Darin Spindler recently interviewed Bill Wammes, owner of Al-Mar in Bowling Green, Ohio about how participating in the Kids Bowl Free summer program has benefited his bowling center.
When Wammes first learned about Kids Bowl Free over 15 years ago, he recognized the potential of using a database to promote summer bowling traffic. While Wammes had run coupon programs before, Kids Bowl Free's large database and marketing support allowed him to reach many more families.
Since joining Kids Bowl Free, Al-Mar has grown its email list to over 25,000 addresses, most of which came from the program. Wammes sends promotional emails a few times per month to fill lanes and leagues. On busy summer days, Al-Mar now has waiting lists for Kids Bowl Free sessions from noon to 5pm.
The increased traffic not only bowls more games but spends more on food, drinks, and extras. Many Kids Bowl Free participants join the center's ongoing junior and adult leagues. Some families now bowl 2-3 nights per week. The new customers introduced through the program also boost birthday party business.
Wammes recommends Kids Bowl Free to any center, saying more free games through the program means more income long-term. While it requires hiring extra summer staff, filling previously empty lanes is a much better problem for a center to have. Kids Bowl Free is the fastest way for centers to introduce thousands of new families to bowling each summer.
Bill Wammes
Many Kids Bowl Free participants at Al-Mar have gone on to join our ongoing junior and adult leagues, with some families now bowling 2-3 nights per week.
Al-Mar Lanes - Bowling Green, OH