What’s the Perfect Location For a Bowling Alley or Entertainment Center?

Arguably the most critical aspect of your bowling business endeavour is the pre-planning. You may have an inspiring vision for your bowling alley, but bringing that vision to life requires the right plan and strategy. From finding a bowling equipment provider to selecting the right venue for your idea, take the time to map things out before making any significant investments.

Whether you have bowling business experience or not, building a bowling alley or entertainment centre from the ground up is a complex and highly detail-driven task. For most new builds or renovations, having a bowling partner that can refer to thousands of installations and experiences will help you work through any potential issues with ease.
In addition to having professional bowling equipment and installation partner, here’s a quick breakdown of the various aspects of your location that you must consider when planning your bowling business project.

Geography

The physical location of your business could have a significant impact on your success. High traffic and easy to access venues are ideal. In some areas, there may be no perfect existing venue that can be repurposed for your business. Some businesses can find success as a “destination” attraction where a lack of alternatives for your customers will result in them being more willing to travel long distances to your establishment. It is more the exception than the rule, so start by finding the optimal location first.

Future Plans

Do you see this business expanding in a way that might require additional space? Have you found a venue that could work but doesn’t offer enough space for everything you want? There are a variety of zoning laws you’ll need to navigate as you work through this process. Do your research upfront to understand how much each venue can grow/expand.

Size of Business

With a strong understanding of the location and potential customer appetite for your bowling business, you’ll be able to make projections as to how many lanes you’ll need to be profitable. Do this research first, and that way, you don’t waste time looking at venues that won’t accommodate the number of lanes you need.

Property Maintenance

Like bowling equipment and pinsetters, ease of maintenance of your building will have a massive impact on your bottom line. While you might have found the perfect venue from a location and size perspective, the structure itself and facilities must be easy to maintain. Otherwise, you could be in for a lot of unwanted and unexpected building maintenance costs.

Interior

When considering a building to repurpose for your business, what you’re doing is comparing the costs of updating the existing building vs the price of new construction. While new construction might be more upfront, you’ll have a more updated and modern interior which could save costs in the long term. Either way, have a good sense of what you want to have from an electrical, plumbing and facilities perspective and keep track of what will and will not need updating to get up to code for your business.

Exterior

Having an inviting and easily accessible business is critical. Please make sure you understand local guidelines related to your parking lot and the size of your building. In addition to adequate parking, exterior lighting is another way to make your centre more inviting. Finally, your signage is a great way to get the word out about your business, especially in high-traffic areas. Keep all this in mind as you plan your business.

Lane Sizes

We’ve documented lane sizes here so that we won’t get into those now. But some customizations can make as it relates to the seating area or the approach. So again, mapping this out will help you explore venues to understand which offer the size you need and which don’t.

Conclusion

Each of the considerations above is critical as you plan your new bowling business. In some instances, you might not be sure what you want, or perhaps you don’t have strong feelings either way. A bowling partner can help you make decisions and help you understand what is and is not possible. The critical takeaway is to do your research, have a general idea of what you want from your bowling business and work with a long-established and experienced bowling business partner to help bring your vision to life.
If you need information, contact us to discover more Viva Bowling products for your business!

VIVA BOWLING

• Address: Kennington Park Business Centre, 1 -3 Brixton Road, Vassal, SW9 6DE, London
• Email: [email protected]