Author Topic: AMF-Bowlmor merger question (Read 23088 times)

thedjs · « **on:** August 08, 2013, 11:05:04 AM »

Now that AMF and Bowlmor have merged, do you think we will see any improvements in their bowling centers?

charlest · « **Reply #16 on:** August 13, 2013, 07:24:26 AM »

Oddly enough, I have one positive experience to report on my AMF/Bowlmor center.

My Monday night league is the center's premier league and we have been using a different Kegel pattern each year the past 3 years. 2 years ago it was Route 66; last year it was Beaten Path. Last night the center agreed to put out 3 different oil patterns for our league bowlers to test FREE. They put Route 66 on one air, Beaten Path on the next pair and Bourbon Street on the next 2 pairs. (I assume our league officers picked out Bourbon Street as the new alternative.

So everyone who showed up threw as many balls as they wanted across all 8 lanes, for as long as they wanted. Of course, not every one showed up. I'd guess 1/4 - 1/3 of the members bowled. We vote in 2 weeks, 2 weeks before league starts in September.

Considering how tight with a buck Bowlmor seems to be over AMF (who themselves could squeeze a penny so hard it would bleed), this was surprising.

spmcgivern · « **Reply #17 on:** August 13, 2013, 07:30:37 AM »

I am only piling on a little bit with this, but BowlMor eliminated a Friday league at a center here that had around 30 teams. We were also told league doesn't have priority with their time schedule. If someone wants to come in and rent out the center or enough lanes to displace a league, the league gets kicked to the curb that day.

I can understand if someone wants to spend an arm and a leg to rent out the center. (we were described with an instance where someone paid $10,000 for a night of bowling) But what will happen is we would have to adjust our league with one less session. One week less of prize fund. May not seem like much, but it is the philosophy of pushing away your regular customers for a quick sell.

Has anyone approached their center with any type of complaint or at least any type of concession? We are pushing to see if the bowling center can stay open till 11pm, but not sure how that will go. And as someone said before, youth leagues being pushed to a 12 or later start time on Saturday will all but eliminate that league. Bowling early isn't bad since you still have the rest of the day. But splitting the day in half with bowling in the afternoon makes it more difficult schedule wise.

spmcgivern · « **Reply #18 on:** August 13, 2013, 07:31:47 AM »

Quote from: charlest on August 13, 2013, 07:24:26 AM

Oddly enough, I have one positive experience to report on my AMF/Bowlmor center.

My Monday night league is the center's premier league and we have been using a different Kegel pattern each year the past 3 years. 2 years ago it was Route 66; last year it was Beaten Path. Last night the center agreed to put out 3 different oil patterns for our league bowlers to test FREE. They put Route 66 on one air, Beaten Path on the next pair and Bourbon Street on the next 2 pairs. (I assume our league officers picked out Bourbon Street as the new alternative.

So everyone who showed up threw as many balls as they wanted across all 8 lanes, for as long as they wanted. Of course, not every one showed up. I'd guess 1/4 - 1/3 of the members bowled. We vote in 2 weeks, 2 weeks before league starts in September.

Considering how tight with a buck Bowlmor seems to be over AMF (who themselves could squeeze a penny so hard it would bleed), this was surprising.

Yes, that is a great thing to have happen irregardless who owns the center. But I can almost guarantee it was a center GM thing and not a BowlMor thing.

robertbrowder · « **Reply #19 on:** August 13, 2013, 07:43:47 AM »

Just a reminder Armadilla 1 does have league openings and they will stay open after league. Armadilla 1 hours are Sunday-Thursday 9am - 10pm, Friday 9am - 12am, Saturday 9am -1am. Feel free to contact Danna @ 713-941-2343 with any questions or if you want to sign up for a league.
*** The Monday Madness League will have $3000 added to the prize fund again this year. ***

spmcgivern · « **Reply #20 on:** August 13, 2013, 08:17:20 AM »

I don't know Robert, if you are bowling in the Monday Madness League with your Radical equipment, my money may not be safe.

12XSECH · « **Reply #21 on:** August 13, 2013, 04:35:40 PM »

I heard they are already planning on closing a few centers on Long Island. AMF was the pitts before and now it looks even worse.

Zanatos1914 · « **Reply #22 on:** August 13, 2013, 05:22:11 PM »

Looks like since most of us bowl @ AMF centers to get discounts @ other AMF centers will be gone as well - That is the only reason I dont bowl @ mom and dad centers... The door for bowling opportunity has been open and I am broke....

Bowling 300 900 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 13, 2013, 11:59:53 PM »

Some employees at AMF Bowlmor are reporting that their centers will only be oiling the lanes once a week regardless of how many leagues the center has. They are also reporting that the center is 100% glow all day every day until there is scheduled league, thus making open practice play a thing of the past.

Have fun bowling at your local AMF Bowlmor center!

LuckyLefty · « **Reply #24 on:** August 14, 2013, 07:56:26 AM »

It is going to be interesting!

Focus is clearly not the want to bowl inexpensively every week league crowd but the party and have fun party bowler and profits.

It has been proven that the every week league bowler in these uncertain economic times cannot make these places profitable. Bowlmor has proven in their market they can make centers profitable. The transition to these type of entertainment centers is underway. The experiment to see if they end up profitable not complete.

Regards,

Luckylefty
PS I lived in a town that went to this type of format and I believe they are doing quite well with the party and entertainment crowd.

dmonroe814 · « **Reply #25 on:** August 14, 2013, 09:45:50 AM »

At our AMF center, here are the changes:
It will stay a league centric house. BowlMor does know that leagues are the cash cow in this house.
You still get 2 free games a week for every league you bowl in, so if you bowled in 3 leagues, you would get 6 games. Now that has been capped at 4 games a week.
Every league bowler got a card for 20%discount for food and bowling. That is now 10% for one league and 20% for 2 leagues, capped at 20%.
The league appreciation was 2 hours free bowling every week. That is now once a month, and you must bring the online coupon, that is only emailed to league bowlers.
No discounts to non-league bowlers.

storm making it rain · « **Reply #26 on:** August 14, 2013, 09:59:21 AM »

Quote from: Bowling 300 900 on August 13, 2013, 11:59:53 PM

Some employees at AMF Bowlmor are reporting that their centers will only be oiling the lanes once a week regardless of how many leagues the center has. They are also reporting that the center is 100% glow all day every day until there is scheduled league, thus making open practice play a thing of the past.

Have fun bowling at your local AMF Bowlmor center!

I'd find it very hard to believe that they will be oiling once per week. Let's remember the major importance of oiling the lanes is to protect the surface of the lanes. Not oiling will make the lanes not last as long due to the wear. For the minimal expense of oiling to the major expense of replacing lane beds, it doesn't make much sense. Our center oils once daily no matter if there is a league or not. Idk about you i'd rather spend $200 on a case of oil every couple weeks (depending on your center size) than dropping $150K on new lanes.

Just my opinion

northface28 · « **Reply #27 on:** August 14, 2013, 01:20:42 PM »

Quote from: Bowling 300 900 on August 13, 2013, 11:59:53 PM

Some employees at AMF Bowlmor are reporting that their centers will only be oiling the lanes once a week regardless of how many leagues the center has. They are also reporting that the center is 100% glow all day every day until there is scheduled league, thus making open practice play a thing of the past.

Have fun bowling at your local AMF Bowlmor center!

Conjecture.

dR3w · « **Reply #28 on:** August 14, 2013, 01:26:35 PM »

Quote from: dmonroe814 on August 14, 2013, 09:45:50 AM

At our AMF center, here are the changes:
It will stay a league centric house. BowlMor does know that leagues are the cash cow in this house.
You still get 2 free games a week for every league you bowl in, so if you bowled in 3 leagues, you would get 6 games. Now that has been capped at 4 games a week.
Every league bowler got a card for 20%discount for food and bowling. That is now 10% for one league and 20% for 2 leagues, capped at 20%.
The league appreciation was 2 hours free bowling every week. That is now once a month, and you must bring the online coupon, that is only emailed to league bowlers.
No discounts to non-league bowlers.

This is what I had heard as well. But nothing on the free bowling, other than possibly accumulating points toward free games through snack bar purchases.

I did notice that when I went to the league meeting at 6 pm on a Thursday, they did have all the lights going. So maybe that will be the standard. It probably drives the staff nuts

dmonroe814 · « **Reply #29 on:** August 14, 2013, 01:33:50 PM »

Quote from: dR3w on August 14, 2013, 01:26:35 PM

Quote from: dmonroe814 on August 14, 2013, 09:45:50 AM
At our AMF center, here are the changes:
It will stay a league centric house. BowlMor does know that leagues are the cash cow in this house.
You still get 2 free games a week for every league you bowl in, so if you bowled in 3 leagues, you would get 6 games. Now that has been capped at 4 games a week.
Every league bowler got a card for 20%discount for food and bowling. That is now 10% for one league and 20% for 2 leagues, capped at 20%.
The league appreciation was 2 hours free bowling every week. That is now once a month, and you must bring the online coupon, that is only emailed to league bowlers.
No discounts to non-league bowlers.

This is what I had heard as well. But nothing on the free bowling, other than possibly accumulating points toward free games through snack bar purchases.

I did notice that when I went to the league meeting at 6 pm on a Thursday, they did have all the lights going. So maybe that will be the standard. It probably drives the staff nuts

The free bowling was always from 1:00-3:00 on Fridays. Now they will schedule it on a monthly basis, I think in the evening on a weekend. Staff was not sure how this will work though. Information is dribbling in to them as well.

charlest · « **Reply #30 on:** August 15, 2013, 09:44:12 AM »

My friend went to our local AMF house where we bowl, in order to throw a few games of practice. This is what he saw and learned. It sort of corroborates what many people here have already reported.

"New corporate mandate; if there are no leagues bowling it MUST be cosmic. So anytime you go in the day it will always be cosmic, both sides, whether people are there bowling or not. I told (his wife) to write a letter to AMF Corp and demand her money back for the summer pass. We ran into Tony C (pro shop owner) on the way out and he said 5 people were sending letters yesterday alone.

Maybe the board members of Bowlmor secretly own stock in Brunswick and are trying to force all league bowlers to Brunswick houses.

I also heard that the new policy is no open lanes between leagues and open bowling. They put open bowlers right next to leagues now. "

Author Topic: AMF-Bowlmor merger question (Read 23088 times)

thedjs

AMF-Bowlmor merger question

charlest

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

spmcgivern

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

spmcgivern

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

robertbrowder

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

spmcgivern

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

12XSECH

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

Zanatos1914

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

Bowling 300 900

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

LuckyLefty

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

dmonroe814

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

storm making it rain

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

northface28

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

dR3w

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

dmonroe814

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question

charlest

Re: AMF-Bowlmor merger question