Built on Bold Choices

Taking bold swings pays off, and The Alley in Gadsden, Alabama, is living proof. In a town with predictable entertainment options, this 18-lane center has become a local powerhouse by constantly reinvesting, staying unique, and delivering experiences the community wants. From hosting high-energy theme nights to landing the Alabama high school state championships—twice—The Alley proves that size isn't everything when you have creativity, heart, and a strong connection to your community. 

Since opening in 2020, The Alley has become a reliable, ever-changing destination that families, teens, and local athletes call their own. Its success reminds us that today's bowlers and entertainment-seekers are looking for more than lanes—they're looking for a place that feels like home, surprises them, and brings the community together. 

Building a Local Powerhouse 

What began as an unconventional renovation of a former Sears department store inside the Gadsden Mall has become a bold, evolving community anchor. Along the way, The Alley has hosted multiple high school state championships, launched the careers of young bowlers and employees, and captured the creative spirit of a family and staff willing to take big swings in the name of connection. 

Owner Bethanne Mashburn, CEO of The Alley, didn't set out to create a typical bowling center. She and her daughter, Dallas Sainsbury, the general manager, had seen too many cookie-cutter concepts and stagnant experiences. They envisioned something immersive, cinematic, a little chaotic, and deeply personal. This vision has paid off with packed league nights, family events, and seasonal theme nights, making the center a go-to hangout. 

Design as Community Connection 

Walk through the front doors and you're greeted by a Tree of Life, an actual sculptural tree flown in from China. Beneath its branches, guests find grassy seating knolls, vintage merry-go-round horses, and winding tunnels leading to the bowling lanes, neon-lit arcade, The Brickyard cornhole lounge, and The Flavorhood food truck park. 

The Flavorhood serves street food favorites from a full-size indoor food truck, while The Brickyard feels like an open plaza for casual games. A whimsical slide arcs through the arcade, which Emily Gibbs, Event Mastermind, describes as a kid casino in the best possible way. Kids and adults alike enjoy sliding between games, while seniors call bingo or toss cornhole bags. 

Every inch of The Alley tells a story. Hidden references to the Mashburn family's past businesses and history are sprinkled like easter eggs—a license plate number here, a vintage pinsetter there, even a nod to a grandfather's tool company on an arcade wall. 

"We weren't ever trying to be just a bowling alley," said Gibbs. "We wanted to be a family entertainment center that felt new and fresh and could change along with the times and the community." 

Safe to say, they've succeeded—and then some. 

Growing Into a Community Staple 

Though Mashburn and Sainsbury didn't originally plan to focus on competitive bowling, the community had other ideas. "We realized there was such a huge market for this," Gibbs said. "And there are not enough bowling alleys around to meet the demand." 

Soon, local leagues sprang up naturally, and youth programs followed, boosted by curiosity and Kids Bowl Free participation. Then came the big moment: The Alley was selected to host the Alabama high school state championships—not once, but twice. That was a major win for an 18-lane center in a mid-sized town. And when local teams took home victories? "We were ecstatic," Gibbs said. 

High school students quickly became a core part of The Alley's identity as bowlers, league participants, and, eventually, employees. Many returned to work part-time, connecting their jobs to a place that had become personally meaningful. Even Gadsden's football players, long considered the town's athletic royalty, started showing up in groups, breaking down old perceptions of bowling as a niche pastime. 

Community support snowballed. The mayor gave his approval, families made it a weekly tradition, and young adults started bringing their dates. And all the while, The Alley never stopped adding something new to discover. "There's nothing worse than being stagnant," Mashburn said. "The plan has always been, when we bring in money, we want to bring something new in." 

Expanding the Mission 

Today, The Alley is equal parts neighborhood hangout and curated entertainment hub. It hosts leagues, but also Taylor Swift nights for preteens, Bluey-themed bowling for toddlers, old-folks leagues with oldies playlists, trivia nights, bingo, and a High Roller's Club game room. Seasonal surprises keep guests coming back for more. 

"We love our leaguers," said Mashburn. "And we do cater to them. But we also want to expand bowling to all kinds of people." That commitment extends to her staff. Employees are encouraged to bowl on the clock, reinforcing the family environment that Mashburn and Sainsbury want to maintain. 

"We want it to feel like a family," Mashburn said. "Because if we lose that sense of connection, we lose everything." Gibbs agrees, saying,"We've never wanted to be stuck in one identity. That's why we listen to what people want. If something's popular, we lean in. If it's not, we pivot. That's part of the fun." 

Mashburn's marketing style is as bold as the center itself. She isn't a fan of traditional campaigns and prefers to let the space speak for itself, occasionally posting something clever and unexpected online. "I'm an artist at heart," she said. "I've never been good at coloring inside the lines." 

Perseverance Through Challenges 

The road to success wasn't without hurdles. Initial renovations began in 2019, but the pandemic brought fear and uncertainty. "It was the scariest thing in my life," Mashburn recalled. "Up to that point, this was my biggest investment. I had signed a personal guarantee for ten years, and there was no getting out of that. I could either crumble or put one foot in front of the other. I was opening a business during a pandemic when people had to share balls and shoes." 

Despite the odds, she pressed on, guided more by instinct than blueprint. Her courage, and the team's creativity, paid off. The Alley emerged as a beacon of fun, connection, and community in a time when people needed it most. 

The Big Takeaway: Never Be Boring 

There are lessons here for other proprietors. The Alley thrives because it is designed with feeling, movement, and risk. It is the kind of place where you might bowl a strike, grab a taco, stumble into a hidden nook, and leave wondering how something this eclectic, this fun, and this heartfelt ended up inside a mall in Gadsden. 

The secret? Big vision. Bigger guts. And a motto that sums it all up: "Never be boring."