BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: xrayjay on February 05, 2015, 03:23:37 PM
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Proshops with game rooms, bars, ect... And kicking out proshops?
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Around here, yes, in a passive aggressive manner. Either make the rent ridiculous or open the center so late in the afternoon that it railroads your business.
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They kicked a reputable shop in my area out for a BowlersMart shop. I'm hearing this is commonplace on the east coast.
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getting rid of shops in their bowlmor centers must be good for the other proshops that are located in a private or non bowlmor centers. THey'll probably get more business....but suck for local bowlers who don't have any other options...
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Basically all proshops located in amf houses closed. i think because of bowlmor opening schedule or business hours. bowlmor be opening at like 4pm sometimes, even 6pm. i dont think the proshops want to have their business limited to such business hours so they decide to pack up and call it quits there.
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Basically all proshops located in amf houses closed. i think because of bowlmor opening schedule or business hours. bowlmor be opening at like 4pm sometimes, even 6pm. i dont think the proshops want to have their business limited to such business hours so they decide to pack up and call it quits there.
Maybe pro shops will have to schedule their hours for when bowlers are actually there instead of making us adhere to their schedule. I've never understood pro shops that are open at 11 AM to 7 PM and closed at least on Sunday if not both weekend days.
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Basically all proshops located in amf houses closed. i think because of bowlmor opening schedule or business hours. bowlmor be opening at like 4pm sometimes, even 6pm. i dont think the proshops want to have their business limited to such business hours so they decide to pack up and call it quits there.
Maybe pro shops will have to schedule their hours for when bowlers are actually there instead of making us adhere to their schedule. I've never understood pro shops that are open at 11 AM to 7 PM and closed at least on Sunday if not both weekend days.
My local center has a pro shop that gets a lot of business during the day from senior bowlers as most are retired and are free during the day.
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Basically all proshops located in amf houses closed. i think because of bowlmor opening schedule or business hours. bowlmor be opening at like 4pm sometimes, even 6pm. i dont think the proshops want to have their business limited to such business hours so they decide to pack up and call it quits there.
Maybe pro shops will have to schedule their hours for when bowlers are actually there instead of making us adhere to their schedule. I've never understood pro shops that are open at 11 AM to 7 PM and closed at least on Sunday if not both weekend days.
My local center has a pro shop that gets a lot of business during the day from senior bowlers as most are retired and are free during the day.
If there are day leagues of course. Same with my local bowling alleys. But if the center does not open until 4 PM, then they will have to adjust off those bankers hours.
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Basically all proshops located in amf houses closed. i think because of bowlmor opening schedule or business hours. bowlmor be opening at like 4pm sometimes, even 6pm. i dont think the proshops want to have their business limited to such business hours so they decide to pack up and call it quits there.
Maybe pro shops will have to schedule their hours for when bowlers are actually there instead of making us adhere to their schedule. I've never understood pro shops that are open at 11 AM to 7 PM and closed at least on Sunday if not both weekend days.
for a long, LONG time, it was weird for me to see decent pro shops physically at the bowling alleys.
I say that, because two of the biggest shops in the Omaha area (where I grew up) were standalone shops, where one was in a shopping plaza in front of a bowling alley, while the other was a mile from 2 other alleys.
While it is advantageous for the shop to be at the alley so the driller/proprietor can see how you roll the ball so he can get a feel of your game, having it standalone (depending on where the location is) can net the shop more space to operate their business. More space = more capacity to store new equipment, instead of having no space and ordering the gear once it has been paid for.
So yes, while what Bowlmor is doing sucks for the pro shop, if done right, the pro shop could move elsewhere and generate more business than what they could ever have brought in at the alley...
If done right, Bowlmor could be handing the pro shops a blessing.
BL.
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Basically all proshops located in amf houses closed. i think because of bowlmor opening schedule or business hours. bowlmor be opening at like 4pm sometimes, even 6pm. i dont think the proshops want to have their business limited to such business hours so they decide to pack up and call it quits there.
Maybe pro shops will have to schedule their hours for when bowlers are actually there instead of making us adhere to their schedule. I've never understood pro shops that are open at 11 AM to 7 PM and closed at least on Sunday if not both weekend days.
My local center has a pro shop that gets a lot of business during the day from senior bowlers as most are retired and are free during the day.
If there are day leagues of course. Same with my local bowling alleys. But if the center does not open until 4 PM, then they will have to adjust off those bankers hours.
Its not an AMF so the banker hours are in play, in fact, one senior bowler, who is retired, spends at least $1k a month on new balls. So for this particular shop its beneficial to stay open.
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Basically all proshops located in amf houses closed. i think because of bowlmor opening schedule or business hours. bowlmor be opening at like 4pm sometimes, even 6pm. i dont think the proshops want to have their business limited to such business hours so they decide to pack up and call it quits there.
Maybe pro shops will have to schedule their hours for when bowlers are actually there instead of making us adhere to their schedule. I've never understood pro shops that are open at 11 AM to 7 PM and closed at least on Sunday if not both weekend days.
My local center has a pro shop that gets a lot of business during the day from senior bowlers as most are retired and are free during the day.
If there are day leagues of course. Same with my local bowling alleys. But if the center does not open until 4 PM, then they will have to adjust off those bankers hours.
Its not an AMF so the banker hours are in play, in fact, one senior bowler, who is retired, spends at least $1k a month on new balls. So for this particular shop its beneficial to stay open.
My local houses are the same way, they all have lots of day leagues, so I can't see anything changing for them. I'll still have to use my lunch hour to make a run to the pro shop. Not that I couldn't stand missing a meal or two! :)
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My local houses are the same way, they all have lots of day leagues, so I can't see anything changing for them. I'll still have to use my lunch hour to make a run to the pro shop. Not that I couldn't stand missing a meal or two! :)
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I just did that today, went to a proshop during my lunch....... not to buy, but to visit the shop and see how it is after not visiting it for over 3 years. Well, the spot became a huge arcade - it's actually nice, I can see my kids having fun.
I found out that the shop is still in the building but located outside. and the space looks so small, smaller than the restroom at the bowlmor I bowl leagues at. my sisters his and hers bathroom is much bigger, my other sister's walk-in closet is much bigger....the owner since sold it from what I was told....but at least a shop is still present....
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Bowlmor did that with Thruway Lanes where the pro shop was given a massive rent increase and the shop moved. Then Thruway Lanes ended up being sold to a car dealership next door to the place and closed last month.
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Basically all proshops located in amf houses closed. i think because of bowlmor opening schedule or business hours. bowlmor be opening at like 4pm sometimes, even 6pm. i dont think the proshops want to have their business limited to such business hours so they decide to pack up and call it quits there.
Maybe pro shops will have to schedule their hours for when bowlers are actually there instead of making us adhere to their schedule. I've never understood pro shops that are open at 11 AM to 7 PM and closed at least on Sunday if not both weekend days.
I never understood why too why pro shops like opening at noon ish and closing at 7pm. But well pro shop people like to bowl and live life too so I suppose do what ya want. I live in Sacramento where there is a lot of warehouses for example bowlerparadise(creator of elite balls) and genesis bowlingballs carrying bowling balls, so I mean that could be one reason why pro shops closing. But anyways mainly bowlmor proshops closed or moved outside the building. Their old shop now contains pool tables and arcade stuff.
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I am an "oldtimer" (will be 78 on Feb 21st this month) and bowl only in the daytime. I don't venture out at night, pro shops that are open at noon or 1 pm or whatever to 6 or 7 pm are a great benefit to me and others like myself.
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I am an "oldtimer" (will be 78 on Feb 21st this month) and bowl only in the daytime. I don't venture out at night, pro shops that are open at noon or 1 pm or whatever to 6 or 7 pm are a great benefit to me and others like myself.
yea i can see that kinda makes sense open at noonish then close right after league gets going.
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I am an "oldtimer" (will be 78 on Feb 21st this month) and bowl only in the daytime. I don't venture out at night, pro shops that are open at noon or 1 pm or whatever to 6 or 7 pm are a great benefit to me and others like myself.
Milo my old friend...I don't think I ever bowled in a league where I saw a bowler who was bowling in said league...Buy a ball during bowling...
That's a NO NO...Maybe if you get there 2 hours before league...but NOT once league
has started...
The second problem is parking...Around here it's a pain to find a parking spot...Now if you're a customer going to a pro shop at nite...Around here, good luck finding a parking spot...And if you're a woman...You best have someone with you...after dark...
Now during the day...Should have no problem with parking or safety...
But around here...Most bowling alley pro shops usually open about 4 and close at 7 or 8...And even when they are open...the ball driller is usually BOWLING...And some kid
with a feather duster is manning the shop...
And very few shops STOCK equipment...Most of the time they have to order whatever it is you want...
Very few golf courses have pro shops anymore...And the same thing appears to be
happening in bowling...
IMO, I think the days of the Converted Broom Closets are over....Bowlmor just closed
a Brunswick Zone that had 1200 league bowlers...
Everyone is out, including the Pro Shop...
I just had a young lady in who bought a ball and 2 ball roller bag...She started shopping at about 10 am this morning...She named 3 or 4 pro shops that she went too...
A couple were not open...and the others had very little selection...
Very typical around here...
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I think the noon to 5 pm hours are to catch up on all the ball work without trying to sell new stuff. Plug, re-drill, resurface, shop maintenance, ordering... The shops I've been in seem to always have about a dozen balls laying in the shop in process of having something done to them.
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I am an "oldtimer" (will be 78 on Feb 21st this month) and bowl only in the daytime. I don't venture out at night, pro shops that are open at noon or 1 pm or whatever to 6 or 7 pm are a great benefit to me and others like myself.
Milo my old friend...I don't think I ever bowled in a league where I saw a bowler who was bowling in said league...Buy a ball during bowling...
That's a NO NO...Maybe if you get there 2 hours before league...but NOT once league
has started...
The second problem is parking...Around here it's a pain to find a parking spot...Now if you're a customer going to a pro shop at nite...Around here, good luck finding a parking spot...And if you're a woman...You best have someone with you...after dark...
Now during the day...Should have no problem with parking or safety...
But around here...Most bowling alley pro shops usually open about 4 and close at 7 or 8...And even when they are open...the ball driller is usually BOWLING...And some kid
with a feather duster is manning the shop...
And very few shops STOCK equipment...Most of the time they have to order whatever it is you want...
Very few golf courses have pro shops anymore...And the same thing appears to be
happening in bowling...
IMO, I think the days of the Converted Broom Closets are over....Bowlmor just closed
a Brunswick Zone that had 1200 league bowlers...
Everyone is out, including the Pro Shop...
I just had a young lady in who bought a ball and 2 ball roller bag...She started shopping at about 10 am this morning...She named 3 or 4 pro shops that she went too...
A couple were not open...and the others had very little selection...
Very typical around here...
I see a "broom closet" shop now and then, but most of the shops in my area are good size. You might need them to order a ball for you, but they all seem to have a pretty wide selection of stuff. As for parking, the one place I can think of where parking is a REAL pain (Daily City), well the parking during the day time is just as bad or worse as it is at night.
I still don't see a problem with a pro shop being open when their customers are actually going to BE there. Maybe they need tape or rosin, or a thumb worked out. You might sell a ball after leagues, because well, if only dude had the right ball he wouldn't have lost that position round tonight. :)
Then again, you have been in the business since bowling balls were made out of rock, so you probably have a better idea of what works and doesn't. I'm just a guy with money to spend on a ball. :o ;D
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I think the noon to 5 pm hours are to catch up on all the ball work without trying to sell new stuff. Plug, re-drill, resurface, shop maintenance, ordering... The shops I've been in seem to always have about a dozen balls laying in the shop in process of having something done to them.
Strider....That is what is known as Bowling Pro Shop 101...
Always have balls around that are being worked on...
They take in a plug and wait 3 days to cut it down and poured...and then it's sits for another 3 days. then they cut it down and it sits for another 3 days before they drill it...
And then when someone wants a new ball drilled...They tell them it will be ready in a few days..."Cause we're backed up"...
It makes people think the shop is busy...
Basic 101 bull crap...
I can't tell how many times people look at me and say..."you're going to drill it now"...
amazing...
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Milo..."I still don't see a problem with a pro shop being open when their customers are actually going to BE there. Maybe they need tape or rosin, or a thumb worked out. You might sell a ball after leagues, because well, if only dude had the right ball he wouldn't have lost that position round tonight". :)
Well I agree on this...That's what the kid with the feather duster does...He sells
you tape or cleaner or does a quick sand job on your ball...
Now I have seen bowling Centers in California...And the ones I have been in are Light Years ahead of the Centers here in the mid west...
So when you say some of the shops are bigger...I can go along with that...
I was referring to my area...
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Milo..."I still don't see a problem with a pro shop being open when their customers are actually going to BE there. Maybe they need tape or rosin, or a thumb worked out. You might sell a ball after leagues, because well, if only dude had the right ball he wouldn't have lost that position round tonight". :)
Well I agree on this...That's what the kid with the feather duster does...He sells
you tape or cleaner or does a quick sand job on your ball...
Now I have seen bowling Centers in California...And the ones I have been in are Light Years ahead of the Centers here in the mid west...
So when you say some of the shops are bigger...I can go along with that...
I was referring to my area...
If I may ask, what area are you in?
I ask, because with being from the Midwest and living in Northern California, the shops I have seen (I also live in Sacramento) are nearly the exact opposite. I can think of 1 or 2 that are how you describe it, where back in the midwest (Omaha/Lincoln/Kansas City/Wichita/Oklahoma City area) they have good to large sized shops, where some are even standalone, and have plenty of stock on hand.
Now, I'll admit a lot of it is like that because of Collegiate teams, or are areas where PBA regional tournaments frequently run, but a decently sized pro shop is hard to come by in this area, unless I want to take a trip into the Bay Area.
I'm not going to bring Vegas into this, because that is a different beast altogether..
BL.
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Chicago area...yes we have some larger shops up north...but for the most part..many shops are small...and stock very little...
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Bowlmor has just issued Gary Parsons, owner of World Class Pro Shops at AMF Capitol Plaza, an eviction notice of Feb. 28th!!!
This is outrageous! We are talking about a guy who is a pillar in the bowling community; a true authority in the bowlers proprietors association; and a mentor to bowlers and drillers all over the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia area!! And with absolutely no reasons given.....they come in and tell him he has thirty days to vacate the premises and remove his shop!!
Craziest mess I ever heard and this bowling alley will be the one to suffer eventually. This is the guy, known as GURU, who attracts bowlers from everywhere, yet BowlMor is evicting him. BowlMor is clearly a short-sighted, sorry run organization. I have already posted my complaints with them, and still got no reasons for why they are doing what they are doing. pretty pathetic if you ask me!
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Would any reason given make it any better? Bowlmor is in the business of making money. They must feel they can make more money by unfortunately removing an established pro shop from one of their locations.
I have the utmost respect for Mr. Parsons, however, when I Googled his pro shop's name, no web page came up. There was a Facebook page (can't access at work), but nothing else other than some Yelp information. Doesn't mean you can't be successful without one, but I wonder how successful the shop is if there isn't a website in today's business environment.
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Would any reason given make it any better? Bowlmor is in the business of making money. They must feel they can make more money by unfortunately removing an established pro shop from one of their locations.
I have the utmost respect for Mr. Parsons, however, when I Googled his pro shop's name, no web page came up. There was a Facebook page (can't access at work), but nothing else other than some Yelp information. Doesn't mean you can't be successful without one, but I wonder how successful the shop is if there isn't a website in today's business environment.
If you only sell local, then why would you need a website? I know of several very successful pro shops in No Cal and none of them have websites.
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Would any reason given make it any better? Bowlmor is in the business of making money. They must feel they can make more money by unfortunately removing an established pro shop from one of their locations.
I have the utmost respect for Mr. Parsons, however, when I Googled his pro shop's name, no web page came up. There was a Facebook page (can't access at work), but nothing else other than some Yelp information. Doesn't mean you can't be successful without one, but I wonder how successful the shop is if there isn't a website in today's business environment.
If you only sell local, then why would you need a website? I know of several very successful pro shops in No Cal and none of them have websites.
Can't argue with that. The best advertisement still to this day is person-to-person communication. If someone gives a review to a shop that is in high regard, chances are they will hit up that shop. vice versa as well.
BL.
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Would any reason given make it any better? Bowlmor is in the business of making money. They must feel they can make more money by unfortunately removing an established pro shop from one of their locations.
I have the utmost respect for Mr. Parsons, however, when I Googled his pro shop's name, no web page came up. There was a Facebook page (can't access at work), but nothing else other than some Yelp information. Doesn't mean you can't be successful without one, but I wonder how successful the shop is if there isn't a website in today's business environment.
Some of this shittiest shops around have Facebook pages, websites, etc its all white noise. Gary Parsons is WELL KNOWN, if you haven't heard of him, its because you aren't listening.
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word of mouth still works around here. some drive an 1 or 3 hours away. some know someone who drives 5 hours away on a weekly basis and this driver/friend drops and picks up balls for local guys. And, there's a guy who lives near a real good proshop and he does our drop/pick ups for us. And when need be, these guys take time off to drive the distance to get things done personally.
But, here in NorCal a road trip to the proshop turns into a family road trip to beaches or parks or outlets lol.....well for me.....hahaha
Though, i do miss having a shop in the center.....
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Some of this shittiest shops around have Facebook pages, websites, etc its all white noise. Gary Parsons is WELL KNOWN, if you haven't heard of him, its because you aren't listening.
I know who Mr. Parsons is. And I also said you can be successful without a webpage etc. I am not trying to get anyone's panties in a wad, just stating a point of view from someone who knows nothing of his shop and its success.
If you owned a bowling center with a pro shop, but found that you could make more money using it for something else, would you do it. Let's even consider the possibility you lose some business because of a lack of pro shop and yet the space could still make you more money.
It isn't news that BowlMor may not be as serious bowler friendly as other centers. They have a niche that they know well. In THEIR eyes, a pro shop must not be needed at this center or they found a way to make more money with the space. Time will tell if they are successful or not.
Now, if BowlMor got rid of ALL pro shops in one fell swoop, then I might have a different take.
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Some of this shittiest shops around have Facebook pages, websites, etc its all white noise. Gary Parsons is WELL KNOWN, if you haven't heard of him, its because you aren't listening.
I know who Mr. Parsons is. And I also said you can be successful without a webpage etc. I am not trying to get anyone's panties in a wad, just stating a point of view from someone who knows nothing of his shop and its success.
If you owned a bowling center with a pro shop, but found that you could make more money using it for something else, would you do it. Let's even consider the possibility you lose some business because of a lack of pro shop and yet the space could still make you more money.
It isn't news that BowlMor may not be as serious bowler friendly as other centers. They have a niche that they know well. In THEIR eyes, a pro shop must not be needed at this center or they found a way to make more money with the space. Time will tell if they are successful or not.
Now, if BowlMor got rid of ALL pro shops in one fell swoop, then I might have a different take.
I agree with you, Bowlmor, has a successful business model. They don't see the need for proshops, thats their choice.
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I agree with you, Bowlmor, has a successful business model. They don't see the need for protons, thats their choice.
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No wonder! They probably have a greater need for electrons! ;)