD BOWLING PLANT RAZED FOR REDEVELOPMENT
Photo credit: Photo by Ken StevensDemolition crews worked in January to take down aportion of the 280,000 s/f Brunswick facility in Muskegon.
Twelve Strike, the California-basedcapital equipment company, hasretained the services of veteran SalesManager Gregg Pasdiora as its newGeneral Manager of Sales andMarketing. The company, founded in1989, was initially automatic scoringand management systems but hasrecently expanded its offerings toinclude furniture, graphics, integrated
system components and stereo LCD overheads. Pasdiora has been in the bowling business since 1980
starting his career managing a territory based out of Atlanta,Georgia where he states he learned “the knowledge thathas carried him through the years in the industry.”
“With my experience, it seemed like a perfect fit towork with owner Ron Richmond in developing differentdirections for the company adding the new line ofequipment. What intrigued me after speaking with Ron wasthat Twelve Strike is not just about automatic scoringanymore. The proactive versus reactive approach resonatedwith me,“ Pasdiora said. “I look forward to where we as ateam will move the company into the future.”
Ron Richmond added, “After meeting with Gregg, Irealized what a perfect fit it would be to have him join theTwelvestrike team. He has knowledge of the business ofbowling and a positive outlook on the industry, plus we havesimilar views. With his ability to network and bring teamstogether that normally would not have been considered wasvery refreshing.”
According to Pasdiora, there will be some new andexciting product introductions at Bowl Expo this June, andhe extends an invitation to all to visit the Twelve Strike booth#474 during the trade show.
Gregg Pasdiora is On-Boardwith Twelve Strike
IBI May 201314
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– A C T I O N –
A Good Idea Not RealizedJust imagine…BOWLING leading the way to
compromise and a new era in politics. That was the ideabehind the House freshmen and the bipartisan bowling tripscheduled for February 26.
In the beginning there were good intentions. “We’rebowling with the Republicans,” Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), the co-president of the Democratic class, told The Hill.At the same time, Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN), president ofthe Republican freshmen class, said the event was aboutmore than bowling.
“We understand that you’re not going to change theworld with a few dinners or a trip to the bowling alley. Butit is true it’s harder to demonize people that you … know,and to work together, you have to get to know eachother,” he said.
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), who was president of theDemocratic freshman class in 2011, said that she had metwith several of the newly elected freshmen and sensed adifference in mood. “The energy is different,” she noted.Following her was Joaquin Castro (D-TX) who said, “Ithink a lot of us are hopeful it will be a bipartisan year.”
Cut to February 25. “We’re going to do somethingelse,” Cartwright was quoted. Messer confirmed that theeffort and event were off. This was probably infused bysome too-cool-for-school reps who thought it was lame. Somuch for “cooperating.” Big Bird would be disappointed.
– R E A C T I O N –
The Bowling Lobby SpeaksThe BPAA decided to do a lighthearted nationwide
survey of more than 2,100 Americans between February27 and March 1, 2013 asking who would have bowledbetter—Democrats or Republicans. Respondents weresplit with 19% voting for both parties. However, themost common response (62%) was that the winner didn’tmatter and that congressmen “just need to get along witheach other.”
Steve Johnson, BPAA’s executive director, stated, “The‘bowling lobby’ has spoken and the response is loud andclear—people care less about which party would win orlose—and more about seeing the job get done right.”
In anticipation of International Bowl Expo,the BPAA has announced the recipients of itsbowling industry service awards. Theseindividuals have been acknowledged fortheir dedication and passion for the bowlingindustry and will be recognized in June duringthe BPAA’s annual meeting in Las Vegas.
Jack Moran, former BPAA president andproprietor of Roseland Bowl, Canandaigua,
NY, was honored with the Victor Lerner Memorial Medal. Thisis given for selfless service to the industry over a significant periodof time and is the highest honor in the industry and includesinduction into the BPAA Hall of Fame.
Others meriting recognition were John and Joe LaSpina ofMaple Family Centers in Rockville, NY, who received the BPAAMedia Award. They garnered national attention with theirportable bowling lanes. Bowl New England’s Dick and TimCorley received the President’s Medal for their work indeveloping the highly successful 8 For 8 program increasingUSBC youth memberships. The V.A. Wapensky Award went toHero Noda of Fuji Toride Bowl in Japan; the Reukben A. DankoffAward for Public Policy and Legislantive Service was given toBill DeDominicis of Sky Top Lanes, Torrington, CT; Bob Hart,Storm Bowling, Brigham City, UT, received the Dick WeberBowling Ambassador Award; and the special Project Award wentto the Hall of Fame Xtravaganza.
Redemption Plus, provider of redemption and incentive toys,tools, and training since 1996, has announced its partnership withBumper Action Amusements of Australia.
Bumper Action Amusements has operated in the sales, serviceand hire of classic amusements and collectibles for over 40 years.The partnership with Redemption Plus follows on the heels of a
deal Bumper Action inked withCastle Golf of Mesa, Arizona, todesign and build miniature golfcourses in the large city markets ofAustralia.
Ron Hill, CEO and president of Redemption Plus, stated thatwith the growth of the company, it was a natural move to expandto Australia. “We look forward to servicing this special market,”Hill stated.
Beginning in February, the companies now offer turn-keyamusement industry crane operator and redemption counterpackages.
BPAA’S 2013 SERVICE AWARDS
Redemption PlusConnects Down Under
16
TRIBUTE
IBI April 2013
bout 75 people showed up at the Sound-Light-Karaoke store in Everett, WA on April 2, singingand dancing until around 1:30 in the morning.
Lots of funny stories were shared, Larry LeBlanc tells us. He ownsthe store.
An unusual way to mark the passing of a man. But then again,since he was CJ Fox, it was fitting. Fox died March 16.
A large-economy-size man, Fox had an equally outsized senseof fun, according to LeBlanc, who worked for Fox in the karaoke,sound and lighting business for about 12 years before Fox movedhis operations to Newton, IA in 2007 and LeBlanc bought thekaraoke part of the business.
“You never knew what the heck was going to happen.” Foxhad a practical-joker streak in him—“big time.” After LeBlanc hadhis last child, he decided on a vasectomy. Laid up at home for acouple of days, he got a call from Fox who needed him to comedown to the store. “I walk in and there’s a cake with a specialpicture decorated on the top of it. Male anatomy tied in a knot.”
Jenna Allison, who also shared her memories at the April 2celebration, got her first job ever with Fox in 2001 and stayed untilthe move to Iowa. She remembers a day when a tooth waskilling her and Fox gave her various OTC remedies that weren’tdoing a thing.
Summoned to Fox’s office, she was trying to point to theoffending chomper when “he grabbed me and poured JackDaniel’s down my throat. He already had the bottle with the capoff and everything, waiting for me to come in! After I finishedgagging, he said, ‘How does your mouth feel?’ He made me laugh
and took the pain away.”And then there was the food fight on the way to convention
business in Reno. CJ’s van and his big truck side by side at 70 milesan hour on the freeway, bologna sandwich remains and hard-boiled eggs flying from vehicle to vehicle.
Go-for-broke was more than Fox’s style when he was lettingoff steam. He ran his business that way.
“If you ever heard the phrase ‘Go big or go home,’ that wasCJ,” says Steve Goetz, who pilots The Goetz Group, an advertisingand marketing firm in Sammamish, WA. He was Fox’s originalpartner in karaoke and a 30-year friend who also took time outfor the celebration.
“I was managing a radio station in 1983, and CJ was anaccount executive there. One night, I get this phone call from him.‘Steve, I’ve seen the entertainment wonder of the world.’ This wasabout 11:30, calling to tell me about karaoke. He says, ‘We gotto get in this business.’”
A week later they had put together a bankroll, bought asound system (with Pioneer laser discs in those days), and werein business as karaoke impresarios for clubs in western Washington.
“He gambled big on stuff,” says Goetz. “If he saw somethinghe thought was going to be hot, he’d go buy 10 of them.Sometimes he’d get it all sold, sometimes he’d come out on theback end. But ‘go bigger,’ that was CJ. He liked taking risks.”
That fits with LeBlanc’s first impression of Fox, which timeconfirmed. They met when Fox was doing the karaoke shows ata local nightclub LeBlanc was managing. “A go-getter. [He’d] striveto be the best when he was going to do something. Anything,
Remembering CJ Fox.
ABy Fred Groh
18 IBI May 2013
TRIBUTE
whether it was business or relationships, he was going to be number one, he wasgoing to win, he didn’t care what it took, he was going to win.”
Like most very determined people, Fox could be intimidating. Allison says shewas “scared to death” when they first met. “He had that low, deep growl for a voicethat even if you didn’t see his size and stature could intimidate you. He [had] a wayof putting on this facade to make him seem tough and armored and below all that,he had the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. He would literally give you theshirt off his back, without [your] even asking.”
LeBlanc chimes in. “Very competitive. He might have been a big guy and lookat you sternly when he spoke, and to some people it was intimidating. Someturned and ran away. But if you stood there and talked with the guy, you just fell inlove with him.”
Says Allison, “I can’t put into words what he gave me and the patience thatit must have taken for him to keep up with me.” She was 17 when she startedpart-time with Fox.
“He taught me not just about the industry and the equipment he used. Hetaught me the skills I needed to be an employee. I did a lot of things, all overthe spectrum, when I worked for CJ—customer service face-to-face, insidesales calling bowling centers all over the United States quoting installations, servicecalls, I did installation work, shipping and receiving, inventory, stocking, marketing.It would have been so easy just to hire someone who had all those skills and justteach them about the industry. But he never once made me feel like I was animposition to him.”
Fox knew whereof he spoke. After his stint in the Navy, he was Kirby vacuumcleaners’ top salesman in Portland, road salesman and owner of a wholesale tirestore, on-air personality and general manager of several Washington radio stations,and voice-over actor for Levitz Furniture and Bank of America national advertising.A quick-thinking marketer on top of it all. He used to have a 25-foot inflatabledinosaur for promoting his wares. On loan to a car dealer one time, the dinosaurwas stolen.
“CJ calls the news,” LeBlanc recalls. “News crew comes out and he sends meout to talk to them.” The plan is that LeBlanc will be “in tears. ‘It’s a baby andit wants to come back to its mother. Please help us find the dinosaur.’” That’sthe way it ran on TV. (Somebody did find the dinosaur. It was spotted three hoursafter the story broke, in someone’s backyard, surrounded by kids.)
Working relationships around the store could be just as improvisational.“Nobody had doors except for him,” LeBlanc says. “You could go wherever, towhomever. It was all one big group together, and everybody worked together.”
“It was not a boss-employee relationship,” Allison agrees. “We were really likea family. He was the dad of the house, and we were all his children.”
The eight or so employees in Washington would get together after hours forrelaxation like barbecues and more serious affairs like a fundraiser sale in the wakeof Hurricane Katrina. Fox staged a huge sale and the profits went to a Katrinafund. But happy times were never far away, as when he decorated the store, laidout a groaning banquet board, invited his entire customer base, and hosted thewedding reception when Allison got married.
Six or seven years after Fox and Goetz started with karaoke, Goetz relocatedto the East Coast but the two stayed in touch. “Even though we were apart along ways, we were very close,” he says, “and if you were his friend, you werehis friend for life.” They often talked a couple of times a week, the last time abouttwo weeks before Fox died.
“On one road trip,” Allison remembers,“CJ and I were by ourselves in one of the vansdriving back from Las Vegas. When youspend so many hours alone with someone ina vehicle, you start talking about things younever imagine talking about with anybodyelse, because you run out of things to say.
“He told me that if he ever won the lotteryhe was going to buy a huge chunk of acreagesomewhere up north here in Washington.He was going to name it Fox Estates and hewas going to have a house built for everysingle one of his employees on that chunk ofland and give them $10,000 to furnish thehouse and $10,000 to buy a new car and wewould all live together in this community.That’s who he was.”
If Fox had won the lottery, he would havedone it, Allison says. She is sure about it. ❖
We thank Gordy Cea and Greg Olsen forbackground for this story.
Fred Groh is a regular contributor toIBI and former managing editor ofthe magazine.
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ovie buffs know that serials were a staple ofcinema programs from the silent era into the1950s. Designed to bring theater patrons backweek after week, these action-adventure stories
were told in weekly chapters. They always ended with anexciting cliffhanger and a title card that read “To be continued.”
When Bruce Frank opened his first “combo” entertainmentcomplex this year in Delray Beach, Florida, he began the latest
chapter in his family’s long running serial as innovators in familyentertainment. The 70,000-square-foot CineBowl &
Grille gathers under one roof the businesses in whichthe Frank family has been active since the early 20th century- bowling, moviesand arcades - and adds an upscale, full-service restaurant. It’s one of the anchorsof the 250,000-square-foot Delray Marketplace retail development.
Frank’s grandfather, Samuel Frank, founded the family-run company in 1906.The company first operated independent nickelodeons, amusement arcadesand bowling alleys in Philadelphia, Atlantic City and southern New Jersey. Itran bowling alleys into the early 1950s, by which time its theater operationshad become the focus of the business.
The company also develops, owns and operates numerous shopping centers,retail and residential properties, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and
condominium developments. It hasoffices in Jupiter, Florida and
Atlantic City, New Jersey.
MBy Robert Sax
IBI May 2013
21IBI May 2013
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22 IBI May 2013
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PIONEERS OF THE SILVER SCREEN ✰✰✰✰✰
Samuel Frank opened the first Philadelphia theater to run “talking pictures”in 1921. His son, Alvin Frank, expanded the business and created the first twintheater, the Towne Twin, in 1966. Grandson Bruce developed the first all-stadium-seating megaplex, the Towne 16, in 1986. Today the company owns andoperates 25 theaters and 300 screens in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia,North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
In 2003, Bruce Frank relocated to Florida. That move lead to the company’sreturn to bowling when it acquired and completed Superplay USA, a stalled familyentertainment center project in Port St. Lucie, Florida. This FEC has 48 lanes ofbowling, an arcade, batting cages, laser tag, an indoor 9-hole mini golf course
and a race simulator. It also features a 6,000-square-foot restaurant with lane-side service.
Frank looked at the trends in the FECbusiness and felt the time was right to revivethe “combo” cinema/restaurant conceptthat he had first envisioned twenty-five yearsearlier. “At the time it was exceptionally hardto get a bowling center financed. It was evenharder to get a movie theater financed,” herecalls. “Banks would look at movie theatersas single-purpose buildings. They were alwaysafraid that if they got it back, what would theydo with it?”
Changes in theater design such asreplacing sloped floors with stadium seatinghave made it easier to repurpose theaterbuildings, so banks are more willing toparticipate now. At last, Frank was able torealize his vision.
Frank claims the new complex is the onlyone in the world to combine first-classcinemas, bowling and food in one place.“With CineBowl & Grille, we offer a truedestination designed to bring peopletogether for great food, the newest featurefilms and all-around fun,” says Frank.
Although not the first to try combiningtheaters and bowling, Frank feels hiscompany has the right mix of experiencenecessary to make it a real success. “A coupleof people had tried it but were not expertsin either business, let alone both businesses,”says Frank. “Running a movie theater is adifferent world from running a BEC. Theyare totally different businesses.”
As you would expect from the Frankfamily, the theater side features the latest andgreatest in cinema technology. The twelvemovie auditoriums include an IMAX theater.All are equipped with state-of-the-art Sony4k digital projection and RealD 3D systems.
Moviegoers will be among the first in
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South Florida to view movies on Frank Theaters’ proprietary FDX large-screenformat with 80 foot screen and Dolby ATMOS, a surround sound systemallowing moviemakers to place sounds anywhere throughout the theater.
The Frank family history is honored in the new complex. The IMAX andFDX auditoriums are named after Alvin Frank. Patrons also see hisportrait, and that of Samuel Frank, in the theater lobby. The big blackand white photos are placed front and center among those of suchHollywood legends as Greta Garbo, John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe.
Moviegoers can reserve their seats before show time via an on-linesystem, a smartphone application or at kiosks located throughout thelobby. Patrons that prefer the traditional box office can reserve seats thereas well. With reserved seats, patrons are able to enjoy a meal, bowl orplay in the arcade without worrying about missing their movie. “You don’thave to rush,” says Frank. “Our mantra is ‘relax, your seats await.’”
Bowlers are as well-served as moviegoers, with 16 lounge-style VIPlanes. Brunswick supplied the cherry wood glow lanes, GS-X pinsettersand Vector Plus center management system. A custom videowall systemby Be Media features HD projectors that throw a 28-foot-diagonalimage above every four lanes. As with the movies, bowlers can reservelanes in advance, an increasingly popular option.
Seating in the bowling area was custom-built by Venue Furniture, whichspecializes in BECs and FECs. “Bruce Frank has a very clear vision of whathe wants in his centers,” says Venue founder Chuck Courter. “Everythingwe did for him, including bar stools and chairs, was built custom.” Some
of the original designs will be carried over intoseveral new centers that Venue is outfitting forFrank Entertainment.
Guests who love games can enjoy a fullredemption arcade complete with more than
25 video and prize games.
The Red Brick Grille, a full-service casual diningrestaurant, completes the CineBowl and Grille triple-feature. The indoor restaurant with outside patiofeatures classic Americana cuisine includingappetizers, sushi, barbeque, gourmet pizzas, burgers,handcrafted sandwiches and a wide selection offresh salads. “Everything is made from scratch,”Frank says with pride, “It’s a very high end product.It’s not bowling food.”
Thirsty patrons can enjoy a drink at either of twobars, one located on a private patio. The extensivedrink menu includes signature cocktails, specialtymartinis and more than 24 handcrafted draft beersand premium liquor selections.
Frank enlisted entertainment center consultantsTrifecta Management Group to hone the CineBowl andGrille concept. “Dinner and a movie is probably themost frequent entertainment combination in theUnited States,” says Trifecta partner Mike Auger, “butcustomers still have to be convinced to eat dinner atthe theater rather than somewhere on the way.”
Prior to starting Trifecta, Auger and his partnersmanaged the GameWorks chain that combinedcasual dining with arcade games. That experiencetaught them that if you execute each element at ahigh level and offer great value, customers will beeager to do it all in the same place.
The CineBowl and Grille derives an addedadvantage from the marketing reach and power of themovie business. “You’re leveraging the fact that thereare great movie titles out there,” says Auger. A bigfilm with lots of buzz will draw people to the theaterin a way that bowling and restaurants alone can’t.
26 IBI May 2013
COVER STORY
LEADING AN ENTERTAINMENT REVOLUTION ✰
Frank sees the one-stop factor as the key to the success of his comboconcept. “The most important thing is that you can fulfill the entertainment needsof a community in one box,” he says. If the customer can park in one place, havea meal while his teenagers see a movie, and still be in the same building, thencome back next week just to bowl, it’s a mix that guarantees repeat business.
That’s why Bruce Frank is bullish on the combo concept. The company plansto open as many as 25 combo centers during the next 30 months. Some will befull-blown CineBowl and Grille centers of 75,000-100,000 square feet. Others willbe boutique 35,000-55,000-square-foot FECs called Revolutions offering a RedBrick Grille and a flexible mix of smaller VIP bowling lanes, cinemas, stadium sports
bars, games and arcades. A Revolutions centercurrently under construction in Syracuse, NewYork, will test out a 300-seat theater for livemusic, comedy and stage shows.
The initial move is into markets that have notyet experienced a premium entertainmentcenter. Urban centers like New York, LosAngeles and Toronto have had hybrid cinema-restaurants or bowling-restaurants for severalyears, but Frank sees a big demand in “middle-market America.” “We think the public ishungry for first-class entertainment, as theyhave been for first-class cinema,” he says.
Whether big or boutique, all the Frankcenters are designed for large retaildevelopments. Frank describes his offerings as“landlord solutions.” “If you’re a landlord andyou need a movie theater, we can do that,” saysFrank. “If you have a movie theater but justneed a BEC or a FEC, we’ll bring Revolutions.”
Projects are currently under way in WestPalm Beach, Florida; Greenville and RockHill, South Carolina; Cary, Holly Springs andSouthern Pines, North Carolina; Ranson, WestVirginia; Willow Grove, Pennsylvania andPrinceton, New Jersey.
It’s an ambitious agenda but in keepingwith Frank Entertainment’s pioneer spirit.“We were always looking at where thebusiness was going,” says Frank. “That’s whywe were always leaders in the movie business,and early developers of multiplexes andstadium seating. And we continue that today.”
What’s next? Bruce Frank still has lots ofideas, so we can only say “To be continued.” ❖
Photos by Keith Douglas.
Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultantin Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto,Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.
28 IBI May 2013
t’s hard to believe that it was only 2006 when I attendedmy first Bowl Expo as an attendee. We were scoutingthe show to see if it made sense for Redemption Plus
to exhibit. It did, and we were exhibitors in 2007 and everyyear since. So much has happened in those few years, as theBEC has burst onto the scene, flourished, and continues toevolve.
Two trends within the BEC concept are emerging: One,quality food and beverage operations can add to the mix,and two, the addition of other high capacity entertainmentenhances the component list. We’ve addressed both inthis issue: the IBI cover story visits Frank Theatres Cinebowland Grille. Bruce Frank shares his vision for bringing cinemaand BEC together along with food & beverage for a powerfulentertainment destination. Within Beyond Bowling, wefeature Trifecta Management Group, the consulting andmanagement team that has taken restaurant service to newlevels and has made major contributions to the BEC stateof the art.
Rounding out the issue are articles previewing the gamesand other FEC attractions you can expect to find at BowlExpo. Also inside is my interview with Mike Auger, a principalwith Trifecta, who shares his insights in successful BECdevelopment concepts. Hope to see you at the show! Stopby Redemption Plus’ booth, #628.
According To George Chris’ Corner
INTRO
I f all the snack bar staples, could there be anythingmore unappetizing than soggy nachos? I’m sureyou have experienced a sub-par eating experience
through your years in the industry. We know that one biteof a poorly prepared, low-quality food item can be thereason why a customer does not come back to anestablishment. Not to mention the aftermath you have to dealwith thanks to Yelp’s online reviews.
There is a movement that is gaining momentum in thebowling world that a center’s food service is not just soggynachos and day old hotdogs. Proprietors are realizing thatif they put in the same effort on their F&B offerings as theydo on flooring leagues and increasing open play, the ROI istremendous.
The reality of today’s tough economy is that while peopleare choosing to skip the big budget family vacation, they cantreat themselves to something locally, like a good meal ora stiff drink. I hope our F&B story this month gives yousome inspiration to get hungry/thirsty customers in yourdoors and leave satiated.
O
Chris HolmesDirector of Advertising,International BowlingIndustry
George McAuliffePresident, PinnacleEntertainment Advisors
30 IBI May 2013
BOWL EXPO PREVIEW By George McAuliffe
Product Preview - Games
LAI GAMESBalloon Buster
This is LAI’s carnival-themed prizemerchandiser which got a lot of buzz atIAAPA. Its nostalgic theme is wired for awide audience while the graphics andcarnival barker voice prompts add fun.Players must guide a dart through a hole andpop a balloon to win one of the five availableprizes. It’s a simple, quick game play whichencourages repeat attempts. Operators canchoose from global or individual prize adjustment settings.
Little Speedy
LAI continues its contribution to thechildren’s play category with Little Speedy,the new pint-sized version of the award-winning Speed of Light redemptiongame. It challenges kids to turn off lightedbuttons as fast as they can to win pointsand tickets. It’s right sized and the brightlycolored cabinet and friendly voice
announcer have attraction value. Games for the younger kidsare not always the highest earners (although this one has thepotential), but they may well have a higher component ofincremental sales- which is really what the operator needs.
COASTALCoastal is having great success with its
Temple Run “Videmption” piece.Temple Run is a licensed smart phoneapp which claims more the 200 milliondownloads, so we know the audience isthere. That recognition level gets themthere, but the level of fun the gamedelivers keeps them there. Temple Run is currently offered asa redemption or amusement-only unit which means it can runin your BEC game room or on the concourse.
owl Expo is still the best place to meet old friends, visitwith suppliers, continue your education, and touch andfeel product on the trade show floor-all under one roof.
This year’s tradeshow, back in Las Vegas, should be no different.Lots of exciting things happening in the industry will be reflectedthere. An extensive seminar program provides targetededucational opportunities. Our friend Rick Heim, well-knownbowling entertainment expert, advised BPAA on the seminardevelopment committee. The result is a wide ranging collectionof seminars on the latest tools for managing, promoting, anddelivering a great experience to your customers.
We have called our friends who are exhibiting and have puttogether, exclusively for Beyond Bowling readers, the “mustsee” new products that will be on display..
Insider’s Guide to Bowl Expo 2013
B
32 IBI May 2013
BAYTEK - Prize HubBaytek will be showing its Prize Hub
automated redemption center which allowsfor redemption in smaller or lower volumeredemption game rooms. This self-contained prize center introduces a sleek,modern approach to the redemptionmarket. Baytek has innovated with theirentry into this category including 22” touch-
screen video display and user-friendly menus.
RAW THRILLSRaw Thrills will be in the Betson booth
#127 featuring their new deluxe simulator:Winter X Games SnoCross, the latestedition of their SnoCross series. They’llalso be showing their Big Buck HD, SuperBikes2 and Terminator Salvation.
GOLD STANDARD GAMES/SHELTIGold Standard Games/Shelti will beshowing its new Gold Standard FECAir Hockey table at the AAMA boothat the upcoming Bowl Expo in LasVegas. It was shown at theAmusement Expo in March andfeatures colorful side graphics and a
great LED lighting package. This new table adds to the baseoptions of the Gold Standard Premium model table includingplayer-activated black light/white light option at coin-up anda video display monitor for scores, promotional info, webaddresses, tournament and player ratinginfo. Mark Robbins has over 30 yearsexperience designing tables for the coin-op industry and has designed his tables tomeet the stringent sanctioning standardsof the U.S. Air-Hockey Association.
ANDAMIROiCube
Andamiro will be showing its new prizemerchandiser, iCube, which features someunique display and operating control featuresin this important category. The sturdy, brightlylit steel cabinet is based on the elegantiPhone design. The machine has adjustableprize bins to hold various size prizes withsimple one button control.
Fully Immersive Games
CREATIVE WORKSWhen the company I managed,
Edison Brothers Entertainment,introduced Virtuality back in 1992, theonly way to get “inside the game” wasin the virtual world. Creative Works haschanged that state of affairs in recentyears, first with games like Laser Frenzylaser maze and now their latest, AtomicRush. In the process they’ve made amajor contribution to the FEC industry.These games are just plain fun, and while truly an attractionpiece (which means they attract players and play dollars totheir 8’x16’ presence), they are an affordable option for theFEC. In addition to everyday play, they are great for groupsand parties. In addition to these attractions, Creative Worksis perhaps best known for its full-service theme creations,props, and as an attractions provider to theme parks, FECsand bowling centers. You’ll find them in booth 1146.
FUNOVATIONAnother provider of fully immersive
attractions, Funovation points out thatpart of the magic is that these attractionschallenge people and require them to beactive, both mentally and physically, all
the while having fun and enjoying a truly unique experience.Funovation will be in Booth 1120 where you can learn moreabout The Laser Maze Challenge™.
Laser Tag
LAZER RUNNERLaser Tag has never been more
popular and Lazer Runner’s Pay-Per-Play program was designed to makepurchasing a LaZer Runner Laser TagSystem as easy as possible. Theyare reporting that 2012 was one ofthe most successful years on recordwith high hopes in 2013. Stop byBowl Expo Booth 1064 to check outLazer Runner’s new battle vest that has the most advancedfeatures available.
34 IBI May 2013
LASER TRONLaser Tron will be exhibiting in Booth 1154 and will show
its new LASERTRON LT-12 Laser Tag System and new LEDilluminated arena packages. Ann Kessler tells me that theLT-12 Laser Tag System is the newest in the industry,designed to be highly reliable and durable, providing playerswith a very consistent laser tag experience as well as lowmaintenance costs for operators.
The new LED illuminated arenas incorporate LED lightingversus black lights. This eliminates the costly installation ofblack light fixtures as well as the replacement costs of blacklight bulbs down the road, plus providing a much coolerlooking arena. They strobe, flash, flicker, etc., giving playersa feeling that the arena is "alive" and interacting in the game.
LASER BLASTStop by Laser Blast’s booth 1227 to see their wireless
charging vest racks. The vest racks charge the battery throughmagnetic coils. The coils are built into the rack and etched intocircuit boards on the vest without any metal contacts orconnectors. Imagine running all day without any plugging orunplugging of vests! LaserBlast reports that the systemextends the useful battery life by running on AC power whenthe vests are on the racks. Laser Blast will be in Booth 1227
and will also be featuring theirHyperBlast (full-featured PC-controlled) and FunBlast (hassle-free, no installation required) lasertag systems, along with someinteractive arena devices such asMegaBlaster and base stations.
So there you go, a few new items to put on your Bowl Expoplanner for further review. Our company stays current on all thenew games and attractions. If you do stop by the Redemption Plusbooth 628, we’d love to hear what you think of them, and we’llbe glad to share our opinion in return. See you in Las Vegas! ❖
George McAuliffe is a 30-year family entertainment centeroperator and president of Pinnacle Entertainment Advisors byRedemption Plus. Pinnacle is an industry consulting firmwww.grouppinnacle.com. George has operated entertainmentcenters from 2,000 to 150,000 square feet including redemptionand merchandise games since 1983 and has assisted numerousBowling Entertainment Center owners develop their FEC side.He is a regular speaker at industry conventions worldwide, andwrites for RePlay and International Bowling Industry Magazine.He can be reached at 913-563-4370 or email [email protected].
36 IBI May 2013
Entertainment’s CineBowl and Grille in Florida. As the former management team of GameWorks, Trifecta’s
partners pioneered an entertainment-based family conceptthat successfully merged videogaming with a casual restaurant.In the 1990s GameWorks, Dave and Buster’s and otherschanged consumers’ idea of the food experience they couldhave in an entertainment environment.
KNOW THE CUSTOMERMike Auger, a Trifecta managing partner, stresses the
importance of knowing your customer and your market space.“Study who the core user is going to be. Is it going to be theactive adult, families, a combination of the two? How much isgoing to be corporate? Because each one of these groupswants different things.”
Once you understand who the core customer is, you candevelop your concept and market positioning, including suchimportant elements as type of food and price point. The
inner at the bowling center? Untilrecently, food and beverageservice was simply a means to
keep hungry and thirsty bowlers in thehouse. In the 1950s, AMF’s architecturaldesign division recommended thatoperators have “a snack counter andrestaurant as small as possible to take careof the bowling patrons.”
Follow that advice today and yourcompetitors could eat you for breakfast,lunch and dinner. As BECs and FECs evolveinto comprehensive entertainmentdestinations, food and beverage operationsare an increasingly important factor in theprofit equation. That’s due in large part tothe consumers’ desire for convenience.Families in particular prefer a destination where they can parkonce and enjoy good food and a variety of entertainmentchoices in one place.
More and more operators are adding restaurants and barsthat rival stand-alone operations. Some have even succeededin getting patrons to dine and drink when they aren’tplanning to bowl. But there is more to increasing food andbeverage sales than turning a snack bar into a sit-downrestaurant and offering more menu choices.
If you’re considering expanding your food and beverageoperation, you will need to plan as carefully as you wouldif you were adding a laser tag attraction or an arcade. If youhaven’t done it before, consider teaming up with anexperienced consulting firm.
Trifecta Management Group is one company that’s helpingoperators make the most of the trend to upscale food andbeverage. Trifecta’s recent FEC projects include UphoffVentures’ Uptown Alley in Virginia and Arizona, and Frank
Beyond Nachos
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Expanding your food and beverage business might be a smart (and delicious)move for your center.
D
By Robert Sax
37IBI May 2013
concept then influences everything fromdécor to the names of menu items.
It’s crucial to understand that yourupgraded food and beverage operationwon’t exist in a vacuum. If you are goingfor a family audience, for example, youwill have to compete with polishedoperators such as Chili’s and TheCheesecake Factory. You will have tomatch their quality of service and food.
Bruce Frank, owner of CineBowl andGrille in Florida, prides himself on thequality of the food in his Red Brick Grille.“Everything we serve is made fromscratch,” says Frank. “It’s a high endproduct. We’re serving sushi, we’reserving ahi tuna, Angus burgers andpulled pork sliders. It’s not bowling food.”
There is also a lot of potentialbusiness in catering if you enhance yourfood and beverage operation. TerryBlack of Berg Liquor Controls has seenseveral of his clients add or expandrooms for private parties. Corporateevents are a big part of that growth.“The catering aspect of it is huge; that'swhere the good money is,” says Black.“Corporate events are going away from'let's go to Morton’s and have a bigdinner.' They're looking for moreinteractive events, like bowling.”
SOPHISTICATED SIPPINGTo be competitive, your beverage
operation will need to keep pace withyour upgraded food offerings. Again,you are competing with other restaurantsand bars, so you need to keep up withconsumer trends. For example, demandfor high-end, brand name liquors hasgrown due to aggressive marketing,notes beverage consultant MarkFlashner of Alcohol Controls, Inc.(www.alcoholcontrols.com) That’sespecially true of younger consumerswho see brand-name drinks touted bytheir favorite celebrities in ads, via Twitterand even in songs and music videos.
Cocktail culture is popular again, andsignature cocktails are a trend that canhelp drive repeat business to your
restaurant or bar. “A lot oftimes you go back to aplace because of the menuitems,” says Flashner.“Maybe you have the bestBloody Mary and youpromote that, and peoplego “‘I’ve got to try that.’”
Phil Blouin of Azbar Plussays a liquor control systemis invaluable in controllingwaste, shrinkage and drinkquality. Some systems can
be programmed to automatically combine ingredients into a cocktail, ensuring thatyou can serve the latest best-sellers. “Sometimes waiters won’t push a particularcocktail because they’re afraid the bartender doesn’t know how to make it,” saysBlouin. That can lead to missed sales.
TREAT THE LANES AS TABLESFor FECs with bowling, a
winning approach is to treat thelanes as restaurant tables. Thatmeans making the lanes aninviting hang-out where it is asnatural to order a meal and adrink as it is to bowl. “When yougo and sit down at the lanes,
Photo provided by Azbar Plus.
At Spare Time in Greensboro, NC, VenueFurniture has created an inviting hang-
out area that is also food service-friendly.
38 IBI May 2013
and you have a server that takes your order and there’s amenu there,” says Auger, “it says, ‘you’re sitting down now, let’sget something to eat.’”
Creating that inviting hang-out means that furnishings in thelane areas are more important than ever. Sofas and soft seatingare the trend, but shouldn’t be so soft or deep that it’s difficultfor patrons to sit up and eat with a knife and fork.
“The challenge has become how to put people in a loungesituation and still be able to eat something more than fingerfood,” says Chuck Courter of specialty furniture maker VenueFurniture. “It’s all subtle things, but it increases food andbeverage consumption.” Some of the variables to consider arethe type of furniture, the amount of surface area on the coffeetable, even how far the coffee table is from the couch.
SIGNS OF THE TIMESThe digital menu board
is another technology trendthat’s transforming food andbeverage operations; witheveryone from mom-and-pop chains to McDonald’s
The number of full-service restaurants at bowling andfamily entertainment centers is growing, but the days ofthe snack bar are hardly numbered. In fact, a snack barcan be more useful and profitable than ever if you keepup with the times.
The most versatile item in today’s snack bar may bethe greaseless fryer, a countertop device that uses onlyhot air and radiant heat. These fryers can make thesame foods as a deep fryer, grill or oven, but with greatersafety and much less fat. They don’t require vent hoodsor a grease trap, and can be used solo or to supplementan existing kitchen.
The wide variety of pre-cooked foods available forgreaseless fryers makes it easy to build a bigger menuof new sensations and old favorites. “You can serverestaurant-quality foods without a restaurant,” says PaulArtt, CEO of QNC, Inc., which markets the Quik n’Crispy greaseless fryer. Artt’s website lists more than1,000 food items for greaseless fryers, from breakfastburritos to Tuscany chicken to good old french fries.
Another big benefit of greaseless fryers is the ability toclose a full kitchen earlier and still serve hot food to hungrycustomers. That means savings in labor and utilities costs.
When Reggie Frederick began operating twelve-laneChalet Bowl in Tacoma, Washington in 1984, he couldserve only sandwiches from his fifteen-square-foot snackbar. Today he offers seven different burgers, five differenthot dogs, twelve different pizzas and more from thesame space, thanks to a greaseless fryer and a pizza oven.
“One thing that’s hit a home run recently is acaramelized-onion bacon cheeseburger,” says Frederick.Pair it with one of Washington’s famed wines or craftbeers and you have a delicious argument for keeping thesnack bar tradition alive.
A digital menu board makeschanging the menu and offering
specials a breeze.
Greaseless FryersKeep Snack Bars in
the Chips
IBI May 201340
trying them out. Numerous vendors are offering the systems, whichtypically feature computer software or a dedicated server connected tovideo monitors that take the place of traditional boards using plasticletters or printed signage.
The systems allow operators to almost instantly change text andhigh-resolution photos in one or more locations. That makes it possibleto offer food and drink specials at different times of the day or addnew or seasonal items and more without having to rearrange letteringor print new signage. Central control over multiple locations alsomeans consistent presentation and less chance of error compared tomanual systems.
When Max Bowl remodeled its location in Port Arthur, Texas into afull-fledged FEC, they decided to upgrade their traditional letteredboards for a digital system from ElectroMenu. Now there are digitalboards at the bowling counter and in the grill and bar areas that canbe used to list prices and specials for food, beverage and bowling.
Max Bowl liked the system so much it has adopted it for its threelocations. “We’ve got one person in Houston that develops the menuboard and pushes it out to all the locations,” says Doug Davidson, generalmanager of Max Bowl. “Each location has a slightly different menu andit works real well. You can change the data in ten or fifteen minutes.”
HIRE EXPERIENCED MANAGEMENTIf you don’t have experience with a sophisticated food and beverage
operation, hire a manager who does. From inventory control to staff
training to execution and customer service,there’s a lot to know to make it a success.
Consumers eat out a lot and know what theywant. When diners have an experience thatdoesn’t meet their expectations, it can colortheir impression of your center much more thansomething they are less knowledgeable about.
“I don’t bowl a lot. If the lanes aren’t oiledcorrectly, will it damage my experience? Probablynot,” says Auger. “But if you order some foodand it comes out cold, you say ‘Hey, what isthis?’ Everyone is an expert on food.”
A good dining experience can generate returnbusiness and contribute a lot to your bottom line.Not just from food and beverage sales, but alsofrom all the other fun activities you offer before,after, and even during the meal. ❖
Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in LosAngeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, thehome of five-pin bowling.
42 IBI May 2013
INTERESTING INTERVIEW
Mike Auger of Trifecta Management Group shares his thoughts withGeorge McAuliffe on the BEC business in general and some tips fromthe Food & Beverage front.
Expert Advice
1. How do you do what you do?TMG works in three ways: consulting, ongoing
management, or a combination of the two. All involvecreating and developing custom concepts, restaurants anddining-entertainment destinations, often with a bowlingcomponent.
2. How did you get into the business?I started in college and worked my way through school
in the restaurant business, from dishwasher to busing tables.After graduation I worked for the Famous Restaurants Groupand went through their career development program. By thattime I had fallen in love with the restaurant business. I thenworked through the management chain to senior vice-president in charge of casual dining.
3. Was there a key takeaway from those early years?Yes, the key is to attract, recruit and retain great staff. Once
we get the right people in place, providing the right training,resources, tools, and infrastructure allows them to execute.Incidentally our GameWorks experience showed us thatthese principles apply to the entertainment side of thehouse as well.
4. That’s impressive. What keeps you in this business?Passion. The challenge of delivering a great guest
experience. The ability to keep creating new ideas andconcepts and seeing them through to operational reality.
5. What is a Bowling Entertainment Center (BEC)? Howdo you define it?
It is a restaurant-entertainment center with bowling as itsprimary entertainment component or anchor, with acompelling food & beverage operation, and complimentary
entertainment experiences that resonate with the targetaudience of socially active adults and families.
6. What are your favorite BEC/FEC additions, inorder of success?
First is always the redemption game room. The games aredriven by competition and the ability to win a prize. We likelaser tag, and the onset of the two-story playfield has addeda far more interesting new dimension. Once you get pastthe first two, success will really depend on the facility andthe market. We’ve had some success with Go Karts or minigolf, for example, but there are a certain set of requirementsthat not many places have.
7. Is food and beverage a significant part of the mix,or just an amenity to existing traffic?
In the past food and beverage was an afterthought.People would come for the entertainment then, maybe,decide to eat. They would eat with us by accident-out of
Mike Auger
By George McAuliffe
43IBI May 2013
convenience. Now we want them predetermined toeat, then we become that one stop shop.
8. Should owners/investors be looking to manageF&B on this scale themselves?
If they do it, it should be just like any part of theirbusiness, respecting it for what it is, understanding thechallenges and the expertise needed to execute at ahigh level. They have to approach it with open eyes.Restaurants are probably the most competitiveindustry out there. Everyone is a food & beverageexpert, everyone eats three times a day. On the flipside, if you execute well, you build loyalty through theirstomach and they keep coming back.
9. So how do you avoid the pitfalls? Measure twice, cut once. Immerse yourself into the
process early on. It’s essential to have someexperience on your team. Hiring [specifically] for itis usually necessary. Next is an effective menudevelopment process, putting the right infrastructurein place, and starting out with high expectations onoperations and consistency.
10. What is your take on stand-alone bowling boutiques? Dothey work as a business?
Bowling is an activity that compliments the socialization of peoplegetting together around the food & beverage activity. Even with lesslane inventory, it does well as a place where people go to socialize.Bowling is the social entertainment medium. Boutique bowlers don’thave to be particularly good or skilled to have fun, and bowlingbecomes an extension of the bar.
11. What are the next phases for the BEC?We think that mega entertainment complexes will become an
ever more popular form of entertainment. Instead of just dinner anda movie, it will be dinner, a movie, bowling, a few drinks, some arcadechallenges and so on. The cost of groceries is growing at a rate fasterthan menu prices. We believe that this will continue and will continueto drive dining out frequency.
12. Any other wisdom you care to share for our readers?I talk to a lot of proprietors who want to add to their existing
business due to declining sales or new competition. Embrace that theindustry is changing, and if the existing model isn’t working, changeit. If you are feeling those pressures, it is time to invest to take it tothe next level or the better mousetrap will come. ❖
44 IBI May 2013
s the daughter of a former pinboy, Susan Bonnerhad heard plenty of stories about the old days ofbowling yet years later didn't realize she was sitting
on top of some of that history. It wasn't until two yearsinto working at the Missouri School for the Blind in St.Louis that she first learned there were two mid-1930s
A
Old Lanes,At the Missouri School for theBlind, two neglected lanes geta new lease on life as the St.Louis bowling community bandstogether to make a difference.
By Mark MillerNew Life
WHAT BOWLING MEANS TO ME
46 IBI May 2013
WHAT BOWLING MEANS TO ME
wooden lanes and Brunswick semi-automatic pinsetters in the basementof the century-old building. “On one side were the bowling lanes andon the other side was a swimming pool,” said Bonner, a MissouriDeafblind Technical Assistance Project coordinator. “The 1950s-stylebomb shelter was still down there too.”
Discovering the lanes' dilapidated state and knowing of the recentsale of an area center, Bonner started asking area bowling leaders tohelp restore them. The result was a collaborative effort to create a placewhere students, staff and their families could once again enjoy the old-time lanes. “It was in real bad shape,” said St. Louis United StatesBowling Congress Association Manager Dale Bohn. He goes on to saythat, “It had not been touched in 30 years. They had the old plywoodtype gutters that would put splinters in your hand. The approaches hadholes that had to be patched up. They had two semi-automaticpinsetters where you pulled the string and set the pins down.”
Bonner had long coached St. Louis-area youth and served on youthassociation boards of directors, including the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 seasons as the local Young American Bowling Alliance president.
It was her ties to Bohn onthe current USBC board that
started the ball rolling. With thehelp of St. Louis Bowling Proprietors
Association Executive Director GaryVoss, the project really took off. “When she called me I remembered I used
to go down there 30 years ago with other kids,”Voss said. “I said 'we'll get the place fixed up.' I
guilted people up. It turned out to be a 2-3 personproject. We didn't do it for the publicity. We did it forthe kids. It probably cost about $15,000-$20,000 butit was worth it. It was fun.”
The Missouri School forthe Blind was establishedin 1851. The school hasthe finest comprehensiveeducational system for
students with visual impairments in Missouri,actively engaging families and the entire communityto ensure student learning and success. The missionof Missouri School for the Blind is to provideindividualized instruction, resources and educationalservices ensuring that students with visualimpairments achieve the academic, social,employment, and life skills empowering them toenjoy full productive lives.
Susan Bonner, above, shows off the newly refurbished lanes at the Missouri School for the Blind.A team of student volunteers, guided by Dale Bohn and Gary Voss, poured their energy andcreativity into the project.
47IBI May 2013
WHAT BOWLING MEANS TO ME
Mark Miller is a freelance writer from FlowerMound, TX. Most recently, Mark authored thebook "Bowling: America's Greatest IndoorPastime," available from Amazon.com [email protected].
Voss enlisted his WestCounty Lanes mechanic toinstall new gutters andbumpers and obtainedbowling balls, pins, shoes,an old Tel-E-Score system,
plastic sheets and projection screens.“We patched, cleaned and fixed it
with the help of a lot ofvolunteers,” Voss said. “Someof them we worked to death.”
Mark Newmann of CelucoatBowling Supplies donated hisservices refinishing the lanes.Voss' Kiwanis Club chapterbought the paint for theMarquette High School KeyClub to paint murals andbanners. The above-groundball returns were painted
florescent colors. “Everybody working together was great,” Bohn said.Students had their shoes labeled in Braille and placed in a special rack and
Bohn even took an old wooden bench, applied a clear lacquer finish, andadded in the school logo, a mule. “They got a kick out of that,” he said. “They
really liked that.”The project took about six months to
complete and initially was finished in thesummer. It had to be partially redone after awater pipe leak spilled onto the lanes. “Whenthe kids came back in the fall, we were ready tostart,” Bonner said. “We use it for recreation, PEclasses and practice for Special Olympicscompetitions. We have fun.”
The 60 or so youth who receive their educationat the school also truly enjoyed the USBC Youthshirts Voss presented to them in mid-November.“They were going absolutely nuts,” Bohn said.
“It was a like a grand opening,” Bonner said.“The kids were thrilled to death. One said hewould never wash the shirt.” ❖
Dale Bohn headed the refurbishingproject along with Gary Voss(below). Without them, the projectwould have never been attemptedor completed.
50 IBI May 2013
SPECIAL REPORT
51IBI May 2013
SPECIAL REPORT
SHOWCASE
BES X WORLDWIDETOUR QubicaAMF would like to invite you toan exclusive preview of BES X—theworld’s only Bowler EntertainmentSystem. See the most innovativefeatures ever available in a scoring system—like FacebookGameConnect, YouToons or the new SuperTouch LCD BowlerConsoles. Learn how BES X will redefine the bowling experi-ence and grow your business! Next stop, Las Vegas, June23rd! Register at www.qubicaamf.com/BESX-Worldwide-Tour.aspx. Hurry, space is limited!
MAXIMUMDURABILITYKegel is excited to release their newlane conditioners, FIRE and ICE.FIRE and ICE are more durable thanany of Kegel’s existing lane condi-tioners but are also pinsetter and house ball friendly like theirbest-selling lane conditioner, Prodigy. FIRE is designed formore hook or slick lane surfaces while ICE is designed formore hold area or high friction lane surfaces. For more infor-mation or to place an order, contact Erin Wall [email protected].
TABLETOP BEERDISPENSER Beer Tubes is the next generation of thetraditional pitcher, with the addedbenefit of a “wow factor” that willenhance your customers' experienceand drive draft sales. It acts as a self-serve tap that allows guests to pour their own beverage whileat the table. Beer Tubes can add any logo or theme to yourdispensers to enhance your brand and promote your businessor event. To find out more, email [email protected] orcall 614-398-3499.
E-FUN MONEYEMBED, a leading provider ofDebit Card and Point of SaleSystems for the amusement andfamily entertainment industry,announces the recent transitionfrom paper tickets to electronic tickets via the Embed systemat all four Frankie’s Fun Park locations across North and SouthCarolina. Frankie’s cites extensive cost savings, an improvedcustomer experience, increased revenues, and the greenbenefits realized from reducing paper waste as benefits of theswitch. For more information please visit www.embed.com.
FREE BRUNSWICK PROFOR A DAYPurchase a Brunswick Envoy lane machineby Friday, June 28, 2013 and receive onefree Brunswick pro staff appearance at yourbowling center. Use a Brunswick pro to helpwith a clinic, host a community event or signautographs. Run your own promotion andgive away a free lesson from a PBA pro. The possibilities areendless! Go to http://www.brunswickbowling.com/products/lane-maintenance/lane-machines/envoy/ for more info.
52 IBI May 2013
BEACH BUSINESSThunder Beach is the only sand volleyballand sand soccer franchise in NorthAmerica. Backed by over 24 years ofsuccessful experience in the sand volley-ball and sport venue business, they arehere to make your dreams of a beachbusiness a reality. In just one year, theyhave created the most sought after add on franchise for barsand restaurants in America. Their franchises are based on yourdreams and goals, so check them out today at thunder-beachusa.com.
54 IBI May 2013
DATEBOOK
MAY6-10Brunswick Training ClassesGS Series Pinsetter800-937-2695 [email protected]
13-17Brunswick Pinsetter SchoolPinsetter factorySzekesfehervar, HungarySiggi [email protected]
13-17Brunswick Training ClassesVector Scorer Maintenance800-937-2695 [email protected]
20ISBPA BOD meetingLandmark Lanes, Peoria, ILBill Duff, [email protected]
20-22Bowling Centers Associationof OhioConvention & Trade ShowCrowne Plaza, Dublin, [email protected]
JUNE3-4Trade Show for Iowa, Kansas,Missouri & Nebraska AnnualMeetingJayhawk Bowling Supply,Lawrence, KS785-842-3237
10-14Brunswick Training ClassesGS Series Pinsetter800-937-2695 [email protected]
17-21Brunswick Training ClassesVector Scorer Maintenance800-937-2695 [email protected]
23-28Bowl Expo – “Go for the Gold”Las Vegas Convention CenterInfo: Drew Guntert800-343-1329 x [email protected]
JULY15-19Brunswick Training ClassesGS Series Pinsetter800-937-2695 [email protected]
17BCA of Florida, BOD MeetingPink Shell Beach ResortFt. Myers Beach, [email protected]
18-20BPA of the Carolinas/GeorgiaConventionSea Trail Resort, Sunset Beach, NCwww.bpacga.com
22-26Brunswick Training classesVector Scorer Maintenance800-937-2695 [email protected]
23-25BPAA School for BowlingCenter ManagementEmbassy Suites, Columbus, [email protected];937-933-8363
AUGUST5-9Brunswick Pinsetter SchoolPinsetter factorySzekesfehervar, HungarySiggi [email protected]
55IBI May 2013
CLASSIFIEDS
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details(248) 375-2751.
NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
56 IBI May 2013
ITEMS WANTED
“WANTED TO BUY” Older BowlingShirts. Paying $5 - $25 for button front shirtswith embroidery or ink lettering on the [email protected] (866) 312-6166.
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
FOR SALE: 20 ea. Wells-Gardner 28”monitor boards for Qubica automatic scoring.$200/ea. – in working order when removed.Call Autumn Lanes (828) 286-9149.
Brunswick AS-80 scoring: over 32lanes, complete package with extraparts. Excellent condition. $6,000 ormake offer. Could be sold by the lane orindividual parts. Contact Bill Henderson,Clearview Lanes (717) 653-1818.
FOR SALE: 16 pair 36” Frameworxoverhead monitors. $500/pair includeshanging brackets. Available May 25.Call Jason @ (816) 322-0488.
KEGEL KUSTODIAN ION – 2005. Includesnew batteries and new buffer brush still inbox. Most wearable items changed within inthe last year. Original user manual included.Asking $9,500. Call Will Mossontte @ (818)212-4921; email: [email protected].
CENTER FOR SALE
NEW YORK STATE: Thousand Islandregion. 8-lane Brunswick center w/ cosmicbowling, auto scoring. Established leagues+ many improvements. $309,000. Call Jill@ Lori Gervera Real Estate (315) 771-9302.
EQUIPMENT WANTED
LANE MACHINES WANTED. We willpurchase your KEGEL-built machine, any ageor condition. Call (608) 764-1464.
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN
CLASSIFIEDS
57IBI May 2013
CLASSIFIEDS
Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940
on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: [email protected]
AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • FrameworxSERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL
NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS
CENTER FOR SALE
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One ofthe top five places to move! Remodeled32-lane center. Good numbers. $3.1mgets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828)253-0362.
GEORGIA: busy 32-lane center, realestate included. Great location in one offastest growing counties in metro Atlanta.5 years new with all the amenities.Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.
CENTRAL MINNESOTA: 6-lane center.Owner retiring. $99,[email protected]. (320) 760-3377.
WASHINGTON COAST: 8-lane AMF centerwith automatic scoring & snack bar. Ownercontract to buy business for $150,000 and/orlease to buy. Good league [email protected].
CENTRAL IDAHO: 8-lane center andrestaurant in central Idaho mountains.Small town. Only center within 60-mileradius. Brunswick A-2 machines;Anvilane lane beds; automatic scoring.(208) 879-4448.
58 IBI May 2013
CLASSIFIEDS
CENTER FOR SALE
NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor &Bowling. Established 8 lanes between Mpls& Duluth w/ large bar, dining room,banquet area. Two large Stateemployment facilities nearby. High sixfigure gross. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089.www.majesticpine.com.
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-laneBrunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thruliquor store in small college town. Also, 3apartment buildings with 40 units, goodrental history. Call (701) 330-7757 or(701) 430-1490.
SOUTHWEST KANSAS: well-maintained8-lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant.Includes business and real estate. Nice,smaller community. Owner retiring.$212,000. Leave message (620) 397-5828.
16-lane center in Southern Coloradomountains. Great condition. 18,000s/f building w/ restaurant & lounge.Paved parking 100 + vehicles.Established leagues & tournaments.$950,000 or make offer. Kipp (719) 852-0155.
BUY SELL
AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE
PARTS INVENTORYALL AMF BUMPER PARTS, XS Q-BUMP,
DURABOWL AND GEN II IN STOCK
Danny & Daryl TuckerDanny & Daryl TuckerTucker Bowling Equipment Co. Bowling Parts, Inc.609 N.E. 3rd St. P.O. Box 801Tulia, Texas 79088 Tulia, Texas 79088Call (806) 995-4018 Call (806) 995-3635Fax (806) 995-4767 Email - [email protected]
www.tuckerbowling.com
59IBI May 2013
CLASSIFIEDS
CENTRAL ILLINOIS: PRICED TOSELL!! 8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, fullservice restaurant, pro shop. Plus pooltables, karaoke machine & DJ system.Asking $125,000.00 with RE. (217) 351-5152 or [email protected].
NW KANSAS: 12-lane center, AS-80s,Lane Shield, snack bar, pro shop, game &pool rooms. See pics andinfo @ www.visitcolby.com or contactCharles (785) 443-3477.
MICHIGAN-SOUTH CENTRAL: Largecenter with late model equipment. Strongleague base plus high-volume franchise. REincluded. Sandy Hansell (800) 222-9131.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: 8-lane familyowned center w/ snack bar & large gameroom. 10-year-old AMF equipment. Only centerin the county. Email: [email protected] inquiries only please.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Fully remodeledFEC—12 lanes, bar, restaurant, mini golf, gokarts, batting cages, big arcade! Hugefacility. Big summer business. Busy year-round! 40 years in community. $3.5M. Call(847) 363-8799.
GEORGIA, Vadalia: 16-lane center. Lowdown payment; assume a SBA 4.75%interest loan. Will carry 2nd note on half ofdown payment. For additional info, faxqualified inquiries to (912) 537-4973 or [email protected].
MINNESOTA, Duluth: 32 wood lanes withBrunswick automatic scoring and pinsetters,bar & grill, 30,000 s/f on 2+ acres. Goodbusiness since 1960. Great location. SteveBragg CBI Calhoun Companies @(218) 663-7682 or [email protected].
CENTERS FOR SALE
LEASE/OPTION TO BUY
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (Susanville):10-lane center with restaurant—14,000 s/fbldg. on 2.35 acre parcel. Flexible terms.Contact Lori Johnson, Lester Company,(831) 722-2741 or lori@lestercompany.
SERVICES AVAILABLE
See a list that will help centers fill lanes w/1200+New Bowlers, Birthday Parties &Corporate Outings that generate $15,800—a 600% ROI from 4 payments starting at$378. Visit mcprs.bmamkt.com or call(888) 243-0685.
60 IBI May 2013
SERVICES AVAILABLE
Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring BallRepair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com.
AMF 5850 & 6525 CHASSIS. Exchangeyour tired or damaged chassis for anupgraded, rewired, cleaned, painted andready-to-run chassis. Fast turnaround.Lifetime guarantee. References available.CHASSIS DOCTORS (330) 314-8951.
CLASSIFIEDS
"Bowling Center Construction Specialists"
�New Center Construction �Family Entertainment Centers�Residential Bowling Lanes�Modernization�Mini Bowling Lanes�Automatic Scoring
Toll Free: (866) 961-7633Office: (734) 469-4293
Email: [email protected]
CONTACT BRIAN ESTES
Orange County Security Consultants
•Keys & ComboLocks for allTypes ofLockers.
•One weekturnaroundon mostorders.
•New locks -All types
•Used locks1/2 priceof new
All keysdone bycode #.
No keysnecessary.
LOCKERKEYS FAST!
CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-700-4KEYINT’L 530-432-1027
E-mail: [email protected] YOUR ORDER TO US AT:
530-432-2933
202 Bridge StreetJessup, PA 18434570-489-8623www.minigolfinc.com
MINIATURE GOLF COURSESIndoor/Outdoor. Portable/Pre-Fab. Black
Light/Traditional/Pro Putter.
61IBI May 2013
CLASSIFIEDS
ForFLORIDA CENTERS
CallDAVID DRISCOLL& ASSOCIATES
1-800-444-BOWL3800 Lake Center Loop,Suite B1, Mount Dora,
FL 32757-2208AN AFFILIATE OF
SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES
MANAGER WANTED
Don't miss your chance to grow withan Industry Leader! Looking forExperienced, Service-OrientedGeneral Managers for our U.S.bowling retail center locations.Please check us out atwww.brunswickcareers.apply2jobs.com for more details on our currentopenings. Act Now! Apply Today!
POSITION WANTED
Accomplished District Manager with uniqueOperational, Team Building/Leadership andMarketing skills seeking comparable position.Very organized, self-motivated, multi-taskmaster with a “can do” attitude. Open torelocation. [email protected];(201) 657-4684.
AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC boardrepair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fastturnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service
5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695)
Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon)E-mail: [email protected]
Visit us on the WEB!http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/
PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70S.S. & M.P. MACHINES
Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. BoardExchange & Repair!
A reasonable alternative forChassis and P.C. Board Exchanges
MIKE BARRETTCall for Price List
Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576
62 IBI May 2013
REMEMBER WHEN
om, Dad, Suzy and Billy are having a night out. As you can see, Billy,in the background, needs no bumpers; a good follow though will putthat ball right between the #1 and #2 pins. Suzy is distracted by the7-Up which will be hers once she has had her turn. Mom and Dad are
just relishing the whole event. Bowling definitely is the “all-family” game!Oh how times have changed – check out the “easy lift center handle” on the
7-Up Family Pack; the wooden crate makes it easy to store! ❖
M1953
