A Bowler's Country Club

Wayne Recreation and Cosmic Bowling in Fort Wayne, IN, had seen better days. After sitting unused for six years, the once-popular 32-lane bowling center had deteriorated to what seemed a teardown. That’s when Mark Johnston heard from a friend who had bought the property at a bankruptcy court sale and asked if he wanted to return to the bowling business.

Johnston wasn’t interested initially; he was enjoying his recent retirement from the construction business. But he had worked in bowling when he was younger and knew the business. He contacted A.J. Brunner, another veteran operator in Fort Wayne, with whom he had previously partnered to refurbish and sell another local center, Thunder Bowl #1.

The two investigated the site and felt it had potential. “All the bowling equipment was there. The project just kept moving forward and looked like a great opportunity,” says Johnston. A further inducement was the arrival in Fort Wayne of PBA Hall of Famer Wes Malott, who was looking for a place to open a pro shop.

Johnston and Brunner envisioned a “bowler’s country club” that would respect the long bowling tradition of Fort Wayne and serve the many local bowlers displaced by the closure of Wayne Recreation. The partners undertook an extensive remodel, adding new plumbing and air conditioning, a sports bar, a restaurant, and an outdoor patio. They took out an in-house pool hall and created a 1,200-square-foot pro shop that is now Wes Malott’s Bowler’s Den, a full-service facility that draws bowlers from all over the region.

They installed new synthetics, a scoring system, and other capital equipment from US Bowling on the lanes. The original Brunswick A2 pinsetters needed some TLC but were soon in good order. In August 2021, they reopened under a new name, MVP Lanes, and bowlers surged through the doors. “We had people come in here that had quit bowling,” says Brunner. “They started bowling again because we opened this up. This is where they come and hang out, even when they’re not bowling.”

In 2022, there were three summer leagues, and they currently have six-day leagues in the busy season. Brunner says that’s unheard of anymore in the bowling industry. “It’s pretty unbelievable. We far surpassed our expectations for the first year,” he says. “This year, we have very few openings for teams whatsoever on any night. We had to turn some people away.” There are leagues from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on a typical day, followed by three hours of open bowling and then leagues until closing time. “Most days, we’re open 15 hours a day. We’re constantly open,” Brunner says. In addition to regular competition, league bowlers can participate in plenty of contests and promotions, from 50/50 raffles to strike pots with $1,000 prizes.

MVP has hosted several tournaments, including regional qualifiers for the Teen Masters, local and state tournaments, and several collegiate events. Youth leagues and some 
high school teams get support through sponsorships and discounted lane rentals.

High customer satisfaction generates excellent word-of-mouth publicity for MVP. “You can’t have enough ambassadors for your business,” says Johnston. “Our customers have helped us succeed because they are willing to [tell others] how they enjoy being here.”

Heavy social media and web marketing also help attract new customers and remind existing ones to return. “You have to keep all these things up to date,” says Brunner, who posts 25% of the content himself and uses an outside agency for the rest. MVP also buys local TV ad time on FOX Sports’ PBA coverage, which they say keeps them top of mind with local bowlers.

The bet on a center “by bowlers, for bowlers” paid off for the owners, who believe not everyone wants a center with multiple attractions and fancy design. “We just deliver a quality bowling product,” says Johnston. “You’re not walking into a place that’s dark and dingy. It smells good. The product we bring to every bowler, you don’t find that stuff from many places. Here, you know what you’re getting every time you walk in.”

Brunner says customers regularly thank him for returning a genuine bowler’s place to town. “I don’t think bowling is dead. There’s such a big demand for bowling that’s not a family entertainment center,” he says. “Everybody keeps pushing that, but not everybody wants to go where all the kids are running around.”