Bowling alley opens
Westside was missing something to do, especially in the winter, and a bowling alley just seemed like a great fit. — Travis McPherson , co-owner
It’s been 18 months in the making, but the Westside finally has a bowling alley of its own as the West Kelowna Bowl and Whiski-Jack’s Pins and Pints Public House opened Friday morning. The Westside has been without a bowling alley for close to 20 years, after the Bowling alley by SaveOn Foods did not reopen after a Àre.
“We have been wanting to branch out the Whiski-Jack’s name for a long time and we always thought that the Westside was missing something to do, especially in the winter, and a bowling alley just seemed like a great fit,” said Travis McPherson, one of the owners of the new business as well as Whiski-Jack’s Pub.
They had wanted to put in a bowling alley for the last five years, but either couldn’t find the right location or the timing wasn’t right.
When they found the location in the Okanagan Lake Shopping Centre across from the Xtreme Theatre, it was the perfect fit.
“We’re branding it as the ultimate bowling experience,” said McPherson, adding West Kelowna Bowl is not just traditional bowling like everywhere else.
There are games, such as Monster Factory where people can build a monster while they bowl, traditional games where bowlers get to become the animations by taking pictures of themselves and classic games like who can hit the least amount of pins every frame.
West Kelowna Bowl has 10 lanes, but due to social distancing because of COVID-19 they can’t all be used.
“We’re trying to limit it to six people per two lanes as long as they’re in a group,” said McPherson adding if there was a group of three to five people playing on one lane, the other lane would remain closed.
There is plexiglass between back-toback lanes.
On the Pins and Pints Pub side, there is a lot of the same food as at WhiskiJack’s Pub, the owners’ other location, but it has been upscaled.
They’ve brought in the former head chef at Whiski-Jack’s as the executive chef at Pins and Pints and he has created some menu items to create more of a date-night feel.
Offerings include the nacho tower topped with queso cheese, the cambozola burger, a house burger with cambozola blue cheese which is a mix of gorgonzola and Camembert blue cheese, a seared tuna salad and a vermicelli noodle bowl.
Pins and Pints also has proper cocktail and proper shooter lists.
Because of COVID-19, at this time bowling is walking in only.
You can find West Kelowna Bowl and Pins and Pints at 620 525 Highway 97 S in the Okanagan Shopping Centre.