After School Bowling!

Here’s a common scenario:

•    It’s 3:00 p.m. during the week.

•    Many centers have wide-open lanes.

•    The arcade is minimally busy at best.

•    Not many people are ordering food or drinks

Your facility might be open, but business is soft, and you are possibly hoping your staff is keeping themselves busy by cleaning or doing other proactive activities. Enter the well-recognized, albeit not consistently implemented, after-school bowling program. No doubt you’ve heard of this labor-intensive, kid-attracting, lucrative program, but you may have stayed on the fence waiting to launch your own.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

This program brings kids and their families into your center, exposes new customers to your center’s offerings, and creates a strong relationship with active community members. Think of all the opportunities that connecting with this age group and their parents can do for your center, from school fundraisers to banquets for sports or school clubs to an increase in arcade play. This extra traffic will expose your center’s other attractions, for instance, glow-bowling, and widen your reach to parents, teachers, and other school officials. The list of opportunities is nearly endless.

Industry consultant, Bob Borello, has helped numerous centers launch their after-school bowling program. As the former proprietor of Holiday Lanes in Pittsburgh, PA, Borello ran a very successful program that hosted 14 elementary schools with about 800 participants.

“I think you can only win with this program. It’s a big piece of business that keeps growing and growing, but it takes a lot [of energy] to accomplish that. If you’re looking for a couple hundred new families to walk through your center each week, this is a dynamite program. Anything your center has going on can be marketed to these kids and their families for free,” said Borello.

Jim Teuber, Richfield Bowl and B&B Lanes proprietor  in Flint, MI, has had after-school programs since the mid-1990s. “One thing I learned is that most parents of children in after-school programs typically don’t bowl, which provides the opportunity to expose a large number of new youths to the sport,” Teuber said.

Matt Orvis started his after-school program 20 years ago at 60-lane Ashwaubenon Lanes outside Green Bay, WI. “It fills a time when there isn’t much going on, which makes it nice,” Orvis said. “All the benefits from this program have made it worthwhile — birthday parties, food sales, adult-youth leagues, boy scout troops, and girl scout troops.” While after-school bowling programs have proven to be lucrative long-term due to the power of customer growth, database collection, and added center exposure, they can also be a winner in the short term. Most centers average between $10-$12 per child per week; others are at a higher price point due to their location, facility, and package. One thing you can count on: these kids arrive at your center after school and are usually hungry, thirsty, and have some cash in their pocket to spend. 

GETTING STARTED

If you’re considering starting your own program, the first step is to develop a relationship with the schools. Before the pandemic and school violence concerns, this was a more straightforward animal to wrestle down. Now it’s essential to have a good strategy of how you will reach out to the schools and share the benefits of your program. Athletic directors, teachers who bowl at your center, or high school bowling coaches may help get you in the door of the school district.

“One of the key things is establishing a good relationship with the schools first,” said Andy Johnston, who has been operating an after-school program at his 30-lane Westgate Entertainment in Lima, OH, since 1997. “Any time local Andy Johnston schools need donations or help from us, 
we provide it. We donate pizzas for their school meetings a couple of times a year, or we might host fun staff outings. The schools know if they need anything from us, all they need is to call us, and we will help.”

TRANSPORTATION

Some operators choose bussing transportation as part of their program, making it an easy option for parents to join. Non-transportation programs are still successful but depend on the parents to chauffeur them.

There are many options when considering transportation. Centers can buy buses or vans or rent them from school districts. The vehicles can operate one or two ways depending on when and where parents pick up their kids when finished. A good resource might be a local transportation company or a church. “Churches often have a bus and are looking for revenue. Contracting with a local place of worship could be a win-win for you both,” said Andy Vasko of BBBI, who has consulted with many centers over the years.

Teuber rented buses and tried having the schools provide transportation. He finally bought a bus at an auction for $2,500 in 2014 and subsequently added two others: one in 2017 and one in 2019. He painted them white and added promotional wrap to the first two. With insurance, his total investment has been about $10,000 each.

Andy Johnston bought his first bus in 1997 and has purchased three others. He has hired, trained, certified, and insured his drivers. Busses run from schools to the center, with parents picking up their children afterward. Westgate Entertainment hosts five schools overall, with about 450 total kids participating in each of the two sessions. “We probably had our best year ever,” Johnston said. “We have a waiting list.”

Before the pandemic, Orvis served more than 350 youth at eight schools. Rented busses from the school district’s bus company transported the young bowlers to his center. But when that entity ran into driver shortages, Orvis had to suspend his program and now is considering buying a bus to bring the program back since it was so profitable.

Like other centers, Eastern Lanes, a 16-lane center in Northwood, OH, had to suspend its 30-year-old program during the pandemic but is planning its return in September with all four participating schools back on board. “I miss my kids,” said Penny Lybarger, who has owned the center since 2010.

"We probably had our best year before that – between 40 and 60 kids a day, Monday through Friday.” Eastern Lanes owns one bus that picks up kids and brings them to the center. Some are bussed back to the school, and others are picked up at the center by their parents. Another consideration if you’re looking to operate this program is being sure you have appropriate supervision. “My rule of thumb is one student helper for every eight children in the program.”

If this program seems like a lot of work – you’re right! Operators and their staff report that these 8–14-week programs require a lot of effort, especially in the beginning. However, the long-term benefits of offering something that consistently draws in youth and families also generates income when most centers are soft and provide a much-needed outlet for area children. All of this adds to an extraordinary program you can feel good offering. Kids and families are an integral part of the equation 
for those serious about the business of bowling and entertainment. Offering a program that is consistently good for the community, draws in new center customers, and helps grow the sport of bowling makes solid business sense. For those still somewhat on the fence, experts recommend starting with one or two days a week and seeing if the program is a fit for your center. “This program carries over to birthday parties, leagues, and the families who come back in and bowl more,” Lybarger said. “I think you really keep bowling top of mind with those kids over time,” Johnston said. “A handful of them will graduate into youth leagues, high school bowling, and eventually adult leagues.” What more could you ask for?

Note from IBI: if you decide to jump in and start your own after-school program,  please let us know how it’s going. We’d love to share your experience with our readers.