Bowling alley scheduled to open … soon

WASILLA -- Though North Bowl owner Bob Stevens can't give an exact date to when the bowling alley's doors will be open for business, he said that it could happen sometime this week.

"We're really playing it day by day," said Stevens, who bought the building one and a half years ago.

His girlfriend and assistant manager, Tina Buffington, is already hosting birthday parties at the bowling alley during the weekends, while workers finish the remodeling during the weekdays.

"It could be four or five days, or maybe six or seven," said Buffington about the opening. Bowling leagues are scheduled to begin on Oct. 13, so the plan is to have the business open before then.

When Stevens bought the building, formerly known as Valley Lanes, he hoped to open it within a year. But unexpected costs have pushed back the opening date.

"I didn't know it was going to cost a million dollars to fix this place up," said Stevens, who thought he would have to put a couple hundred thousand into the business to reopen.

Valley Lanes closed its doors two years ago, and when Stevens bought the building, he decided to revamp the entire building.

"Pretty much everything in here is rebuilt," Stevens said of the 32 lane bowling alley. Stevens will have "Rockin' Bowling," a type of neon bowling, every Friday and Saturday night, he said. The rest of the time will be open for more traditional bowling. The alley has a restaurant called the Fish Head Bar and Grill and a full-service bar and dance floor on the other side of the alley.

"The bar has a completely separate sound system," Stevens said. "The bar will allow smoking, but this side (the alley) will be smoke-free. This side is geared toward families."

One family event already in place is the birthday party program.

Buffington, who has an associate's degree in birthday parties, will plan out and run a child's birthday party with 10 friends for $199.

The partygoers bowl -- with bumpers on the lanes -- eat pizza and cupcakes, hit a pinata and play in a black-light lit birthday room for two hours.

The party includes a grab bag, invitations and thank-you cards, and can be themed from dinosaurs to Sponge Bob.

"It doesn't matter how old you are, bowling is something that can be done at any level," Stevens said.

North Bowl is 44,000 square feet, and can hold 1,000 people.

The restaurant will offer hand-made burgers and other tasty meals and food can be ordered directly from the lanes.

The couple said the lighting and sound system rivals that of a Las Vegas nightclub. When asked why so much effort was put into the rockin' bowling setup, Buffington said she and Stevens' research has shown what works best in a bowling alley.

"We've researched this, we've visited other bowling alleys," Buffington said. "The ones that were successful had the newest equipment, the best lighting and the best music. The older ones just weren't doing well."

For more information on the bowling leagues, the birthday parties or the opening date, interested people can call North Bowl at 357-6600.