How Does a Bowling Alley Owner Spend a Workday?

Rentals

Part of a bowling alley owner's workday is spent working on renting out equipment. The owners in a sense rent out shoes, a bowling ball, and a lane to bowl in. The renter gets to use them for the amount of time it takes to bowl ten frames. The bowling alley owners may also rent out lockers to regular customers or to those participating in competitions. The owner will also most likely have an arcade room for the children. Every time a child puts fifty cents in the game, he is renting it until the game is over. It is the owner's responsibility to check that all of the rental equipment is in good working condition and that any repairs that are needed are noted and given to the maintenance crew. The owner must then check back to make sure that the repairs have taken place.

Sales

The bowling alley owner will also have a small store within his or her establishment that sells bowling balls, gloves, shoes, t-shirts, trophies, and other paraphernalia. The owner must take time to make sure that new items are ordered to replace sold items, and that all receipts for sales and expenses are given to the bookkeeper. The owner will also need to spend some time each week researching the latest products and whether they would benefit his small store.

Competitions

It is the owner's responsibility to set up competitive teams. Bowling alleys make a lot of money from repeat bowlers who belong to various leagues. These competitions can be set up just for adults, or the owner can decide to have some children's leagues as well. There should be a schedule for the bowlers to face off against other leagues and some trophies for the winners. These competitions usually last for 24 weeks with the teams bowling once per week.

Employees

The owner will need to conduct interviews to hire new employees as well as monitor their progress and fire non-productive employees. It is also the owner's job to schedule when each employee should work. Then the owner will keep track of the actual hours the employees worked and give them to the bookkeeper to create paychecks. The bookkeeper will deduct all taxes for the owner, but the owner should review all statements and paychecks before they are handed out to check for accuracy.

Specials and Advertising

The owner will spend some time during the day to create some specials such as bowl three games and get your fourth free. Once he comes up with some good specials, he will need to advertise them. This can be done in local newspapers, radio programs, or on flyers that are handed out across town. Specials, along with the advertising, will bring in many new customers. If the customer enjoys his experience with the bowling alley, then there is a good chance he will continue to come to that location in the future. He may even give the owner some free word of mouth advertising.

Food Stand-Bar

The owner must also check in with the bowling alley's food stand and bar. The menu for the food stand is usually the basic pizza and hot dogs, but the owner must still make sure that all food and drink items are stocked and ready to go. If any items are running low, the owner will need to make a call for a delivery. The owner will also want to inspect that the food stand and bar are clean with working equipment. The owner may also need to set up inspection times with the health department. The owner will also need to make sure that the employees are not serving alcohol to anyone under the age of twenty-one.

Resources

• Owner Guide