Page 44 - BCM May 2024

BCM WHITE PAPER

Europe was an early adopter of the convert “close to 3,000 machines to “It’s all about value per square foot,”
machines, both for tenpin bowling strings.” says Ciniello. “With property costing
and, primarily in non-English-speaking Krol o ers a slightly further-reaching so much today, you have to generate
countries, nine-pin bowling. Rose says prediction: “We expect that over the revenue. If you have between 45,000
conversions from free fall machines to next three to ve years, between 3,000 and 50,000 square feet, you may have
strings has been under way for a while and 5,000 free fall machines will be only 24 or 28 lanes. You need the rest
in Australia, where most new installa- replaced [with string machines] in of the space for all the other amenities
tions are string machines. the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, — arcades, food and beverage, and the
“In 2020, our free fall to string ratio Switzerland, Denmark, Norway and ability to host corporate parties. And
was 75% free fall and 25% string,” says Sweden.” you need to maximize your open play
Dykstra. “In 2023, the ratio shifted An even more revealing number: hours; shoe rental is huge. As a bowling
to 35% free fall and 65% string in the In the last three years in those seven proprietor, I come from a traditional
United States.” countries, BowlTech installed 1,860 center background, but I absolutely
He is quick to note, however, that string machines… and 26 free fall love the hybrid business model.”
free fall machines aren’t going away. machines. Funk says he sees more and more
“We will continue to see proprietors Although each country has its own traditional centers “integrating more
who operate very successful bowling bowling federation, European leaders forms of entertainment to prolong the
centers with the most advanced tech- still consider what’s happening in the time customers are spending there. It’s
nological-based free fall machines,” he United States when making decisions a shift toward the family entertainment
says. that impact the sport. center industry.”
A decision by the United States “String machines are the new norm,” Dykstra notes that “the average
Bowling Congress to certify string Krol asserts, “and the USBC decision center size for the last few years has
machines in the same category as will only strengthen that sentiment gone from 16 down to 13 lanes — but
free fall machines caught most in across Europe.” some of the decrease [can be attributed
the industry by surprise. e “smart In Japan, Felton says the handful to] the overall number of centers built.
money” was on approval but with of string installations there “have We have seen big increases in the
some sort of average adjustment received high praise from manage- number of boutique centers, whether
involved, similar to that used for Sport ment and bowlers alike.” He adds that they be lanes that are part of a hotel-
Bowling. he anticipates “increased adoption resort, a restaurant or a bar venue.
“When it was approved in the because of the signi cant reduction ey typically range from six to eight
same category, it blew us away,” says in operating costs and their enhanced lanes and that brings down the average
Ciniello. “It was a game changer. safety features.” for the total market… We still see a fair
Almost overnight, our greatest concern Simeone says that string machines number of 20- to 32-lane installations
became keeping up with production.” o er another bene t: ere’s no in the FEC or hybrid models.”
Frewing shares Ciniello’s excitement specialized equipment needed for pin At US Bowling, Frewing says the
about the unexpected development — detection, nor “any sophisticated soft- most common number of lanes in new
or, at least, how quickly it came about. ware for image analysis.” He adds that builds is between six and 16.
“For at least the last ve or six all of the major string machine manu- “ is has been true for the last 10
years, the majority of new bowling facturers have provided the technical years,” he says. “In today’s world,
center installations have been with information needed for his company’s bowling is just one of the major rev-
string machines that were not USBC scoring software to interface with their enue generators in these new, upscale
approved,” he says. “So the trend of machines. venues.”
the industry moving toward string Rose says that the average number
machines had already been in full Lane Count Trends of lanes in Down Under new builds is
motion. e USBC decision to approve Statistics gleaned from BCM’s around 12 in small to medium-sized
string machines for league and tourna- annual Bowling Center Architecture FECs. A number of retirement villages
ment play will allow existing centers to and Design Awards indicate that have added a pair of lanes to their
make the much-needed change, and the average number of lanes being recreation facilities.
will turn out to have one of the greatest installed in new builds today has been Ciniello says his company is seeing
impacts on the bowling business in its gradually decreasing over the past two average installations of “between 18
history.” decades. With the exception of unusual and 24 lanes in the United States. e
Ciniello says he believes that this markets such as Las Vegas, the days of Main Events and Bowleros are still
year alone, QubicaAMF, Brunswick, new centers spanning 60 lanes or more going to build a little bigger; European
US Bowling and Funk will collectively are gone. markets will be smaller.”

42 • BCM • MAY 2024 www.bcmmag.com

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