COVID-19’s affect on local bowling industry

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WFRV) – When businesses started to shut down in March due to the coronavirus, it happened at the worst possible time for the bowling industry.

March and April are prime time for the bowling season with so many different tournaments and leagues going on. Many of those had to be cancelled and bowling alleys lost a lot of revenue during the time they were shut down.

The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley was closed for nine weeks and now being back open, the business is prioritizing safety.

“We’ve had to make some big changes. We set up a bunch of sanitation station, we prioritize social distancing, and our employees are wearing masks,” says Dave LaBar, owner of Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley.

One way the Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley is taking extra measures of cleanliness is by making sure their house balls get cleaned for the next bowler.

The workers will take the balls the bowlers used after they are done and put them in hot water that’s mixed with detox solution and warmed up to 115 degrees for one minute. After that minute, the ball is wiped off and put back on the rack for the next user.

The leagues are back in action at the Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in a condensed capacity and have been doing considerably well given the circumstances. Open bowling has done very good as well. LaBar is just happy that they are open and bowlers are back in the lanes.

“I look at it this way, we’re open. There are many bowling alleys or places that aren’t open and if we have to operate with a little bit less, we can do it. It’s just going to be a very trying season and we’ll try to break even and come back strong next season,” says LaBar.

As the seasons start to change and the weather gets colder, bowling is a fun family or friend inside activity that can bring people from all ages out and about.

Enjoy Kyle’s attempts at getting a strike: