international bowling industry september 2012

7IBI September 2012

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

PUBLISHER & EDITORScott Frager

[email protected]: scottfrager

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISINGChris Holmes

[email protected]

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTGregory Keer

[email protected]

OFFICE MANAGERPatty Heath

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSPatty HeathFred Groh

Anna M. LittlesMark MillerHero NodaJoan Taylor

EDITORIAL DIRECTORJackie Fisher

[email protected]

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 2012, B2B Media,Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprintedwithout the publisher’s permission.

MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

8ISSUE AT HAND

When Bowling Ruledthe Sunday L.A. Times

By Scott Frager

10SHORTS

• Bowl Canada• Joan Romeo

• Bowling and theatre• In-School bowling

Compiled by Patty Heath

18FEATURE Form and

Function = BeautyOld and new blend

together in fourultra-modern centers

By Anna M. Littles

26COVER STORYBringing in the

Big HaulJohnny Morris, founder

and CEO of Bass ProShops talks business

and bowlingBy Fred Groh

34PROFILE

Weaving HistoryThe carpet in your center

is much more than funpatterns and bright colors.

By Mark Miller

CONTENTS

40PHOTO ESSAYBowl ExpoOne last look at the people,the place and the productsthat made the 2012 tradeshow so memorablePhotos courtesy ofHero Noda

43OPERATIONSFire and IceIcel and Tom Haynes keepthings hot (and cool!) onthe lanes in ColoradoBy Joan Taylor

45OFF THE CLOCKOrder Up!A father/son duo serveup a tasty treat in theirMichigan hometownBy Anna M. Littles

56REMEMBER WHEN1959Ladies Take Over

38 Showcase

47 Datebook

48 Classifieds

VOL 20.9

45

18

26

8 IBI September 2012

THE ISSUE AT HAND

Back in July, as Bowl Expo exhibitorswere crating up their booths, aviators weretransporting attendees home to all cornersof the planet, and BPAA staff were takingwell-earned breaths of fresh air, bowlingwas in the news.

I recall waking up on Sunday, July15th, and sleepily walking, coffee cup inhand, to collect the L.A. Times thatalways patiently waits for me on thefamily driveway. It’s a long-time traditionthat I’m sure many of you still cherish.

While there seemed nothing extra-special about this bright and sunnySunday, news-wise, my eyes perked upwhen I noticed a story on the frontpage, under the fold, with a headlinepointing to Reno’s relevance in the upcomingpresidential election.

“Hey,” I thought to myself, “I was just inReno.” So I read on and turned the page todiscover a rather large photo of Bowling’s U.S.Women’s Open held outside on the famedVirginia Street in downtown Reno.

More sips of the fresh hot java and Idiscovered another story that mentionedbowling. This time it was a story about theconvention business in Las Vegas givingprops to the many large-scale conventionsthat are held in the “conference capital of the

world.” But, it also gave mention to some of the smaller events that areVegas’ “bedfellows.” Among the Psychology of Eating

Disorders conference, a pecan shellers’association, and some locksmiths was ourvery own Washington State BowlingProprietors Association.

Are you kidding me? All of these bowlingreferences in one issue of the Sunday L.A.Times? Was this a message from above? Ididn’t really think so until I made it to the veryend of the paper and started upon the daily“Jumble” word game. And, lo and behold,there were two more bowling referencesincluding the main “Jumble” clue! The first isobvious; the second a little more clever. Can youfind them?

Okay, maybe there really was no divineintervention when it came to that morning’s

newspaper. Maybe it was just random circumstance. But, I couldn’thelp but feel that bowling was in the news not because of chance, butbecause we are something special!

I consider these signs a reminder that weshould never lose sight of our own presence andrelevance in this world.

– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHERAND [email protected]

Blog! Throughout the month the gauntlet is thrown to IBI’s online membership. FredKaplowitz doesn’t mince words. In his latest look at Washington state’s decliningnumbers, both youth and adult, he stated, “WE HAVE BEEN ON A SLIPPERY SLOPEFOR 34 YEARS OF DECLINING LEAGUE LINEAGE and all we can do is go to meetings.C’mon man!”

Equal to that was his musings on the “wow” factor. The challenge is ratcheting upthe element of “entertainment” in bowling…or not.

IBI puts ideas in front of its membership each and every day through its Blogs andForums. It’s time to be heard. C’mon man!

Wouldn’t it be interesting if each and every one of the 1940 members gave Mr.Kaplowitz a piece of their mind?

�THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com

When Bowling Ruled the Sunday L.A. Times


SHORTS

PEOPLEWATCHING

Bowl Canada had its Annual General Meeting inOttawa, Ontario and elected officer positions for the

next two years. Of import was that the ExecutiveCommittee now has its first female board memberwith Colleen Haider taking on the role of Secretary.

The Bowling Writers Association of America(BWAA) elected Joan Romeo,Van Nuys, CA, its 68th Presidentand the first elected to the new,expanded international group.Romeo has a background inPublic Relations and serves onnumerous industry committees.She recently chaired the BWAAPezzano Youth Scholarship andExpo committees. She is a member of the BPAAInternational Relations Committee and serves on theEvent Committee for the International BowlingMuseum and Hall of Fame.

John Lenna, Director ofProduct Development for U.S.Polychem was recently electedinto the RCUSBC Hall of Fame forOutstanding Performance andDedication in the bowling industry.

A right-handed bowler since8, Lenna has twenty-two 300games as well as an 800 series.

Besides his duties at Polychem, he is the lane manat New City Bowl, New York.

“I have enjoyed lane maintenance since I was inmy teens. After years of experience, I’ve learnedwhat proper lane maintenance is all about. My goalis to give the bowler the fairest and most consistentconditions possible. I pride myself on it.”

Joan Romeo

From left to right are Rod Hennessey, treasurer; GarySchmaltz, vice president; Kyle Harre, president; MarianoMeconi, past president; Colleen Haider, secretary.

John Lenna

Want to run a successful entertainment center? Twenty-eightindividuals from across the U.S. and Canada met in Chicago to hearsix entertainment industry presenters share their expertise andexperience at the Foundations Entertainment University class # 26.

It was an 18-hour course of instruction for entrepreneurs lookingto get into a highly lucrative and expanding field of FECentertainment. Among those speaking were Randy White, CEO ofWhite Hutchinson Leisure & Learning; Joe Camarota, COO, andJerry Merola, CFO, of Alpha-Omega Amusements and Partner ofAmusement Entertainment Management; Alan Fluke, President ofAEA consulting Group; Peter F. Olesen, President of Entertainment

Concepts, Inc. Also included was Kevin Williams from the UK andpublisher of Stinger Report.

Foundations Entertainment University has been recognizedworldwide as the platinum standard of education in familyentertainment and bowling industries. The 27th class will be heldSeptember 18-20. Visit www.foundationsuniversity.com for moreinformation.

FEC TRAINING GROUND

Intercard Inc., an international company since 1979 involvedin gaming technology and cashless debit card systems forfamily entertainment centers and bowling entertainment facilities,has announced the redesign of its website,www.intercardinc.com.

As stated by the press release, “the fresh navigation anddesign make it simple to learn about the products and servicesthat Intercard offers to clients in the amusement industry andbeyond, including opportunities for casinos and retailers offeringgift card or loyalty programs.”

26th graduating class of Foundations Entertainment University.


SHORTS

An old Wal-Mart building will be taking on new life in Gonzales, LA. A 26-lane bowling and familyentertainment center will be filling the aisles. Malco Theatres Inc. of Memphis, TN, expects to havethe new center open by the end of the year. Included will be a six-lane party center and a children’sarea with bumper cars, a laser maze, an arcade and four projection screens to watch LSU or NewOrleans Saints football games.

Since 1976, Airborne Lanes has been the bowling spot for Fort Bragg. It was time for an “up-do” and after a year of renovations “all the way to the door,” Airborne reopened its doors. There isnew décor including carpet, paint and furniture plus a new strike zone-themed concession area andnew bowling balls. There are also new party rooms which can accommodate different sized groups.

John Higgins Jr. has purchased Brongo Bowl in Honeoye Falls, NY. The seller was Mrs. DonnaBrongo. Marcel Fournier of Sandy Hansell and Associates, Inc. served as the broker in the transaction.

It’s hard to get away. Just ask Dave Branigan of River Falls, WI, who along with his family ranBud’s Lanes for 40 years, moving it from downtown to the city’s north side in the mid-1980s. In2007 the center was sold. Now Branigan has bought it back, renamed it St Croix Lanes and isin the process of reopening. “I will basically be the property owner this time,” Branigan said. A two-man management team will run the center.

According to YumaSun.com and writer Joyce Lobeck, Inca Lanes, an AMF leased center, closedthe first of July as the center’s business license had expired. That left Jerry and Nancy Thomas,owners of the property, with a vacant building. Prior to AMF, the Thomas family had first openedthe center nearly three decades ago and continued to own the property after turning the reignsover to AMF in 1997.

Faced with no tenant, the Thomases announced that Inca Lanes would reopen under theirmanagement after extensive renovation to both the interior and exterior has been completed. Includedwill be a new scoring system, computer software, arcade games, furniture and kitchen equipmentplus fresh paint, new landscaping and a spiffed up parking lot to welcome families.

“It just makes sense to open the bowling center up again,” said Nancy Thomas. “Inca Laneswas once a great family place where the Yuma community could get together.”

Rice Bowling Center is now under new ownership. Don and Kathy Boggs sold the centerto Danny and Debbie Story after eight years of ownership. “We’re a big bowling family,”Debbie Story said, adding that changes could occur once they settle in and get some customerfeedback. The Boggs had purchased the center in 2004 after working for Boeing in WashingtonState for nearly 26 years.

For the Boggs? They plan “to get reacquainted with the family, travel a lot and work as littleas possible.”

EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS

Illinois State Bowling Proprietors’ Associationwith support from the Illinois State USBC Women’sBowling Association and the Illinois State USBCYouth has been cultivating school programs on theelementary and secondary level since 2004. Localbowling proprietors and organizations haveinvested more than $50,000 in subsidy funding tohelp bowling centers and local USBC associationspurchase nearly 500 carpet-lane instructional kitsand peripheral marketing materials that areprovided to schools at no cost.

Further to this, the Highland CommunityCollege Board of Trustees voted in May toapprove men’s and women’s bowling teams,making the college the first in the state andregion to field National Junior College AthleticAssociation bowling teams.

Student bowlers will have a chance to receivea $500 Highland Community College bowlingscholarship, funded by the Northern IllinoisBowling Proprietor Association Foundation,which will partner with the college to promotethe new athletic program.

Executive Strike & Spare inLouisville, KY, hosted the 11thAnnual Lebowski Fest. The Festwas separated into three events.The Movie Party was held onFriday, July 20 where theevening’s entertainment focusedon Mucca Passa, a 30-piecemarching band, prior to thescreening of the Coen Brothers’classic film. The Garden Partytook place on Saturday afternoon with musicand a Lebowski improv set. Lawn games werehosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters ofKentuckiana. The topper was the evening’sThe Bowling Party, which included bowling,costumes, trivia and games.

A Big Strike forKentucky’s Lebowski Fest

Illinois EmbracesIn-School Bowling


SHORTS

It’s the dog days of summer and no end to thebenefits, gatherings and tournaments being held atbowling centers across the U.S.

Pro bowling champions Aleta Sills and MichelleMullen organized the 7th Annual Bowl-4-Animal Rescueat Country Lanes, Farmington Hills, MI. The moniesraised will be used for the Michigan Animal AdoptionNetwork and the Friends for the Dearborn Animalshelter.

In Florida, Senior Dog Bowling Event was held at St.Lucie Lanes. The proceeds will go to benefit All PetRescue, a no-kill animal shelter presently housing 65dogs and 32 cats. Rosa Harding, owner, said, “it isvery hard for the no-kill shelters. If we bring an animalin, we keep that animal until we find it a forever home.It can be very expensive and we rely strictly ondonations.”

Another animal benefit was the 18th Annual Bowlingfor Rhinos hosted by the Oklahoma City Zoo’s chapterof the American Association of Zoo Keepers held atBoulevard Lanes in Edmond, OK. According toNewsOK.com, the event raises funds for rhinoconservation in Asia and Africa. Out of 100 species thathave roamed the Earth, only five exist today, and all areconsidered endangered.

Classic Lanes in Cleveland, OH, was the venue forOakland University’s Figure Skating Club’s fundraiser tohelp pay for its skating season. This is the second year thatthe club has had a bowling fundraiser at the center.

The 3rd Annual Strike A Pin was held at ShowplaceEntertainment Center, Staten Island, NY. It was inhonor of Regina Whalen who died in 2004 ofcomplications from diabetes. The event raised moneyfor the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at ColumbiaPresbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. Whalen had beena community force, forging relationships with all sheencountered. Bowling was one of the activities she didwith family so having a bowling fundraiser just worked.

Fontana Veterans Resource Center organized afundraiser which was held at Fontana Bowling Lanes,Fontana, CA. The goal was to help the resource centerwhich offers employment and housing support, workshopsand outreach programs for veterans in the area.

The American Cancer Society in Waukesha, WI, heldits first Bowling for More Birthdays at Sunset Bowl. Therewas glow in the dark bowling, prizes, raffles, food andFUN! It was designed to help raise money for lifesavingcancer research and services for cancer patients. Goal?Create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.GO

OD

WIL

L C

EN

TR

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The USBC OpenChampionship held at BatonRouge River Center finishedits 151-day run this past July.With the conclusion, cleanupbegan in earnest with tons oflanes and other structuresbeing dismantled. Volunteerswith the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity of GreaterBaton Rouge packed flatbed trucks with plywoodand two-by-fours gathered from the dismantling.

According to Habitat for Humanity ExecutiveDirector Lynn Clark, the lumber will be sold at theBaton Rouge ReStore yielding about $25,000.

Greg Moore of USBC said the Baton Rougecommunity made a significant investment to get thetournament to come to the city. “It’s extremelyimportant that we try and return that investment thatthe city has [made] and make sure that both partiesend in a nice happy state.”

Meridian, ID, cannow boast a state-of-the-art 42-lanebowling center. BigAl’s, Inc. opened itsnewest location atThe Village inMeridian which is anexpansive retail, restaurant and entertainment center.Besides the bowling, the venue includes a 7,000-square-foot, 200-player arcade and a stadium-likesports bar and grill featuring a 21-and-older loungewith a golf simulator, pool tables, shuffleboard, classicdarts and arcade games.

Daniel Kirkwood, CEO of Big Al’s, Inc. stated in apress release, “We’re excited to be able to provide

new jobs in thearea and toprovide a funenvironment forour employees, ourcorporate partners,and our localcommunity.”

Another Big Al’s Debut


SHORTS

It is hard to imagine a child-sized ball and inflatable lanes tomatch but that is whatHammacher Schlemmer offerswith its Human Bowling Ball ata smacking $4,500. Designedfor children ages 5-12, the setconsists of one giant, inflatable hamster ball and one inflatedbowling lanes. You insert one plucky little kid into the ball andentice them to run quickly down the lane. The sides act asbumpers and the kid-ball caroms off the sides to the amusementof onlookers and attempts to knock over six 5-foot tall foam pins.

Any takers?

STEP INSIDE THE BALL

WATCHMedia

Looking for a nice little get-away near the Eastern shore? Fora paltry $48,000 a month you might consider Shawn Carter’s31,000-square-foot cottage in the Hamptons on the eastern sideof Long Island. There’s lots of room plus amenities such as a rock-climbing wall, recording studio,virtual golf and skateboard half-pipe. But, I forgot the pièce derésistance, a two-lane custombowling theatre created andinstalled by US Bowling!

Jay-Z, Beyonce and theirdaughter 6-month old Blue Ivyhave it booked for August. Butwho knows, maybe you canspend a month in the fall.

I hope they keep the door to the rock wall closed. Blue Ivy isreally too young!

HOME SWEET RENTAL HOME

Frames, located in Midtown Manhattan,hosted an end of summer bash with “NoStrings Attached.” The dress code was, notsurprisingly, bathing suits and boardshorts! What could be better than bikinibowling at one of the most luxuriousentertainment spots in New York.

BETTER THAN BIKINI BEACH BINGO

OnSite Theatre Company, an ensemble group in St.Louis, MO, stages plays in locations throughout the city.According to its website, “actors, audience and location playactive roles in an interactive environment for a fresh,unconventional experience.”

Co-founders, Ann Marie Mohr and Kristen Edler,remounted their first production, “Bowling Epiphany—TheRevival” under the directorship of Joe Hanrahan as ananniversary celebration. The event, which was held the lastthree weeks of June, revolved around bowling and was

held at one of the last remaining church bowling alleys inSt. Louis, Epiphany Lanes. The lanes on the grounds ofEpiphany of Our Lord Church was an ideal setting for threeshort plays written expressly for OnSite and the location.

Dan Rubin wrote two of the pieces, “Just Bowl” and“What Would Jesus Bowl?” Carter Lewis penned the third,“Anarchy of a Pin Boy.” According to Judith Newmark, Post-Dispatch Theater Critic, “the plays cover a lot of territory withwarmth, intelligence and a suddenly apt metaphor.”

Where do the socks come in? During the evening, it is not just the actors who get to

bowl. Theatergoers take turns during intermission. EpiphanyLanes has bowling shoes for everyone, but audiencemembers must arrive with a ticket and socks.

The play’s the thing on the lanes with (left to right) Antonio Rodriguez,Elizabeth Birkenmeier nad Donna Weinsting in “What would Jesus Bowl?”

BOWLING TAKESCENTER STAGE

Bring your own socks and enjoyan evening at the theatre!

18 IBI September 2012IBI September 2012

FEATURE

19IBI September 2012

FEATURE

he Alsace-Lorraine region is a dreamthat sits in splendor between theRhine River on its east, and theVosges mountains in the west. It’s anarea of France that shares its

borders with Germany. Alsace is known for itsvineyards, monasteries and old castles. It is alsoknown for its dual Franco-Germanic cultures.Many of the towns have German names andthe village architecture clearly features a strongGermanic influence.

You might ask, “what on earth does thishave to do with the bowling industry?”Everything! In this beautiful, picturesqueregion are four of the most ultra modernbowling centers in the world. And they areowned by one family. Brice Wohlgemuth,who is the only family member involved inthe chain of centers who speaks fluentEnglish, is young, but don't let his age foolyou into thinking he doesn't know about the bowling business. Brice

TBy Anna M. Littles

Bowling is a Meyer family tradition. From left

to right: Arnaud Meyer, Laure Meyer, Pierrette

Wohlgemuth (Richard's sister), Richard Meyer,

and Brice Wohlgemuth (Pierette's son).

historically known as the crossroads and Parliamentaryseat of Europe, is Bowling de l’Orangerie. It is hip andtrendy, has 24 lanes and a great pro shop. It is located ina beautiful setting by a lake in the Jardin de L’Orangerie. Their restaurant includes a summer terrace that looks outonto the lake. Meanwhile, the lake is part of the Parc del’Orangerie (get the theme?).

The Bowling des Quatres Vents is also in the city ofStrasbourg but in a town called Phalsbourg. The Bowlingdes Quatres Vents translates in English as “Bowling for theFour Winds.” It’s the smallest of the centers at 18 lanes andalso has a beautiful outdoor café designed around a lovelypond with a water spout feature.

In addition to his distribution business, Brice has anotherday job which is managing Bowling de Trèfle with hiscousins, Arnaud Meyer, 24, and David Leppert, 23. Brice’smother, Pierrette handles business administration for all ofthe centers. Bowling de Trèfle is the newest jewel to thefamily business. Bowling de Trèfle translates to “TheBowling of Clover,” and it is located in Dorlisheim, a town


FEATURE

ran down the story behind his family’s foray into the world ofbowling. It began in 2003 when his uncle and aunt, Richard and LaureMeyer, opened their first bowling center, Cristal Bowling, thelargest of the family owned centers at 36 lanes. The Meyers workedwith Switch Bowling when they built Cristal. Switch Bowling is acompany that designs and builds both bowling equipment andcenters. Switch's corporate partnership between Pinifarina (designersof Ferrari and Porche), Toshiba (tech giant) and Abet Laminate(famous for laminate surfaces including interior and exterior wallsand floorings) was the perfect choice for the Meyers forward-thinking design.

The Meyers were so thrilled with the outcome that they went onto design and build 3 more centers; and Brice was so impressed withthe company that in 2007 he took on distribution of the Switch brandin France and Europe. As distributor, the core of Brice’s business isputting together teams that can design and build a bowling centerfrom scratch. He has consulted in centers that are opening upoutside of Paris and a new one which has recently opened in Dubai.There is no detail too small or too big for him to handle.

The family’s bowling centers are located in different areas ofAlsace. Cristal Bowling is located in Wittelsheim, a town in the areaknown as the Haut-Rhine. They have a strong league business as wellas birthday parties for kids. It is very contemporary in design, familyfriendly and offers catering for parties and a bar for refreshments.

The design of the other three family centers has taken leisure andfun to whole new level. The family bowling center in Strasbourg,

Cristal Bowling

years young enjoy the game. On weekends, the teens and singlesshow up in masses and the bowling centers turn into a hybrid dance clubmeets theme park with 40-42 games per lane. Going bowling in Franceis the equivalent of going out to a major event. And why not! All thecenters can accommodate large banquets and birthday parties. Thenewer centers offer fabulous gourmet restaurants that serve fine foodand alcohol. When was the last time you went out bowling and duckfoie gras and pâte were on the menu? Their menus have seasonalspecialties. At Bowling de l’Orangerie, for instance, their menu featuresyoung boar from fall till early spring. In between seasons their menuincludes “Presskopf de Gibier frais de nos chasses,” which translates to"terrine of fresh game of our hunts." Doesn’t everything sound betterin French? The popular dishes at Bowling des Quatres Vents are warmgoat cheese salad with roasted honey, beef tartare, and beef carpaccio,to name a few. Le Bowling de Trèfle takes the cake with herb crustedlamb, salmon carpaccio with fig chutney and toasted brioche... really!

surrounded by breathtaking mountain views. LeBowling de Trèfle offers 28 lanes.

What makes these family bowling centers unique istheir sexy design, hi-tech equipment, combined withthe latest sound and light technology. In other words,they got swagger. It is the design vision of Switch tocreate "a whole new environment of style, sport andspeed." According to Brice, "There is nothing like it."

Brice went on to describe the whole bowling scenein Alsace. The love of bowling is alive and well inFrance. Brice states that children four years old to 87


FEATURE

Bowling des Quatres Vents


FEATURE

Anna Littles, a screenplay and freelance writer andproducer originally from the Bronx, New York, nowresides in Santa Monica, California. You can see herwork on YouTube, IMDB, or on her website [email protected].

And honorable mention goes to deserts like strawberry rhubarb sorbet,crème brulee and chocolate mousse.

If that were not enough, each center contains an ultra chic billiard clubwhich is deliberately designed to be a small, private setting that has about10 -13 tables for upscale clientele. However, it is the bowling centersthat dominate with lane upon lane of high-tech fun.

Brice attributes the centers success to the fact that bowling is morethan a sport in Europe. It is a happening. In fact, bowling has explodedinto a show. The centers are designed with awesome light effects,lasers and video projectors providing a non-stop "wow" factor. Inessence, it is a laser/light show and music pumping with a driving beatevery night. Clients consider these centers their night club, theme barand sports events all rolled up into one. And people are willing to paytop Euro to come out and play.

Voila! Beautiful scenic landscapes with lush green rolling hills in the richestregion of France; a calm, peaceful and idyllic setting. A lovely description

of Alsace-Lorraine, yet it does not capture the region'scomplexity and contradictions. Basically, the place isjumping! That my friend translates into bowling centersthat groove to a different beat, with mobs of peoplestepping out for a great time. The designers of this newand exciting night life are a tight knit family working hardto make bowling the biggest show in town. And don’tforget those menus! Ca va? ❖

Bowling de Trèfle


COVER STORY

t noon on a hot day in the arid stretch east of Los Angeles, the acres of parkingat the Bass Pro Shop in the upscale town of Rancho Cucamonga are already hostinga crowd of four-wheeled guests, mostly SUVs and pickups.

Close to the main entrance a statuesque, friendly fish stands with rod and reelbragging about the camera-toting tourist who hangs upside down on a fish scale. Words overthe door spell out a welcome to “fishermen, hunters, and other liars.” Customers inside canheed the call of nature in the Casa de Pipi.

The store is nothing if not a good-humored place to shop, but there is a lot more—an upstairsand downstairs with square footage to rival a Walmart Supercenter, packed snout to tail witheverything for the outdoorsman and -woman and -kid. Like to go camping, fishing, canoeing, hunting,hiking, climbing? You can buy a speed boat, a package of biscuit mix, a bow and arrow, a depthfinder or a sweater. You can have dinner in the restaurant (alligator appetizers), take a hunting safetycourse (yes, they sell safes for your gun collection), or pick out a sofa for your home or cabin.

Company stats are as outsized as the inventory. The 58 Bass Pro Shops in 26 states andCanada (two stores) draw 100 million visitors a year, six times the number who go to DisneyWorld, putting the stores among the top five tourist attractions in 12 Southeast and heartland

ABy Fred Groh


COVER STORY


COVER STORY

states from Iowa to Mississippi, according to the company. It mails more than 150 million catalogs and sales circulars yearly, operates

nine in-house restaurant brands, wholesales through 7,000 local sportinggoods stores, is the nation’s biggest retailer of fishing boats, owns andoperates an 850-acre resort near Branson, MO, and a 2,200-acre nature park,Dogwood Canyon in the Missouri Ozarks. It produces television programmingand sponsors a NASCAR team,

And in three of the Bass Pro Shop stores—soon to be more—you can gobowling and think you’re under the sea. Next year, the company will openits first freestanding bowling center.

t t t

“I guess this business started because I didn’t want a real job. I just wantedto fish and be close to fishing,” Johnny Morris says in a soft Southerndrawl. “I was probably about 21 or 22, somewhere in there.”

He had already been fishing Ozarks waters for years with his dad and hismother’s brother, Uncle Buck, aka John Willey, drifting down the rivers andgoing for small-mouth bass and blue gill or perch. When the U.S. Corps ofEngineers built a dam on the White River in the ’50s, about 40 miles fromhome in Springfield, MO, it created Tablerock Lake.

Morris entered the first national bass tournament there in 1970.“Bass fishing was an emerging sport, I would say. I met fishermen from

all over the country, and they had different types of lures and techniquesand I was fascinated by it. I was a good customer of a local sportinggoods department in a Gibson’s discount store, kind of an early-dayWalmart. I kept taking [the manager] a list of items that I had foundat the tournament and finally after a few weeks, he said ‘Johnny I’msorry, but I can’t get permission from the home office to carrythese things.’”

Morris’s father was more pliable when Johnny proposed puttingsome fishing gear in the liquor store his dad owned just outsideSpringfield on the way to Tablerock. John A. co-signed a note fromthe bank and Johnny hired a friend to join him on a U-Haul trip to Tulsa,where they loaded up on fishing tackle and returned to Springfield.

The fishing gear took over about a third of the liquor store’s 1500 squarefeet to start, but “We just kept pushing his beer over as time went on.

“We named the store—or our fishingdepartment—Bass Pro Shop because it was verydescriptive of who we were, what we wanted tobe, and that was a specialist for bass fishing gear.Timing in any venture is real important. I think ourtiming was good, to be providing specialequipment and service to a rapidly growingsegment of the fishing tackle industry.”

But as he celebrates Bass Pro’s fortieth birthdaythis year, Morris does not recommend to fledglingentrepreneurs that they begin the way he did.

“We didn’t really have a long-term plan at all.I think there are a lot of [startup] endeavors thatdon’t make it because they have the passion andenthusiasm but you have to have a definite planthat you’re keeping a visual eye on, to makemoney. You have to have that balance. How muchinventory can you justify? Start off at one level andwork your way up. Make sure you’re operatingwithin your financial capacity.”

In Morris’s case, his father supplied some of thebalance. “My dad was really my hero. He was bigon working hard, big on delivering value. He wasrelentless on ‘John, it’s not worth any more onyour shelf than on your competitor’s shelf,’ [on]taking care of people, whether it’s your customersor people in the company.” He taught what ahealthy margin is and how to make it.

Today, Morris condenses his lifetime of learningabout retailing—whether it’s sporting goods orbowling games—when he says, “Follow your


COVER STORY

passions. Listen to your customerscarefully and your people on yourteam. Don’t be afraid to shop incompetitors’ stores. Keepabreast of what’s going on inthe market. Always keep youreye open. Is there a void, isthere a need that isn’t beingmet that we can fill?”

Back then, the youngerMorris felt like he was puttingtogether “a jigsaw puzzle.”

t t t

Bass Pro did all its retail businessin the liquor store for 13 years beforethe building that had been home to theold Gibson’s—the store that wouldn’t stockthe items Morris wanted to buy—came on themarket. At 80,000 square feet, he didn’t know what hewould ever do with so much space. He put the retailinginto a quarter of the building—and had to double thatthe following year.

Then the epiphany. At the urging of friends of hisparents who lived in Maine, Morris went up to Freeportto take a look at the headquarters of L.L. Bean.

“A huge inspiration. They were attracting millionsof people. We said, ‘If they can attract all these peopleto this small town, we can attract a lot of people toour headquarters in Springfield.’”

Morris spent the next two years traveling “to everysporting goods store I could hear of in the States andthen I traveled overseas.” He picked up ideas all over.“Like in Europe it was very common to have indoorshooting facilities so customers could sight-in their riflesbefore hunting season. It was virtually unheard ofhere in the States.”

When he settled back in at Springfield again, he setto work creating what he called a “daydream store”on the premises for his customers.

“We could have aquariums—that’s about fish andfishing. So we built some aquariums. We wanted tohave a restaurant in the store; got permission fromErnest Hemingway’s son Jack to name our restaurantHemingway’s. We put in the Tall Tales Barber Shop,where guys could get their hair cut sitting in big-game salt-water fish-fighting chairs.

“We built a lot of things in that store to enable ourpeople to give our customers a higher level of servicethan they’d ever encountered—indoor archery range,indoor rifle range, indoor pistol range. We built a seminarroom—I named it after my Uncle Buck— so we could

have lectures there onconservation and huntingand fishing, certificationclasses for hunters for safetyeducation in conjunction with theMissouri Department of Conservation, and on and on. We tried to makeit a really fun place for customers—trophy wildlife displays, trophy fishdisplays—but also we put in a reel repair studio, a taxidermy studio so wecould mount the customer’s fish—kind of one shop to find everything.”

That store is where Bass Pro national headquarters sits today, threemiles down the road from where his father ran the liquor store.

t t t

“Daydream” ideas have never stopped pouring out of Morris, thesedays abetted by a department in the company devoted to design andan Imagery Team that features in customizing each Bass Pro store to thelocal area.

In the Rancho Cucamonga store, the fishing department is reachedvia a short bridge over a wishing-well stream stocked with fish. Twoanglers—so intense on their work they have never been seen to movea muscle—stand on the rocks near the bridge. The ceiling over the ranksof shelves and display cases looks a translucent blue, like the surface ofwater seen from below. Life-size marlins hang from it, and a mural of sealsand a shark by team artist Daniel Lee Melendez runs around the wallsabove the merchandise. Bass Pro has its own woodworking and metalfabrication shops for chandeliers or other fixtures the decor may require.

“We send people out—sometimes I go myself—but we always havea team that are [studying the local] history. We ask our customers, ‘Didyour uncle or grandpa have like a big fish photo or a trophy of a deer,maybe, or maybe you got one yourself last week?’

“We try to reach out to our conservation partners like Ducks Unlimitedor Wild Turkey Federation. We visit any hunting or fishing lodges or clubsin an area, the conservation groups, historical societies. We try to

make our stores a little bit of a local museum and a natural history museum. So themurals [will] be things that are indigenous to [local] nature.”

Nor is the Rancho design all broad brushstrokes. Everything in the store seems tohave been carefully thought through. In the shoe department, the tops of the casesare laid out as habitat scenes using the local flora and fauna (an armadillo and squirrels).The fishing department and its undersea motif are on the ground floor; the huntingdepartment, where the quarry live on plains or mountains or in the sky, is upstairs.

The customer’s ideal first impression is “a sense of discovery,” Morris reflects.“Hopefully, the image people leave with besides an exciting store overall is that wehave absolutely high-quality gear in every category and exceptional value andfriendly, expert service.”

Judging by Clay in the hunting department, they do. He has wavy salt-and-pepper hair and an immaculately groomed handlebar mustache and carefully explainsto us how hunters use the deer mockups to improve their aim. The stores look forpeople like Clay, with “passion and knowledge for the categories,” when they hirestaff who will be interacting with the public, says Morris.

“That’s what we need. Somebody that doesn’t have to stop and look up in a bookabout a rod or lure. They know because they’re out in their time off fishing themselves.It’s that knowledge, passion, enthusiasm. People seek us out for that; we seekpeople out for that.”

t t t

What to put in and what to take out of the stores is partly intuitive, he says. “Ourcustomer’s enjoyment. Like an aquarium. What’s the payback on an aquarium?People love it, it creates traffic and excitement and enjoyment. [And] just like everyretailer, we monitor our ROI in a category. It’s a cross, on some of these features,between the financial return and the excitement level.”

Morris has no divided thoughts about proprietary products. At the Rancho store, big-sip drink cups, fish batter, gravy mix (goes with the biscuit mix, for camping) andDogwood Canyon fly rods are among the items carrying the company name or logo.Their value to the business is “absolutely critical,” Morris says, thinking about how bowlingproprietors could find them useful.

“[Our industry is] very, very competitive—shotguns,rifles, shotgun shells, fishing reels, electronics.

We go head to head and try to be veryaggressive on pricing. On a lot of

name brands, it’s very low-margin.With our brands, which include

our Tracker boats, our BassPro label on fishing rods,

lures, a lot of our apparel,we can offer thecustomer a bettervalue. Many timesunique features, butalso we make ahealthier margin inprofit.

“My dad used tosell his own brand of

whiskey in his store, andthat kind of inspired me


COVER STORY


COVER STORY

[about] the need to have ourown brands to differentiateus. One, you can make ahealthy margin and second,you’re building your brand. Inour case, if people get it andthey like it, they can only findit in the store or the catalog.For people in bowling centers, Ican’t tell you how many caps we’vesold to people with our Bass Proemblem on [them], or shirts or t-shirts.”

t t t

Half a dozen Tracker boats are on display inside the Ranchostore, next to the fishing department. The outboards are poweredby Mercury engines, made by “our biggest vendor to Bass ProShops,” Brunswick.

In fall 2005, Morris’s call to Brunswick about exploring the possibilityof putting bowling into the stores was answered by the bowlingdivision’s current vice president of North America sales, Kurt Harz. “A greatguy,” Morris says.

“I was going to the Florida Keys fishing—and still do, some. Years ago, Iremember going by this place called The Fish Bowl, a bowling center downaround Islamorada. I think eventually it closed. I was thinking and talking toKurt. He said they had new technology for lanes and they could make the laneskind of any color, and something just occurred to me about the old Fish Bowlin the Keys. I thought, ‘Man, maybe we should come out [with it] for arestaurant theme. We’ll have some bowling, not like leagues, but just fun forkids, and guys coming in, and gals. Why don’t we make this almost like anundersea adventure?’”

Brunswick had started doing custom lane designs only three or fourmonths before, most of it internationally, Harz recalls. Into the talks with Morris,he introduced the idea of “a lane that could look like you’re bowling in anaquarium. That led to bowling underneath the sea.”

Once the concept was set, Bass Pro’s design and developmentdepartment, headed by Tom Jowett, became heavily involved, Harz reports.Says Morris, “One of our creative team members, Tom, came up with a shark-head idea and a big crocodile-head idea for the ball returns.” The final graphicdesign for the lanes was produced by Jowett’s team.

Everything came together. A fun place for customers that “ties in withfishing for a fishing store and a more unique restaurant.” He named theconcept for the man he fished with as a kid: Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill.The bowling and the restaurant are adjacent, visible from the checkout lanes,with an exterior entrance of their own and extended hours so people candine and bowl after the store closes.

When the first Uncle Buck’s opened in Altoona, IA, Harz says, “I watchedpeople standing on the approaches thinking there was actually an aquariumout on the lanes. It changes the entire bowling experience, and it’s such agreat match for the store venue itself.”

“John Morris is the greatest visionary I have ever met,” he continues. “Hisdrive to create the ultimate customer experience is one-of-a-kind,” and Harz

isn’t the only one at Brunswick who thinks so.Brunswick Bowling Products president BrentPerrier calls Uncle Buck’s “a breath of fresh air forthe bowling industry,” and Brunswick CEO andchairman Dusty McCoy sees Uncle Buck’s as aconcept “where all traditional thinking about theactivity of bowling has been recast.”

Morris pronounces himself “tickled to death”with the profitability and customer reaction toUncle Buck’s—the original at Altoona and those thathave followed in East Peoria, IL, and Harlingen, TX.So happy, he is building an Uncle Buck’s in four morestores, including a retro-fit at national headquartersin Springfield. Uncle Buck’s is also headed for thecompany’s resort at Branson and for “most of ournew construction in major markets.”

He has already decided on the next—in Morris’scase, probably inevitable—step. In 2013 he willopen the first freestanding Uncle Buck’s, in Destin,FL, about 50 miles east of Pensacola. ❖

Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI andformer managing editor of the magazine.


PROFILE

bout an hour northwest of Atlanta is a part of Georgia fewpeople initially would associate with bowling. Upon furtherreview, however, the connection becomes clear. It turns outthis area is known as the “Carpet Capital of the World” and

carpet is among the most visible aspects of any entertainment-focusedbusiness. The vast majority of the brightly-colored flooring found inbowling centers is manufactured by three companies located there.Flagship Carpet, Omega Pattern Works and Astro Carpet Mills sharemore than just innovation and location. Their histories also areintertwined.

BEDSPREADS AND BOWLINGNorthwest Georgia is a prime location due to its proximity to cotton

fields and steel manufacturing plants and its penchant to attractindependent, self-sufficient people. It also is home to Chantillybedspreads, originally made by individual women in the early 1900s.

“The first bedspreads were handmade with singleneedle machines. It was a big cottage industry backthen,” said Mitchell Brumlow, the third-generationowner of Flagship Carpet's parent company, BrumlowMills. “The ladies would stay home with their kids andmake the bedspreads with one machine at home.”

By the 1930s, factory machines replaced peoplein tufting or weaving the cotton together to make thebedspreads and within a decade, nearly all weremachine made. Later, ways to create wide carpets andadd wild colors and designs eventually helped expandthe market again. Today, carpets, rugs andbedspreads made in northwest Georgia are a $9billion world-wide industry with about 70 percent ofthe world’s and more than 80 percent of the U.S.market. Bowling makes up between 20 and 40percent of the industry.

FLAGSHIP CARPETBrumlow's grandfather C.H. began making

bedspreads at age 16 for an area company. Then inthe 1940s he started his own business called BrumlowManufacturing in Calhoun. By the early 1950s, hisson Tommy, who worked on single needle machinesas a teenager, came aboard. Tommy Brumlow laterjoined his father in owning the business until C.H. diedin 1988 at age 87. That's when Mitchell became a part-owner with his father who remains active at age 73.To round out the family affair are Mitchell’s sons

A

By Mark Miller

Tommy Brumlow, Mitchell Brumlow, Chad Brumlow, Jake Brumlow and Weston Brumlow


PROFILE

Weston and Jake and his brother Chad.While making much of their living

selling rugs and carpets to places like Walmart and J.C. Penney, the Brumlows havebeen involved in bowling since adding flatbed printing and creating Flagship about15 years ago. In recent years a special printer Mitchell says is among only twoworldwide was added; the Invista continuous filament machine allows only one typeof fiber to be meshed together. Today Flagship serves hundreds of centers.

“I've always been in carpet and rugs,” Mitchell said. “My sons always say 'whycouldn't you be in something easier.' I say to be successful you have to dosomething complicated and be good at it. They will be partners with me one daylike I was with my father.”

OMEGA PATTERN WORKSWith a population of less than 4,000 people, Chatsworth still is big enough to

serve as the tufting location for Omega Pattern Works and its parent companyMarquis Industries.

In 1978, a local family opened Omega as a plant that supplied dye to other textilemanufacturers. After adding a tufting machine and a flatbed printer, it began makingeverything itself with dye operations at a plant in Calhoun and yarn and printingdone in Dalton.

“We've been involved in bowling since Day 1,” said Omega President ofOperations and Marquis Vice President Chet Graham whose company has carpetin about 50 bowling centers. Like his competitors, clients also include places likegame arcades, theaters, skating centers, casinos, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs.As the entertainment and hospitality industries like bowling began moving awayfrom basic colors and toward floral prints, companies like Omega did too.

“People were tired of the same old look,” Graham said. “The style changes wereinfluenced by clothing designs and interior designs to give a different look. Likeso much else, it started as a West Coast look.”

Around 2004, when Omega was bought by Marquis, it began making its ownyarn after years of buying from manufacturers elsewhere in the country. Then in2010, Omega added jet printing which saved time and money and allowed for morecreative designs.

ASTRO CARPET MILLSLike the Brumlows, Astro Carpet Mills owner Ed Hurney has a family history in

the floor covering industry as his father Frank started in sales and marketing inChicago in 1946.

“I've been in the business since I was able to walk with my father,” saidHurney, 67.

From Chicago, the family moved toGreen Bay, WI, where after graduatingcollege, Ed followed his father in sales. Hestarted his own carpet brokering businessin 1971 which he sold seven years later. In1979 he moved to Dalton and by 1991 heformed Astro where he bypassed retailersand sold synthetic turf directly to thousandsof miniature golf courses, indoor party andgame facilities and bowling centers.

“We have a strong reputation forquality and we're honored to be a BPAA-preferred (Smart Buy Partner) carpetmaker,” Hurney said.

Astro began making its own yarn andbecame partners with BrunswickCorporation on a custom carpet line aboutthree years ago.

“Business is pretty good,” said Hurney,who estimates his carpets are in more than1,000 centers. “There's enough in it foreverybody. It's really a niche market. We gowhere the big boys don't go.”

Now when you walk into your center ofchoice, take a moment to look whereyou’re walking. Family, tradition andGeorgia’s regional character have allblended together to create that bright,flamboyant sea of color carpet that sets thestage for fun! ❖

Mark Miller is a freelance writer fromFlower Mound, Texas. He is thenational and Dallas-Fort Worthbowling writer for Examiner.com anda columnist for the Bowling NewsNetwork.


SHOWCASE

LANE CONDITIONERAt last! A lane conditioner that will work aswell in the northeast during the winter as itwill in the southwest during the same timeof year. U.S. Polychem introduces FourSeasons Lane Conditioner. Formulated tobe forgiving to the environment, it is beingused in and designed for the sole purposeof consistency and continuity. ContactGregg Pasdiora at (515) 537-3702 or [email protected].

SNACK BAR TREATSMcCain Foods USA announces thelaunch of its newest AnchorPoppers flavor, Fire-RoastedPoblano and Jalapeño Popper Bites.Sure to be loved by Poppers fanseverywhere, this fun new treat is sized to fit multiple menuprice points, which makes it perfect for today’s profitablemenu applications like small plates and bar menus. Operatorscan request a sample by visiting www.AnchorPoppers.com orcalling 1-800-POPPERS.

SCORING MEETSCLASSIC GAMEForty Frame Game andNew Center Consulting, Inc. have teamed up to offer 40frame, 20 frame, and 10 frame formats on a standalone laptopprogram capable of running 4 lanes at a time. The new systemcan be hooked up to any LCD display and will keep score andrecord the winnings of each round played. For more informa-tion contact Glenn Hartshorn at (248) 375-2751.

CUSTOM-DESIGNED LANESFor the first time ever, you cancreate an out-of-this-worldthemed environment withUltimate custom-designed lanes by Brunswick. Pro Lane™and Anvilane synthetic lanes can now be designed usingphotographic images, logos and any design imaginable, inboth glow and non-glow graphics. For more information,contact your Brunswick Representative, or visitwww.brunswickbowling.com/products/lanes/lane-types/.

BAR SUPPLIESStockTheBar.com – The BarStore With So Much More!Shop for thousands of bar accessories and equipment atdeeply discounted prices. You’ll find a huge selection ofbottle openers, pour spouts, garnish trays, bar stools,management books, training DVD’s, neon signs, floor matsand just about anything you could possibly want for your bar.We’re the guys for your bar supplies! Please visitwww.StockTheBar.com.

MOBILE MARKETINGAlong with text blast, raffles & drawings,eBowl.biz has added a birthday club to itstext messaging service. In addition toreaching customers on their cell phoneswith offers and coupons, birthdayreminders can be sent prior to and on theirspecial day. All of these features are partof the affordable, easy to use Mobile Marketing service. Goto www.BowlingWebDoctor.com for details & pricing.

POWERFULPARTNERSHIPEmbed recently partnered withRevention as a POS provider fortheir growing base of pizza and restaurant anchored enter-tainment locations. Embed Systems are used to manage thecashless operation of arcade games and attractions as well asthe extensive prize redemption counters in many entertain-ment locations. The new partnership introduces an interfacebetween Revention’s leading POS solution and the EmbedSystem which greatly streamlines the sales process for users.Visit www.embedcard.com for more information.

RENTAL SHOEALTERNATIVEBowling Buddy Shoe Covers are disposable covers for streetshoes designed to enhance the bowling customer’s experi-ence and reduce cost for the bowling center proprietor. Timeand money will be saved by eliminating the need to restockand maintain the traditional rental shoe. The covers are indi-vidually wrapped in pairs and come in three sizes to fit anextensive variety of shoes. For more information, email us [email protected].


PHOTO ESSAY


PHOTO ESSAYPHOTO ESSAY


PHOTO ESSAY


OPERATIONS

his is the story about a couple of people who jumped into bowlingcenter management and ownership which led to learningconstruction and renovation in addition to the day-to-day business

of operating and maintaining a total of 26 lanes over two locations, anddid we mention they are also active…very active….in their state andnational BPAA?

Tom and Icel Haynes met in a mixed bowling league and married in1994. Icel’s brothers, Jack, John, Leroy and Dale urged them to take onproprietorship of an 18 lane center, Sunset Lanes, in Sterling Colorado,so they took over the place and renamed it “Ice Lanes.” It was a play onwords with Icel’s first name, but as Tom says, “Bowling is cool.”

To learn more from their peers, they joined the Colorado State BPAwhere Icel quickly became vice president. Suddenly, Icel and the sergeant-of-arms were the only officers the organization had. While Icel had no timeto become Executive Director of the organization, she “agreed to do thethings that needed to be done. I called up the national BPAA in Arlingtonfor input, and they said to put the organization on hiatus for a couple ofyears. But I still do the work of an ED to keep the organization going,especially for youth tournaments in the summer. I am hoping that otherproprietors will start coming to meetings so we can elect an ED and officersand get the state BPAA going again.”

The couple is active in the national BPAA as well, serving on MemberBenefits and Small Center committees. Using BPAA resources has beena real boon for the formerly inexperienced couple. “The Bowlopolis

T

youth programs and promotions are great,” Icelsaid. “We went to our first Bowl Expo in 1997

and were so impressed with the seminars andmeeting other proprietors from across the country,that we make it a point to go every year.”

Tom joined the Colorado USBC Board and serveson the youth committee. He puts time into theyouth tournaments, sometimes over four weekends.The pair also hosts tournaments, local youthtournaments, a Thanksgiving Scotch Doublestournament, and birthday and corporate parties.

This past year they also ran a Qubica AMFdoubles tournament and a Senior tournament inAugust. Icel has to keep track of any youths winning

money from the Grand Prix youth scholarshipprogram. In her spare time she is the localassociation manager, and once the winterleagues end, she will provide year-endaverages for the association.

After the opening and success ofIce Lanes, the Haynes’ wanted toexpand their business. Theyheard of a woman who hadtaken over her son’s eight-lane bowling center andconverted it into a second-handfurniture store. She kept thepinsetting machinerybut took out

By Joan Taylor

Tom and Icel Haynes, the proud owners of Ice Lanes and Fire Lanes, juggleproprietorship and family.

Icel and Tom Haynes are consumed by thebusiness, sport and recreation of bowling. And,it’s all a family affair.


OPERATIONS

the scorers and usedthe lanes as flooring,putting plywood wherethe gutters had been.

Tom and Iceldecided to take overthe building to convertit back into a “nice little‘Mom and Pop’bowling center.” Theyquickly learned thatextensive renovationswould have to be done:putting in a concessionstand, basically gutting theplace, and rebuilding thefront area, office andrestrooms. The project costaround $90,000, even withTom, Icel and her brothersdoing all the workthemselves. They aptlynamed the center “FireLanes” so they could bill thecompany as “Fire and Ice.”

Throughout the yearsIcel’s large family has workedat the buisness: brothersJohn and Leroy and sister-in-law Bernie have workedfor the couple; brothers Jackand Dale and Icel’s youngersister Linda run Fire Lanes;and Dale runs the pro shopsat both centers. Icel hasbrought her grandson, Anthony Mendez,into the business as a pin chaser andsent him to school in the summer of2010 to become a B mechanic. “Wecouldn’t have done this without myfamily,” Icel said. Perhaps Anthony willone day join the BPAA’s Young Guns—the young and would-be proprietors’organization.

Tom and Icel still find, or rather make,the time to bowl themselves, “but nottogether,” Icel jokes. Tom carries a 220average and Icel is in the high 170s.Both enjoy their respective tournaments,the USBC Open and Women’s Nationals.

“While we jumped into this business

with both feet,” Icel said, “we closedown for two weeks mid-May to give theemployees and Tom a break. It workedthe first year, so we’ve made it an annualevent, staying open only for birthdayparties or open bowling.”

While their lives are consumed withthe business, sport, and recreation ofbowling, Tom and Icel agree it can onlybe called a labor of love. ❖

Joan Taylor is a multi-awardwinning bowling writer based inEast Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

The Hayne’s labor of love, the concourse at Ice Lanes.

Tom, operating the jackhammer, completed the refurbishment of Fire Lanes.


OFF THE CLOCK

ave Jackson Jr. is a new breed ofentrepreneur. For 33 years hisfamily has made its mark on thecity of Charlotte, Michigan. Well

known for its bowling center, Char-lanes,the Jackson family has served the communityfor nearly 30 years. Last year Dave set hissights on a city landmark which had seenbetter days. It was the old Tasty Twist icecream parlor.

In 2010, the old Tasty Twist was tired andspent. When Dave took it on, he turned it intothe trendiest soft serve ice cream parlor intown, breathing new life into an old business.How? Dave gutted the entire building andtook the design to a whole new level. Whenthe dust settled and the renovation wascomplete, Dave had added a drive throughsection and a landscaped mini garden withtables outside.

Dave made sure people who have notbeen able to enjoy the pleasures of ice cream

can now do so with lactose-free and sugar-free options. The addition of the drivethrough makes those ice cream cravings easily satisfied all year round. And withtoppings that include brownie, cookie dough, fruit loops and coco puffs, howcould you not scream for ice cream, even in winter!

The renovations and new design had several (excuse the pun) twists and turnsD

It’s Always Sundae for the JacksonsThe father and son duo breathe new life into a beloved icecream shack in their hometown of Charlotte, Michigan.

By Anna Littles

Three generations of the Jackson family.

The newly revitalized TastyTwist Ice Cream stand has

a retro design.

when dealing with the city of Charlotte. The old Tasty Twist wasbuilt in the 1950s when the town was young. Back in the day,businesses were conveniently located right on the town roadwhich is Lansing Street. Over the decades, as the city grew andexpanded around the landmark, Lansing Street turned into a

major thoroughfare. So, unlike newbusinesses of today that are positionedback from the road, Tasty Twist sits righton it at a mere five feet from the flowof traffic.

During the renovation, Dave had totake into account that building codeshave changed. And there was concernthat the City Council would require thelandmark to be moved to accommodatethose changes. Fortunately, the cityknew a good thing when they saw it. TheCouncil respected the landmark and thehistory on which it was built, and left wellenough alone. Thanks to that decision,the new Tasty Twist shines bright in the21st Century, inspiring Charlotte andreminding them that its past can be

beautifully integrated with its future. Today, Tasty Twist may be the trendiest ice cream parlor in

town; it also continues to be a friendly, family affair. Dave’s sisterNicole is the general manager. And though the building is ina yummy style, its topping will not be the brownie or cookiedough, but is a rooftop sign that reads Tasty Twist in bright neoncolors. No doubt it will shine for decades to come as itcontinues to serve up the scoop after scoop. ❖

Anna Littles, a screenplay and freelance writer and produceroriginally from the Bronx, New York, now resides in Santa Monica,California. You can see her work on YouTube, IMDB, or on herwebsite at [email protected].

OFF THE CLOCK

IBI September 201246

Third generation Jackson, Khyan Alward, enjoys a tasty treat.

The outdoor tables provide ample seating.


DATEBOOK

SEPTEMBER 18 – 20Foundations EntertainmentUniversity Class #27Kansas City, MOVisit www.foundationsuniversity.com

OCTOBER4BCA of Ohio Executive Board MeetingEmbassy Suites, Columbus2700 Corporate Exchange Dr.Pat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

7-9Mid-South Show Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi,AlabamaSam’s Town, Tunica MSFor info: Dwayne Hippensteel 501-580-1452

8--12Brunswick Training ClassesGS Pinsetter Muskegon, MI800-937-2695 [email protected]

14-17East Coast Bowling CentersConventionRevel (www.revelresorts.com)Atlantic City, NJFor info: www.eastcoastbowl.com800-343-1329 ext. 8451

15 -19Brunswick Training ClassesVector ScorerMuskegon, MI800-937-2695 [email protected]

15-19Brunswick European PinsetterTraining SessionsGS Series & Vector ScoringHungary. For info email:[email protected]

22 – 24Southwest Bowling ProprietorsIdeas ShareCrowne Plaza hotel, Arlington [email protected]

28-30West Coast Bowling ConventionRed Rock Casino, Resort & SpaLas VegasSandi Thompson, NorCal Bowling925-485-1855

29 – NOV 9A-2 Pinsetter MaintenanceSchoolQC Family Entertainment CenterMoline, ILFor info call Frank Miroballi540-325-7684 or email [email protected]

NOVEMBER14-15BCA of Ohio Fall Seminar &MeetingEmbassy Suites, Columbus2700 Corporate Exchange Dr.Pat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

24 – Dec 248th QubicaAMF BowlingWorld CupSky Bowling CentreWroclaw, the City of Bridges,PolandAnne-Marie Board,[email protected]

DECEMBER3 – 7Brunswick Training ClassesGS PinsetterMuskegon, MI800-937-2695 [email protected]

IBI Official magazine ofthe convention

IBI

IBI


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CLASSIFIEDS

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EVERYTHING MUST GO! 16 LANES: 82-30s; Qubica Bowland Scoring; air-poweredaluminum gutters, QBump System; 8 AMFSur-Pic (13) ball returns; 82-8 original AMFRadar Ray foul lines; wood lanes &approaches; spare parts. Everything worksGREAT! Contact Bob (845) 292-6450.

32+ lanes Brunswick AS-80 scoring.Complete package +extra parts.Excellent condition. Will sell by lane orindividual parts. Make offer. BillHenderson @ Clearview Lanes (717)653-1818.

FOR SALE: 11 ea. 28” Fenice monitorboards for Qubica automatic scoring. Inworking order when removed. $250.00 ea.Call Hillcrest Lanes (419) 675-6214.

FOR SALE: Brunswick converted A-2s @$750.00 each. Great for parts. Ready to loadon your trailer. Also 32 lanes Franeworxscoring with Vector Plus front desk and backoffice; 32 lanes Frameworx hoods and racks,22 lanes Frameworx tier masking units. CallJim T. (810) 736-4880.

CENTER FOR SALE

TEXAS, LUBBOCK: 32-lane center closeto university. A-2s, AMF scoring, syntheticlanes. Includes bar, grill, arcade &additional income producing RE. Strongadult/youth leagues, college classes &open-play traffic. Seller motivated. Contact:[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.

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.

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.

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.

CENTERS FOR SALE

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.

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.

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.

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.

ARE YOU A FAN OF BOWLING?www.Facebook.com/BowlingFan(818) 789-2695

SELL YOUR CENTER


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

2021 Bridge StreetJessup, PA 18434570-489-8623www.minigolfinc.com

MINIATURE GOLF COURSESIndoor/Outdoor. ImmediateInstallation. $5,900.00 & up.

"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


CENTERS 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.

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].

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN: medium/largecenter in excellent physical condition. Strongrevenue. Due to unique situation, priced atonly $469,000. Perfect turnkey opportunity.Email: [email protected] orContact (248) 252-1427.

CENTRAL MINNESOTA: 8-lane Brunswickcenter, 18,000 s/f with restaurant, gameroom & banquet facility for 400. REDUCEDTO $225,000. Turnkey operation averaging$250,000+ last five years. Call Dave or Cindy(320) 843-4040; cell (320) 808-6521.

CLASSIFIEDS


CLASSIFIEDS

CENTERS FOR SALE

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].

INDIANA METRO: Well-established largecenter with late-model equipment. Stronglocation, recently remods. Real estate incl.Sandy Hansell (800) 222-9131.

NEBRASKA (Scottsbluff): 16-lane center in16,500 s/f building on 2.39 acres. Includesbar & kitchen. Turnkey operation. $250,000with RE. Call (308) 641-5740.

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/


CENTER FOR LEASE

FOR LEASE: 16-LANE Brunswick center.Includes snack bar, game room, proshop. Great potential—needs some TLC.Willing to work with leasee. Call Bill @(870) 523-3638.


CLASSIFIEDS

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring BallRepair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com.

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.

AMF 5850 & 6525 CHASSIS. PRICESREDUCED! Exchange your tired or damagedchassis for an upgraded, rewired, cleaned,painted & ready-to-run chassis. Fastturnaround. Lifetime guarantee. Referencesavailable. $210 + shpg. CHASSISDOCTORS (330) 314-8951.

Could your center use an influx of new leaguebowlers who spend a lot at the bar, and openbowl too? I bring them in. Contact Scott at856-321-0878 or [email protected].


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

Seeking managerial position:EXPERIENCED manager/district manager ofsingle & multiple unit centers; specializing inturn around centers; great customer serviceskills, inventory and payroll controls and P &L controls. References and resume availableupon request. Email:[email protected] or leave message@ (817) 232-2219.

SELL YOUR CENTEROR EQUIPMENT

(818) 789-2695WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN


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

Orange County Security Consultants

•Keys & ComboLocks for allTypes ofLockers.

•One weekturnaroundon mostorders.

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CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-700-4KEYINTʼL 530-432-1027

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POSITION WANTED

Former center owner with 15 years all aroundexperience as GM, league promoter, A-levelBrunswick mechanic, scoring system installerand lane technician. Well suited for manypositions. Call Mitch at (808) 443-3868.

SALES POSITION WANTED: 25 yearsexperience; specializing in openbowling. References available. Maywork on commission. Kevin Malick(863) 602-4850.

Seeking General Manager position—West Coast, Nevada, New Mexicoand/or Southern region. 40 years in theindustry—owner, GM & District Manager.Familiar with F&B, marketing, special eventsand youth programs. Has served on theIndiana BPA Board of Directors for 4 years.Resume and references available. RudyHinojosa (317) 590-5499 or email:[email protected].

(818) 789-2695

SELL YOURCENTER OREQUIPMENTFAST!

ARE YOU A FAN OF BOWLING?www.Facebook.com/BowlingFan

(818) 789-2695SELL YOUR CENTER

MECHANIC WANTED

Brunswick mechanic wanted—full timeposition. Minimum 10 years experience onBrunswick A-2 machines. 32-lane center inthe Los Angeles area. (818) 340-5190.

s the callout on the cover notes, in 1959there was a bowling boom. One major factorfor this was women. During this decademany women still stayed home honing the

craft of wife and mother. For leisure, they bowled.They bowled with their husbands in the evenings andwith their friends during the day. Centers estimated thatwomen bowlers were 80% of their business during theday and 40% during the evening. In 1959 the WIBC

boasted 1,231,529 members almost twice as many as in 1950.League bowling was at the helm of this bowling boom. In Long

Beach, CA, Java Lanes hosted the Housewives League with 32 four-woman teams competing every Wednesday. To make it easy,centers added cozy, toy-stocked nurseries to help with babysitting.Irv Noren’s Lanes, Pasadena, CA, filled every lane with ladiesduring the Housewive’s League.

In 1959, pleasing the ladies definitely had its advantages whenit came to bowling’s bottom line. ❖

IBI September 2012

REMEMBER WHEN

56

A

1959

international bowling industry september 2012

Documents

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