Bowl America Glen Burnie closes after acquisition

Many bowlers in northern Anne Arundel County were left scrambling for a new alley after Bowl America Glen Burnie abruptly closed Tuesday.

The sudden closure came after the Ritchie Highway bowling alley once owned by the legendary Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas was one of 17 acquired by Bowlero Corp, which calls itself the largest owner and operator of bowling centers in the world.

“We’re sorry to say that Bowl America Glen Burnie has closed. We invite you to join us to bowl at with us at AMF Southwest Lanes,” reads a notice on Bowl America Glen Burnie’s website.

Bowlero owns the AMF bowling alley located on Fairview Avenue in Linthicum Heights. The closing caught bowlers in the community off guard, particularly those signed up for seasonal league bowling set to begin Saturday.

Zachary Taylor, a former employee of Bowl America for six years, said he was sick to his stomach when he saw the bowling alley being boarded up. He and many other bowlers were notified Tuesday that they had to remove all their equipment from the building. Taylor stopped working at the alley in 2017 and is the president of a Saturday bowling league that was about to start its winter season and now must look for a new location.

“It was a great atmosphere, and it was gratifying, but business started to decline over time,” said Taylor, who worked his way up at Bowl America from wiping tables to assistant manager. “That is just how the bowling business is heading. I somewhat could see them closing down eventually, the center was deteriorating and every lane had mechanical or scoring issues, a lot of work would have to be done.”

Karen Alford started bowling when she was 6 years old at what was then Johnny Unitas Colt Lanes, one of three alleys owned by the then retired quarterback. Her mother worked there, and she played there for more than 50 years.

She left in tears after picking up her equipment Tuesday. Alford considers the alley’s staff extended family and coached some of the league bowlers since they were youths.

“We are all upset about it especially after how we were treated, we were told we would be able to have our fall season there,” Alford said.

Alford runs a Tuesday morning women’s league and will be moving it to Severna Park Bowling Lanes, about 10 miles south on Ritchie Highway. The women’s league, which she expects to have more than six teams, has been bowling together for over 20 years, and she said she just wants to keep them together.

During the pandemic, Alford said, Bowl America was a life saver for many of them. She said she will miss the people the most.

“It is devastating” Taylor said. “My career started there and this place has had the biggest impact on my life and I am sure it is the same for others as well.”

Taylor is disappointed the owners didn’t renovate the bowling alley when they had the money to do it. He feels like it never reached its full potential.

Bowlero spokeswoman Jill Laufer confirmed the closure and encouraged bowlers to go to one of the nearby AMF alleys. In addition to AMF Southwest Lanes in Linthicum Heights, Bowlero also owns AMF Southdale Lanes on Jumpers Hole Road in Pasadena.

“This premium location just 5 miles away offers bowling in a space that’s perfectly suited for both league play and special events, with lanes available all season long,” she said in an email.

Bowlero said in a news release that the Bowl America acquisition is its latest strategic growth initiative following last month’s announcement of plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange through a merger with Isos Acquisition Corp.

“This acquisition allows us to expand Bowlero’s geographical footprint further into key markets and supports our ongoing strategic efforts to grow and revitalize all aspects of the bowling industry,” said Tom Shannon, Bowlero’s founder, chairman and CEO, in a statement. Bowlero now has more than 300 locations nationwide.