Bowling alley in Fulton has evolved over the years into an entertainment center for the community. ‘It’s not just bowling; we are a recreation center,’ says co-owner Mike Triniski
By Steve Yablonski
It’s not your father’s bowling alley.
Welcome to Lakeview Lanes — there is so much more than just bowling.
Inside it feels like you’ve walked into the midway at Harborfest. Dozens of electronic games buzz and blink for your attention. And of course, they have 20 lanes available for open bowling, practice and leagues.
During the warmer days, they have mini golf, ice cream (at Scoops) and an outdoor space — The Yard — where patrons can play cornhole as well as other fun yard games.
The Yard is an outdoor experience featuring a full-service bar, food and a gaming area, Mike Tryniski explained. Each week, they have live music in The Yard 8 to 11 p.m., pending weather.
If the weather is bad, the music will be in the bar, he added.
All in the family
His brother, Mark, is his business partner. Mark retired in January as president and CEO of Community Bank NA. He had been with the bank since 2003.
“My brother, Mark, retired in January. We are partners here. He usually comes in a few days a week to take care of all the books — does all that stuff. Now that he’s retired he has more time,” he said.
“Our family’s history with bowling in Fulton goes back several generations,” Mike said. “Our grandfather and father were both exceptional bowlers in their own right.”
He and his brother both worked at Lakeview Lanes as kids.
“We bought Lakeview in December 2005 and over the years have added a full-service restaurant, ice cream, putt-putt golf, an outdoor bar and eating area, a game room and a pool hall,” he said. “Today we have more than 60 employees and Lakeview is a destination for social and family activities alike.”
For nearly 20 years, his motivation has been to honor the legacy of bowling in his family and support the Fulton community, “which we will do our best to continue.”
“We have been here 18 years. The business has been here since ’61,” he said. “We bought it in December of ’05. We have invested a lot over time. The Yard was a build-out, the mini golf and ice cream wasn’t there.”
Bowling is by the hour now instead of game, he added.
I think it’s worked out well. People know this is how much it costs for an hour of bowling. We have an online booking system. You can go online and book an hour, hour and a half,” he explained.
Changes
The game has changed over the years — and so has the equipment.
There are dozens of balls, each created for different lane conditions. Even balls from a few years ago are now rather obsolete. And a good pair of bowling shoes can set you back a couple hundred dollars. The high-tech brand has interchangeable soles and heels and can be adjusted for left or right handed bowlers, Tryniski added.
“Bowling is different now. It’s a more relaxed atmosphere; the scratch bowlers and handicap bowlers intermingle. We want to make sure everyone has fun. It can’t be just handicap only,” he said.
Bowling biz is tough
Lakeview has evolved into an entertainment center for the community, Tryniski said.
“With billiards, the arcade, mini golf, The Yard and everything — that’s how we have survived,” he said. “It’s not just bowling; we are a recreation center.”
“Most bowling centers are having a difficult time trying to survive, traditional bowling centers. It’s just too hard to make it with just bowling. The cost of everything is just so high, if you don’t have other revenue streams you’ll have a hard time making it. The linage for a person for a night of bowling is $12 a person, that’s not going to cut it for a shift. Back in the day, it was double, triple shifts. As bowling has declined, people have tried to do other things to survive.”
There are still a lot of bowlers around … Centers have closed and bowlers are going to places that are still open, he explained.
“We have done 100 or so weddings. We don’t do weddings any more. It’s a banquet room now. When we took over, we did weddings and parties out in the back room,” he said. “It was tough. The room wasn’t big enough to do 200, 300 people; but it wasn’t small enough to do just 50. So we just turned it into a pool room, too.”
A lot of electronics
The business has a lot of TVs.
“It’s a sports bar, so we have football in the fall, we have the baseball package. You can come in and watch all sorts of games. The TVs don’t use a lot [of electricity]. They’re not like the old ones,” he said.
They have around 60 to 65 employees — usually more in the summer. They are actually busier in the summer — “because of The Yard and ice cream; we are not a seasonal business, we are a year-round business,” he said. “We have managers to keep everything running smoothly; we have bar managers, food managers, a general manager. Things are changing. You have to keep up with it. It is part of the job — it’s a part of running a business today.”
Lakeview does a lot of birthday parties.
“The games work well with the birthday parties. The kids have a good time playing all the different games,” he said. “It’s another draw to get people to come in; it’s something fun for them to do. It helps pay the bills and pay all our employees.”
What is he the most proud of?
“To see the growth of the place; to see what it’s turned into from what we started,” he replied quickly. “It was a bowling center; it was struggling, not doing very good. We’ve turned it into a nice community place. We draw people from all over Central New York.”
“I thought about [retiring]. I’m not ready. I owned some other businesses. I could slow down — if I want to. I am not ready yet. I like working right now. When I get up and say I don’t want to go in [to work], that is when I will retire. I am not there yet,” he added.
More info?
Lakeview Lanes is located at 723 W. Broadway in Fulton. For more information, visit https://lakeviewbowling.com
