Opening a bowling club: the basics of your own business in the gaming industry

Institution format

In order to correctly calculate a bowling alley business plan, you must first decide on the format of the establishment. There are several most common options, and it is quite possible to choose one of them as a basis:

• Sports complex - in this vein, you can open a mini bowling alley at the center, but the priority of your clients will not be entertainment, but rather training. So everything will need to be arranged in the appropriate concept; it wouldn’t hurt to think of something like a small bar with healthy drinks: vitamin cocktails, smoothies, fruit salads, etc.
• Family center - this type of establishment would be an excellent option in a small town where there are not many places where the whole family can go. You can open a bowling center in residential areas, on the territory of shopping centers and other recreational areas for citizens. Additionally, you can consider organizing children's parties, corporate events, family celebrations and theme parties. If the territory allows, you can make a small children's corner, since not all children are interested in playing bowling.
• A youth entertainment center is the target audience of such an institution: students, young people without families, and therefore it will need to be decorated in the appropriate style. It is entirely possible to add a bar, a dance floor, a relaxation area, and even something like a small restaurant as an addition.
• Closed club - for a startup, this format of establishment is not particularly good, since it implies serving VIP clients, and therefore it is not a fact that there will be an influx of visitors immediately. It will be necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of premises, arrangement of halls, and organization of security.

A business plan for a bowling club should begin to be developed after the format of the establishment has been chosen, since the costs of repairs, interior design, and the furnishings of the premises depend on this factor.

Business Features

Not so long ago, bowling in Russia was available only to a narrow circle of wealthy people. But with the increase in the number of clubs, it has turned into a mass form of leisure intended for the widest audience. Today in such establishments you can meet students and high school students, working young people, couples with children, and older citizens. As a rule, they come to bowling not only to play, but also to have a good time. Therefore, many entrepreneurs try to diversify the leisure time of guests and equip bars and cafes in their establishments, install slot machines and billiard tables, and complement bowling alleys with nightclubs or discos. The popularity of such an entertainment center depends on many factors, among which the size of the local market seems important. When figuring out how to open a bowling club in a small town, you will have to prepare for active competition, even if there are one or two similar establishments. In settlements with 400–500 thousand inhabitants, a niche can be considered filled if five or six bowling alleys operate in it. However, in many regional centers there are still no more than three clubs, which clearly shows what kind of business is relevant in 2021 now.

In the process of preparing for the launch of a project, an entrepreneur must find out which format may become in demand among local residents: without determining the preferences of the audience, it is difficult to choose the right location, draw up a list of equipment and range of services, and develop an advertising strategy. In general, the following types of bowling are distinguished:

1. Family leisure center. An entertainment program is important for such an establishment. It is necessary to equip a children's room, install attractions and billiard tables, and equip a full kitchen with a varied menu. A family center will become popular in a large residential area or in recreational areas for citizens;
2. Youth club. The main audience is young people who are ready to go out and have fun until the morning. They are attracted by the original interior, affordable prices, a variety of slot machines, and the presence of a nightclub next door. The bar should sell alcoholic drinks and light snacks. You can offer hookahs;
3. Sport Club. Demanded in combination with other sports facilities - swimming pools, stadiums. Since the audience is professional players, you need to comply with all standards and use only high-quality equipment. The bar should offer sports cocktails and fresh juices;
4. Closed club. Designed for wealthy people who can afford to spend a round sum on the purchase of a club ticket. The service in the establishment must be impeccable - from comfortable guarded parking to exotic dishes on the restaurant menu. It is impossible to open such a bowling alley without connections and capital.

Documenting

In order to open a bowling alley in a small town or a large metropolis, you need to select an organizational and legal form (in this case, it is an individual entrepreneur or LLC), and collect the following package of documents:

• Certificate of registration with the Federal Tax Service.
• Certificate of registration of SPD.
• Notification of receipt of KVED codes.
• Title documents for the premises or lease agreement.
• Certificate from the BTI on the inventory of the premises.
• Permission from the SES to carry out activities.
• Permission from the local municipality.
• Permission from the fire department.
• Service agreements from utility departments.
• Agreements for waste removal.
• Permission to place an advertising sign.
• License to sell alcoholic beverages.
• Certificate of registration of cash register equipment.

Please note that this is only an approximate, basic package of documents - it can be supplemented depending on the range of services provided.

Step-by-step instructions: how to open a bowling club

To open a bowling center, you will need to go through several levels and perform a series of sequential actions. Below are detailed instructions for opening a bowling club.

Paperwork

Initially, it is necessary to register a legal entity as an LLC or as an individual entrepreneur.
In this case, it is worth taking into account the approximate annual income of the center and registering the enterprise that falls under the taxation system permissible for it. That is, for an individual entrepreneur the average income may be lower than for an LLC. As for the documentation that a bowling club must have, four sets of documents will have to be prepared. The first will include certificates of registration, contracts and permits. It should include:

• Certificate of registration of the enterprise and certificate of tax registration of the enterprise.
• Certificate of mandatory registration of all cash register equipment.
• Agreement for rent or purchase and sale of premises.
• Documentation from the BTI with a detailed plan of the rented/purchased premises.
• Permits from the SES, State Fire Supervision and local administration to conduct commercial activities in this facility.
• Agreements with utility companies for maintenance of the premises (solid waste removal, electricity, water, etc.).
• Certificate of assignment to the enterprise of all OKVED codes.
• Liquor license.
• Consumer corner.
• Permitting documentation for advertising sign equipment.

In addition, at the time of opening of the establishment, all sanitary documents must be in full readiness, including medical records of employees, quality certificates and permits/agreements for the supply of food and alcohol. Here you must have fire safety documentation. That is, evacuation plans, confirmation of training completed by employees, etc. In addition, all employment contracts concluded with employees of the enterprise, their work books and other office-work documentation must be available. This is done by a personnel officer, accountant or director of the enterprise.

Selecting a location

As for the location of the bullying club, on the scale of a small city it is better to locate it closer to the center, since all other places and areas will require additional improvement. So, for example, if you find a hangar or warehouse on the outskirts of a town, then in addition to renovating the premises from the inside, you will also have to additionally equip the surrounding area (parking, etc.). At the same time, a club located closer to the center will attract potential clients both on weekdays and on weekends. Since in small towns the main workplaces and recreation areas are located closer to their central part. It is better to rent the premises and then buy them as you earn income, if possible.

Room and interior

The interior of the room should not be flashy.
It is worth considering that the public in regional towns is less demanding, so it is better not to use unnecessary frills and obscure elements. When creating an interior, you need to choose something between a comfortable recreation area for a family and for young people. Beige and beige-red tones are optimal. Or you can use a coffee-blue color scheme in interior design. There should be nothing superfluous in the interior of the room. Especially in the play area. The bar and reception desk can be equipped in an interesting style, corresponding to the name of the club. As for the recommended premises requirements, for a small bowling center they look something like this:

• the total length of the hall is 30–40 meters;
• shape - predominantly rectangular (a niche for equipment of a wardrobe, bar or administrator area is allowed);
• ceiling height - 3.5–4 meters or more;
• the presence of columns and lintels - no.

Advice: for a cube with 4–5 lanes, it will be cost-effective to rent a room with a total area of ​​approximately 500 m2.

Equipment and facilities

When purchasing equipment for the play area, it is worth considering that you need to purchase not only tracks, balls and pins. In addition to play equipment, you will need to purchase furniture, necessary supplies for maintaining paths and equipment for a bar/cafe (if any). Moreover, here you need to take into account that the cost of one track already includes everything listed plus installation of equipment, its configuration and personnel training.

Track equipment

When purchasing one bowling alley, it is important to understand what is included in the package. The complete set consists of:

• pinspotter;
• pinspotter control system;
• system for returning game balls;
• computer system for counting game points;
• monitor;
• computer game track control system;
• camera for counting pins;
• balls and pins (full set);
• the surface of the playing track itself.

Important: if desired, the kit can be supplemented with children’s bumpers, a spade control system, various path lighting, etc. You can buy both Chinese and American equipment. The first one will cost a little less.

Administrator area

You also need to purchase equipment for the administration area. It includes a counter and chair, a cash register, a computer, and a display case for accessories. The total cost will be approximately 55–70 thousand rubles.

Rest zone

To arrange a recreation area you need to purchase the following equipment and furniture:

• sofas and tables;
• bar counter and chairs for it;
• bar display;
• sets of dishes at the rate of one for each potential visitor.

Game Zone

This may include any additional costs for player shoes and track maintenance equipment.

Recruitment

To service a bowling club with 4–5 lanes, you will need to hire the following employees:

• bartender (he can also act as a waiter on weekdays);
• waiter (2 or more people on weekends and holidays);
• cook (2 or more people depending on the expected influx of visitors and if there is a cafe);
• administrator;
• cloakroom attendant (in winter);
• security guard;
• mechanic;
• Instructor;
• cleaning technician;
• dishwasher (in the absence of a cafe, a bartender can handle dishwashing).

In addition, the establishment needs an accountant who will count expenses and profits. He can also be a personnel officer and director of an enterprise rolled into one.

Selecting a location

How to open a bowling alley so that this business is profitable? You need to choose the right location. When choosing the location of a future entertainment establishment, you need to consider the following factors:

• There should be no other similar establishments in the immediate vicinity of your entertainment center.
• It would be a good idea to open a bowling center within walking distance from places where people study or work - after a class or a working day, many will want to relax and unwind.
• Transport accessibility is not bad if you can get to the center by a direct route from any area of ​​the city.

As for the type of room itself, the following is optimal:

• Old administrative buildings.
• Shopping centers.
• Not operating cinemas, recreation centers.
• Capital warehouse premises, but in good condition, with communications. Otherwise, you will have to invest more in repairs than it would cost to rent an already prepared room.

Assess the condition of the premises in which you are going to open a bowling center and the costs of repairs - the profitability of the project also depends on this.

Room

As for the interior, it must correspond to the format of the establishment. Let us take a special look at the distribution of the playing area area:

• 4.9 m – for the runway area.
• 18.2 m – for the track itself.
• 4-5 meters is a rest area for players.
• 2.27 m – area for installing pins and pinspotters.
• Approximately 1.5 meters - for installing the necessary mechanisms.

As a result, the length of the playing area itself is approximately 32 meters.

Please note that the installation of the track is carried out in pairs - that is, about 3.5 meters are allocated for each. Based on this parameter, it is necessary to determine the width of the playing area. It is optimal to install 4-6 tracks.

Also, do not forget that you need to allocate an area for relaxation - installing tables and sofas, a bar counter, and so on - depending on what format of the establishment is chosen and the services will be provided.

Thus, in order to open a bowling alley in a small town, you need a premises of at least 700 square meters. To put it mildly, purchasing this will not be cheap, just as the rental itself will cost a pretty penny.

Grade

The first stage is a preliminary assessment of the profitability of the business. It is important to pay attention to 2 main indicators:

• city ​​population;
• the number of existing bowling centers in the locality.

For 100-150 thousand inhabitants, 1-2 centers are enough. If these entertainment clubs are already actively operating, then opening a bowling alley in a small town does not make sense. In this case, the entrepreneur will face tough competition. To attract customers, he will need additional investments and aggressive advertising.

If a city has a population of more than 500 thousand people, then up to 5-6 bowling clubs can operate here. However, in most large cities there are no more than 3-4 such establishments. With such indicators, you can continue to develop a business plan - a new entertainment establishment will be in demand.

Those who still doubt the relevance of such a business should consider the advantages of a bowling center:

1. A relatively new form of entertainment when compared to cinemas and amusement parks.
2. An opportunity to spend time with friends and family. There are few alternatives to this option.
3. Affordability. Clients pay for hourly use of the track. If a company has gathered, then this amount can be divided among everyone. The result is good entertainment at a low price.

target audience

When opening a business, it is necessary to take into account the interests of the target audience (those people for whom this entertainment establishment is planned).

First, the target audience (TA) needs to be determined. Without this, it will be impossible to accurately select the location, room design, costs and list of services. Potential clients of such entertainment establishments are:

• youth (from 18 to 30 years old);
• middle-aged people (from 30 to 45-50 years old);
• men and women over 50 are also among potential clients, but their number is smaller.

Competitors

Competitor analysis is an extremely important stage that cannot be avoided. First of all, you should visit all the bowling centers in the city several times. During visits, several indicators are noted:

1. The presence or absence of additional entertainment.
2. Hall decoration, room design.
3. Location of the center in the city.
4. Number of visitors. It is important to take into account the indicator on weekdays and weekends.

Taking into account the data of competitors, it is possible to develop a business plan for an entertainment center that will surpass its competitors in certain parameters.

Risks

Opening any business is accompanied by certain risks. It is important to foresee this at the planning stage, which will help avoid a number of mistakes. When organizing a bowling center, the following difficulties may arise:

1. Lack of visitors. This is the main risk, since low demand for entertainment services leads to a long payback period.
2. Difficulties with the supply of goods.
3. Unplanned costs. Equipment breakdowns can be included in this expense item.
4. Personnel turnover. The lack of career growth and average salary levels lead to the fact that the service staff consists mostly of young people. Constant turnover in such conditions is a standard phenomenon.
5. Increase in purchasing prices for products. This leads to higher prices for services.

Approximate costs for premises

When drawing up a business plan for a bowling club, you can take into account the following cost of services:

• Interior design – about 500 rubles per square meter.
• Repair of premises - from 2000 rubles per square.
• Building materials - from 1,500 rubles per square meter.
• Installation of a ventilation and heating system – from 200,000 rubles.
• Lighting fixtures - about 1,500 rubles per square meter, approximately 75,000 rubles.
• Signboard, exterior design – from 20,000 rubles.

Thus, the minimum cost of opening a bowling alley is 3,095,000 rubles, and this does not include the purchase of equipment.

Necessary equipment

When purchasing equipment, there are two options: purchasing new equipment and purchasing equipment that has already been used but refurbished.

Track equipment

The lane is the basis of a bowling club; the standard equipment is as follows:

• Pinspotter.
• Ball return system.
• Scoring system.
• Pinspotter control system.
• Computer for track control.
• Camera for counting pins.
• Path covering.
• Monitor.
• A set of accessories for the track - pins and balls.

If desired, you can modernize the path - install lighting, automatic children's bumpers, and so on - it all depends on the budget.

Now, as for the cost, Chinese equipment will cost you 25,000-28,000 dollars, American equipment is significantly more expensive - 38,000-45,000 dollars. Refurbished equipment is much cheaper - 1,500,000 rubles. As a rule, it comes with a 12-24 month warranty.

Equipment for the administrator's area

When calculating how much it costs to open a bowling club, you need to take into account the cost of equipment for the reception desk:

• The stand itself costs from 20.5 thousand rubles.
• Showcase for accessories – from 20,000 rubles.
• Cash register - about 14,000 rubles.

As a result, equipping this zone will cost at least 70,000 rubles.

Recreation area equipment

When equipping a recreation area, you need to take into account the approximate number of visitors:

• Sofa - from 18,000 rubles, you will need about 8 of them.
• Table – from 4000 rubles per unit, from 4 pieces.
• Decorated bar counter - from 80,000 rubles.
• A set of dishes - from 1000 rubles per unit.
• Billiard table – from 85,000 rubles.
• A set of billiards accessories – from 12,000 rubles.
• Purchase of goods for a bar - about 100,000 rubles.

Total – minimum 488,000 rubles.

Play area equipment

Purchasing equipment is not the only expense for the gaming area. You will also need the following:

• Special shoes - from 4,200 rubles per pair, don’t forget about children’s shoes.
• A machine for caring for a playing track – from 200,000 rubles apiece.
• Camouflage panel for pinspotter – 27,000 rubles.
• Mops, vacuum cleaners – 40,000 rubles.
• Installation of the track - from 160,000 rubles.
• Installation of children's bumpers - from 137,000 rubles.

Total: about 6,300,000 rubles.

Thus, for equipment alone, at least 8 million rubles are needed.

Financial investments

The financial investment for opening a bowling alley in a small town is approximately the following:

• Spending on equipment is approximately 8.5 million rubles.
• Preparing the premises - from 3,000,000 rubles.
• Purchasing a license to sell alcoholic beverages costs about 65,000 rubles.
• Registration of additional permits – 10,000 rubles.
• Fire alarm installation – 15,000 rubles.

As a result, your starting capital for opening a bowling alley in a small town is about 11.5 million rubles.

Additionally, you need to calculate the salaries of the staff, and you also need to include an amount for force majeure in your bowling club business plan.

Profit and profitability of business

Video on the topic

Bowling alley income is determined not only by the number of lanes, but also by the club’s occupancy rate, which in the first months of operation will be 50–60%. However, thanks to advertising, the establishment's popularity may soon grow so much that the owners will have to extend operating hours and hire additional staff.

To attract additional visitors during the day and night hours, it is recommended to develop a flexible tariff plan in which the cost of renting a track will depend not only on the time of day, but also on the day of the week.

Income from track rental, rubles

The third source of income for the club is the sale of drinks and snacks in a bar or cafe at the bowling alley.
Statistics show that this type of activity increases the profits of entertainment establishments by 30–40%: 70% of visitors are men, for whom drinking beer or alcoholic beverages is an integral part of their vacation. Thus, a club in a small town can receive an additional 303,840 rubles monthly. In this case, the total bowling income will be 1,415,840 rubles per month, which, with current expenses of 1,003,520 rubles, gives a net profit of 412,320 rubles and a profitability rate of 29%. Taking into account the initial investment of 11,602,000 rubles, we can calculate the payback period for the establishment - 28–29 months.

Staff

The standard “recruitment” of personnel is as follows:

• Two administrators - average rate 30,000 for one.
• Security guard – 2 employees with a salary of 25,000 rubles each.
• Two bartenders - salary 20,000 rubles each.
• Two waiters - rate 20,000 rubles.
• Cleaning lady – from 15,000 rubles.
• Dishwasher – from 15,000 rubles.

Thus, you need to plan approximately 260,000 rubles for the salaries themselves, and also do not forget about tax deductions - about 78,000 rubles. As a result, staff will cost approximately 338.5 thousand rubles per month.

Planned expenses

In addition to salaries, there are other planned expenses. When calculating a business plan for a bowling club, we recommend taking the following as a basis:

• Purchase of consumables – 10,000 rubles.
• Replenishment of goods for the bar - about 100,000 rubles.
• Advertising expenses – from 10,000 rubles.
• Utility payments – from 45,000 rubles.
• Tax deductions are approximately 75,000 rubles per month.
• Renting a premises - the average bill on the market for such premises is 420,000 rubles.

Since the amount of income in the first month is difficult to predict, when calculating a business plan for a bowling club, you must include current expenses.

How to attract clients?

Leisure consumers are usually divided into several segments: students and working youth (they are interested in a bar, disco, bowling alley, they can visit a club 1-2 times a month), entrepreneurs and company executives, the working class (they are in demand for a restaurant, bar, bowling alley, they go once a month). month), housewives and business travelers (bar, restaurant, bowling alley).

As for advertising, the most effective are creative street advertising, banners and signs near the center and in crowded places, Internet advertising and viral marketing, banners and articles on websites and forums. Sometimes event materials in the media work: information about a promotion or free game in honor of the opening of a bowling club, a tournament, a party. However, word of mouth is still in the lead: half of the visitors come to the club on the recommendation of friends, so provide your services as efficiently as possible to receive a positive review.

Income

The average bill for renting a track per hour is 300-400 rubles. But in the evening the cost increases - from 500 to 1000 rubles. You can also arrange VIP lanes - the fee here starts from 1,500 rubles.

Loading one track per day, on average, 6-8 hours. Based on this calculation, you can earn 1.3-2.5 million rubles per year on one track. But, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, the income from a bowling alley is only 40%. The remaining 60% is the operation of the bar and the sale of additional services.

Bowling club - profitability of the direction

Before you open a bowling alley from scratch, you need to evaluate its potential profitability. After all, hardly anyone wants to remain a loser with a fairly substantial investment. So, if we take as a basis the amount of initial investment in a center with 4-5 lanes of approximately 6-7 million rubles, then the expected benefit will be approximately 4-5 million rubles per year . That is, provided that the center operates only in the afternoon on weekdays (since everyone is at school/work in the first half) and around the clock on weekends and holidays, such a business can pay for itself in just 2 years. Even despite the fact that purchasing power in small towns is lower than in regional centers.

It is also worth taking into account potential clients who may come to the regional city to play bowling from nearby settlements. As a rule, the distance from them to the club is 4–6 km.

When calculating profitability, it is important to consider that the cost of one track on weekends and holidays can be twice as expensive as on weekdays. At the same time, about 45% of the total income will be revenue from the bar and cafe at the bowling alley.

Important: the approximate service life of one track equipment is 20 years. That is, with an initial significant investment in a small business, in the future you can only withdraw profits. The project turns out to be profitable.

Without advertising, it is difficult to attract a sufficient number of customers. Effective advertising tools when opening a bowling alley in a small town will be the following:

• Advertising sign, outdoor advertising in shopping centers, in places with high human traffic.
• Contextual and targeted advertising.
• Business card website and its promotion in search engines.
• Handouts – you will need not only to print booklets, brochures, business cards, but also to hire promoters.

In addition, as a good marketing ploy, you can develop several promotions, loyalty programs, club cards, and so on.

Disadvantages of bowling as a business

As for the pitfalls of such a business, purely theoretically, the difficulties may be as follows:

• obtaining liquor licenses in a timely manner;
• attracting a sufficient number of clients;
• uniform and full filling of the tracks;
• club attendance on weekday evenings.

Tip: To attract customers on weekdays, you can hold themed evenings with specific music and drinks. In addition, you can attract schoolchildren and youth, organize birthdays and parties.

In general, the idea of ​​​​creating such a business in a small city is quite profitable. With proper organization and creation of the right reputation for the establishment, the business will become very successful.