Proshops with game rooms, bars, ect... And kicking out proshops?

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...

Quote from: Brickguy221 on February 06, 2015, 11:21:27 AM

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.   

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...

Chicago area...yes we have some larger shops up north...but for the most part..many shops are small...and stock very little...

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.

Quote from: spmcgivern on February 11, 2015, 03:37:13 PM

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.

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.....