Bowling Entertainment Center Business Plan

The bowling business is family entertainment. This is a sport that all ages can participate in and enjoy as individuals or in groups. It is where grandparents take grandchildren of all ages to have a bonding outing. The new computer technology enables anyone to experience the excitement of the sport without having to know how to keep score, because it is done automatically by the computer and displayed on a monitor. The core revenue producer is the league structure, which is all encompassing. The basic element in leagues is its three levels–beginning with youth leagues, it progresses until it reaches the senior citizen. The largest number of league bowlers are in the 35-50 age group, married with two children, homeowning, with an annual income between $40,000 and $75,000.

These leagues are primarily made up of married couples with similar backgrounds. Large corporations, adult school-booster organizations, and churches are excellent sources for forming this type of league. League development is only limited by management’s imagination; however, the key is to find a common interest which each member of the league shares. Kiln Creek Bowling Center is a multi-media entertainment center that will also have a billiard and dart parlor with its own league structure. The Train Station full service restaurant will feature live entertainment or Karaoke for the late-night customers.

3.1 Product and Service Description

We sell food, beverages, and entertainment with pleasant memories.

3.2 Competitive Comparison

The business will be lucrative for the following reasons:

1. The General Manager has ten years of experience operating a bowling center as an owner/operator. This will be his third bowling project. He was the developer, designer, builder, and operator of Victory Lanes Bowling Center, the first computerized bowling center in Virginia. It had the largest number of leagues and open bowlers in the area. The LPBA National Bowling Tournament was televised live on ESPN from this center–a first for any center in Virginia. The center was honored by the local community for the positive role it had in various civic activities such as American Heart Association, Cancer prevention, and Big Brother/Sister program.
2. This is a family-oriented and family-operated bowling center.
3. The center will be aggressively marketed to large and small businesses for league support. There will be an incentive program that rewards the clientele based on amount of money spent in the center.
4. The location is excellent within the upper middle-class area of York County and Newport News, Virginia. The radius of potential customer base is increased due to the easy access from Interstate 64 at Exit 265B.
5. Management of Kiln Creek Bowling Center recognizes the needs of the surrounding area and will seize opportunities to support the needs of the customer in the community.

The ability of Kiln Creek Bowling Center to accomplish its goals and lead the bowling industry depends upon the expertise, abilities, and social conscience of the management team. The management team has received awards in the past for their outstanding management of bowling centers and management of local and state bowling tournaments. The high standards set by Kiln Creek Bowling Center’s team will make it difficult for competitors to enter and survive in the market area.

The resulting business environment will consist of a family entertainment marketplace containing only those businesses that truly desire to support the needs of York County and the surrounding area. As a result of these factors, Kiln Creek Bowling Center knows the opportunity exists, and the company has the unique qualifications to provide the highest quality service and family-oriented bowling environment which offers competitive pricing for its customers and still makes an outstanding profit in their demanding market.

3.3 Fulfillment

The bowling industry is unique in that it has three major sources of replacement parts and products. They are AMF, Brunswick, and a network of after-market suppliers. All these sources ship overnight, which reduces the requirement for a large inventory. The restaurant side of the business is serviced by national and local vendors that deliver on a set schedule. They also provide various types of usage data that are helpful in the daily management of the restaurant.

3.4 Technology

Today’s bowling center is part entertainment, part sport, and part business. AMF BOSS Scoring and AMF BOSS are the systems that work together to intelligently combine all three. Instead of being bogged down with routine, the manager of the bowling center is free to manage. AMF BOSS Scoring makes each game an entertaining experience for bowlers of every skill level. Bowlers follow their score on an advanced 3D score grid that’s graphically appealing and easy to read. Over 100 exciter animations add visual fun to every game situation. What’s more, bumper deployment can be controlled by the scorer so parents and children can share a lane with a minimum of disruption. With its combination of features, AMF BOSS Scoring makes bowling more fun for everyone–and that makes bowlers want to come back.

AMF BOSS Scoring is a professional scoring system; it helps bowlers improve. AMF BOSS Scoring has the industry’s most reliable and accurate scoring camera. Working with it are high resolution monitors, with a sharper picture than any standard TV set. Bowlers can choose five or ten frame scoregrids, pindication and ball speed displays, plus instant replay, all of which help them evaluate or adjust their play after every shot. Add handicapping and the system that has everything the serious bowler wants and needs.

AMF BOSS Scoring helps get a better return on money invested in a bowling center. With video merchandising and revenue-generating games like 40 Frame and Strike Shot, powered by a Pentium processor and displayed on high-resolution VGA monitors, AMF BOSS Scoring gives the center more opportunities for enhanced revenue.

AMF BOSS is the perfect business partner. Developed jointly by Microsoft and AMF, this Front Desk/Back Office system is flexible and efficient. With easy-to-understand graphics created by an award-winning design firm, and an optional touch screen complemented by a custom keyboard, training is fast and easy. And advanced COM (Component Object Model) technology makes future upgrades and programming add-ons a breeze. With inherent revenue-generating capability and superior bowling business software, the entire bowling center can be managed more effectively. AMF BOSS can be configured to the specific needs of this particular center, now, and in the future with additional modules such as Video Merchandising Leagues and Tournaments.

3.5 Future Products and Services

Kiln Creek Bowling Center will expand its family entertainment options during its second year of operation. There will be a miniature golf course and a batting cage. These two activities will increase revenue during the summer, which is the time of year the bowling revenue is at its lowest point.