Bowling centers relieved as shutdown order lifted
Debbie Juniewicz
After being closed for more than two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ohio bowling centers received the green light from Gov. Mike DeWine to reopen Tuesday and the long-awaited news was met with enthusiasm and a collective sigh of relief.
“The Ohio bowling industry was happy to be added to the classification of non-contact sports — we felt that was where we should have been all along,” said Jenny Martin-Clarke, executive director of the Bowling Centers Association of Ohio. “I believe it’s a credit to our amazing bowlers and proprietors and their efforts to reach out to their elected officials over the past week that we were added to the non-contact sports.”
A new normal
While doors will soon open, it will be anything but business as usual. But the groundwork for this reopening was laid many weeks ago.
“Ohio bowling operators have been working hard since the closure to put new procedures in place to welcome bowlers back responsibly and safely,” Martin-Clarke said. “I am confident our industry can bring back a great, safe entertainment venue for families and our valued customers.”
From employee training to enhanced cleaning protocol, proprietors are working to get their centers in compliance with new state guidelines.
“There’s going to be some education for all of us,” Beaver-Vu Bowl proprietor Doug Wilson said. “We definitely want to reopen, but we need to do it safely.”
While many bowlers have been clamoring to get back on the lanes, others are apprehensive.
“Our main focus is giving our bowlers the confidence they need to come out,” said Poelking South proprietor Joe Poelking. “We know there are going to be some people who are concerned and we want them to know we will do everything we can to make them feel comfortable.”
Timetable
While centers can open Tuesday, that doesn’t mean they will.
There are 254 bowling centers in Ohio — 13 in the Bowling Proprietors Association of Greater Dayton — ranging in size from two to 68 lanes. These centers previously employed more than 5,000 people statewide, most of whom are no longer on the payroll.
Hiring or re-hiring employees and implementing necessary training will take time. There’s food and beverages to order and physical changes to the space that will need to be made based on the state guidelines.
Wilson is doubtful Beaver-Vu will be ready to open by Tuesday.
“I think, at the earliest, it will be the first week of June,” he said.
Bowlers should contact their local center to clarify their time frame and protocol.