If you plan to one day create a bowling center of your very own, you will have to take into account the numerous factors of pricing. Factors that will affect the pricing of equipment can sometimes be incredibly obvious such as the number of lanes purchased, but there are numerous additional factors you may not expect that alters pricing.
Price affecting elements of a bowling center may include:
-purchasing used or new equipmentThis article will dive into the multiple factors of pricing that
numerous starting bowling centers may not think of.
One of the first price altering factors you may face will be the decision to purchase either new or used equipment. There are definitely both positive and negative effects for both options, but some do outweigh the others. In purchasing used equipment, the price will of course be less than purchasing new equipment. However, you risk the chance of having more problems with a used system since it has been running in the past. Granted that certain systems have proven to last for years, but the chances of your system breaking is more likely than purchasing new equipment. If you decide to purchase new equipment, the likelihood of encountering problems in the first few years should be very unlikely.
Buying new equipment will undoubtedly be more expensive than buying used equipment, but with that new purchase you should be guaranteed warranties on the system. Warranties on a new system can last for days, months, or years depending on your bowling equipment provider which is much better than purchasing a used system with no warranties. Here at Global Bowling a majority of our products are backed by a generous 2-3 warranty, there are even some we offer a lifetime warranty on! Finding a used system can also be a very difficult task depending on if there are any available to purchase. Replacement parts for a used system can be just as difficult if not more difficult to find.
Finding the perfect furniture for any family entertainment center can definitely be a hassle. Traditional older bowling centers normally favor towards the fixed swivel furniture for their bowling furniture. This is absolutely not a bad thing! The upside of the permanent furniture is that it is cost effective, but the downsides of this furniture is that it may be an eyesore for guests and this style is associated with older dated bowling centers.
Certain furniture companies, such as us here at Global Bowling, have developed lounge furniture that is really taking off in newly developed bowling alleys. Lounge type furniture includes upholstered couches, multipurpose use tables, various chairs for either a bar or lounge area, and numerous other design elements that make your wait between bowling much more enjoyable. Granted, this type of furniture will be more expensive but the return on this furniture will be far more great than the traditional plastic stool like chairs.
Another route to take when purchasing furniture for your bowling center would be the newly developed modular bowling furniture. This redefined furniture is perfect for bowling centers because the lounge like chairs and sofas are completely movable! You can easily move furniture around to better accommodate for your guests, make room for handicapped individuals, or completely remove the furniture from one unused lane and move to a large party of bowlers at a lane close by. This furniture type is again more expensive than the classic chairs, but then again the return is greater in terms of guest accommodations. The pictures below will show you how versatile this typing of furniture really is.
Lighting for a bowling center is another small yet crucial detail that guests will likely remember and enjoy. Lighting can be extremely simple or complex depending on the theme and atmosphere of your center. A simple bowling center or house that caters more towards league bowling would not necessarily need luxurious light fixtures. A large bowling house should stick to simple and effective lighting for the sake of money purposes and the lack of demand from your league bowlers.
The type of bowling center that should be interested towards investing into nice lighting fixtures would be the lounge and luxury bowling type centers. Centers with additional revenue streams such as arcade, mini golf, laser tag, and multiple others should be looking into lighting to draw attention to the various attractions. Light fixtures are a great way to do this or even LED lights. LED lights are great for entertainment centers for multiple reasons. LED light bars have the ability to change color whenever you see fit which is perfect for guests of all ages. Most LED light bars also have the ability to produce a black light which is amazing for cosmic bowling. Global Bowling LED Light bars can be programmed with a DMX controller to create a stunning light show that will impress all of your guests. Spending money on a great quality lighting system is a great investment that will definitely help improve your nightlife.
As a new bowling center owner, you may assume all scoring systems for bowling are the same. Wrong. There are numerous bowling scoring providers who all use a different version of scoring. Some scoring will be extremely simple and not too flashy, which is perfect for large bowling houses. However, a large majority of scoring now-a-days uses graphics and numerous other eye catching visuals that make the sometimes boring bowling scores enjoyable and fun. Bowling centers with a large bar and additional revenue streams should look into the more guest appealing scoring systems. Keeping your guests entertained with fun graphics will increase the chance of their return to your center in the not too distant future. Another important thing to keep in mind when purchasing scoring is, what kind of support does the provider offer? If your scoring system has errors or crashes then your bowling lanes will be completely shut down, and this could be devastating for your business. Global is a licensed distributor of Steltronic scoring who offers 24/7/365 support so you can have the assurance that you’ll always get the help you need.
Scoring monitors are case sensitive since the scoring monitors provided for you are more than likely from the scoring provider you chose. Most scoring monitors are basically televisions above your head as you bowl that display your score. The scoring monitor sizes vary depending on the supplier, but they are typical 43”. Scoring monitors in new centers should also have some sort of entertainment screen either between the lanes or at the end of the lanes. This is crucial for the lounge and hybrid centers that also have an arcade and bar. These entertainment screens will have nothing to do with bowling, instead they will either be playing advertisements for your location or any type of media you would like to display for your guests. This additional monitor is not necessary for large bowling houses since a big chunk of your revenue will be from league bowlers who may not even care about the additional entertainment screen.
Audio packages are another pricing surprise for newly developed centers. Audio equipment can get pricey but this is not an area of your center that you want to cheap out on. Most of noise created in a center comes from the sound of ball crashing against the pins and the pinsetter machines. The curtain wall and masking units do a fairly good job of muffling the sounds, but you want to make sure your speakers can overcome that unwanted noise.
A great option and ability to have for your audio system is to set it up so that you can have live DJ’s and performers hook up to it. Live DJ’s and Bands can be a great way to add some extra life and excitement to your bowling alley on the weekends.
Lastly, a perfect pairing of audio and visuals for your center would be if you synced your audio speakers over head with your entertainment screens! If you decide to play music videos of popular songs on your entertainment screens, your speakers can play the music for the song! It’s a match made in absolute paradise for your center!
Licensing – Music is considered a commodity and is protected under copyright laws. This means if you play music without permission you are putting your business at risk for a law suit. When it comes to purchasing the license for music that is something you’ll have to do directly as a business owner. The best rates for business is the bowling industry are going to be through the “BPAA Smart buy Program”. There are also companies out there can provide music, music videos and even create several custom playlist depending on the mood you want in your center. A great company to check out for music services is BowlingMusic.com. They do offer a free trial on there website, as of the time of writing this article.
Graphics for your center may include masking graphics for bowling, additional signage to advertise bowling or an additional revenue stream, or possibly an added graphic for your walls to fully capture the theme of your center. Graphics can come in all shapes and sizes, so it is very important you pay attention to the pricing of each.
Masking graphics for your system should be provided for you through your bowling provider. Masking graphics can be chosen for you, customized, or predetermined if you purchase used equipment. Masking graphics are basically the images at the end of the lanes that cover the pinsetter. Masking graphics are incredibly important to your location because they will be the first thing your guests will see when they bowl. These graphics can even be blacklight reactive, which means the graphic can change drastically when hit by a blacklight! You can see how effective blacklight reactive masking graphics are in the image provided below.
Additional signage to better identify different section s of your entertainment center may be aesthetically pleasing to new guests. Signs that better pinpoint areas that may be difficult to find in your center such as a small arcade or snack bar can be a great investment for your location.
Wall graphics would be another great investment for entertainment centers with a very specific and almost obvious theme. Wall graphics will create an all new environment for your guests to be lost in and enjoy! Popular wall graphics include jungle themes, space themes, spray painted graffiti, boardwalks, beach themed, and smashed walls. Wall graphics can even be used to advertise your center!
Adding video screens can be a great way to liven up your center. The motion and movement on the screens will create a high action and entertaining environment. You have the option to mount TV’s or projectors all over the walls. This is very common for sports niche businesses. This can drive large crowds of people to your facility when there is a large sporting even such as the Super Bowl.
You can also add projector screens to your bowling masking units! A large screen will cover 2 lanes of bowling and a projector is hung about 20’ back from the screen and anything you’d like can be displayed. Pair with great audio, displaying music videos can generate a lot of energy and create a fun and entertaining nightlife atmosphere. While this is an amazing feature that’ll make your center stand out, you can’t forget added features means added cost. For estimates on how much video masking units cost contact Global Bowling at info@globalfunpros.com or give us a call.
Additional décor elements to your location will obviously influence pricing. Décor is often viewed as huge decorations for your entertainment center that guests will love. These décor options are really fascinating and fun to look at, but décor doesn’t always have to be enormous ornaments for your location. Small décor options include clever signage placed throughout your center, mascots of your center, themed tables, and much more. Granted these aspects of your system may not seem necessary one but, but you would be shocked at how guests remember the small things about your bowling center.
Theming for your bowling center can be crucial to the possible success of your new business so it is incredibly important to decide early on if you want a theme or not. Themes can be amazing, if done the right way. The decision to choose a theme or not should be based on the location of your center and something a mass majority of people understand and enjoy. Themes can also work towards your disadvantage however. For example, choosing a theme such as aliens in a small town may not do very well. However, if you choose an alien theme near Area 52 or an observatory may do immensely better. Great examples of theming have been included below.
With an awesome theme comes a literal price however. Theming will hands down increase the amount of money a new bowling center owner puts into the location. The two highest costs when theming a location will be graphics presenting the theme throughout your center and custom signage for your center advertising the theme. It is especially important to theme your location the right amount because not everybody may enjoy the theme.
Pricing will always be a factor during the design and build process of creating a family entertainment center so it is extremely important to know as much as possible on how far your dollar will get you. We strongly recommend reaching out to Global Bowling so you can ask pricing questions on literally every aspect of your soon to be center and be given answers the same day. To learn more about how much it costs to build a bowling alley, please feel free to reach out to Global Bowling through our email info@globalfunpros.com or office phone number (909) 683-2190! We look forward to your response and hopefully working hand in hand in creating a family entertainment center that fits well within your budget.