130 Year Bowling Legacy
Funk Bowling
Building exciting bowling experiences for you and your bowlers.
Build Your Center
Upgrade to String
Bowling At Home
Our Products
Pinsetters
Lanes
Scoring
Seating
Returns
Design
Home of The World’s Most In-Play String Pinsetter
Our WORK
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Duckpin Installation – Gaylord, Washington
This job was a unique duckpin buildout in Gaylord, Washington. Funk provides duckpin bowling as an option for businesses that don't usually offer bowling to their patrons. Duckpin bowling lanes are similar to mini bowling, but they are shorter, narrower, and require...
Complete 14-Lane Build Out at Fun Center – Portales, New Mexico
This job was a complete build-out in Portales, New Mexico. We used our string pinsetters. The most important parts are made out of high-quality synthetic material. The string rolls and all other critical parts are easily accessible so maintenance can be done easily...
18 Lane String Conversion of All Star Lanes – Walled Lake, MI
Our time-tested string pinsetter brings together over 100 years of bowling manufacturing and engineering innovation. The most important parts are made out of high-quality synthetic material. The string rolls and all other critical parts are easily accessible so...
Lanes Built Worldwide
Square Feet of Production Space
Years of German Engineering
Family Owned Since 1964
About Funk
Family owned and operated, Funk and sister company Spellman have over 130 years in the bowling equipment manufacturing and installation business. With 100+ employees and two production facilities combining over 100,000 square feet of production space, Funk is ready to take on any bowling project, big or small. Whether you’re starting a 24-lane bowling alley, or you are looking to design a personal, in-home bowling experience, we’ve seen it all.
The New Industry Standard
Upgrade to String
String pinsetters are simply more profitable and offer a faster, more enjoyable bowling experience for your customers. If you’re looking to update your pinsetters, it’s time to upgrade to string!
It is our mission to help our customers develop exciting and innovative bowling experiences that bring people together and we’ve been doing it for decades.
IAAPA Expo Recap: Flex Lanes by Funk Bring Custom Bowling Experiences to Non-Traditional Bowling Venues
We had a great time at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando this year. IAAPA is the Global Association for the Attractions Industry and the expo event is the largest international gathering of leisure, entertainment and attractions industry professionals. While bowling isn’t a...
6-Lane Installation in Snowmass, CO with String Pinsetter Conversion
We are lucky enough to get to work with bowling and entertainment businesses around the world. One of our latest completed jobs was at a small bowling and entertainment lounge in Colorado. Here’s a quick rundown of the project. About the Company Snowmass Lanes &...
5 Reasons Duckpin Bowling Is Gaining Popularity Around the World
We are seeing an interesting trend as it relates to duckpin bowling – while the competitive component of duckpin still remains and the 100+ year legacy lives on, many new bowlers and entrepreneurs are discovering duckpin for its social element. A...
Bowling Business FAQs
What’s the most expensive aspect about running a bowling business?
Simply put, maintenance. The biggest contributor of these maintenance costs is the traditional free-fall pinsetter. Free-fall pinsetters can have thousands of moving parts, any of which can malfunction and cause a breakdown. This is why many bowling alleys that utilize free fall pinsetters have an on-site, full-time mechanic to make sure the equipment stays up and running.
Given that the free-fall pinsetter results in so much required maintenance and the associated costs, many bowling businesses are turning to the string pinsetter. Widely used in Europe, the string pinsetter eliminates the need for a full-time mechanic and the majority of the repairs and maintenance can be conducted by any of your existing staff.
How profitable is a bowling business?
Every business and market are different. Some bowling experiences focus on offering a broad range of entertainment options and diversify the revenue stream. Some focus just on bowling and food and drinks. Either way, Bowling.com offers some figures as to the financial impact each bowling lane can potentially have on a bowling business. The article says:
“A bowling center averaging 11,000 games per year generates about $36,750 per lane annually.”
How much space do I need for each bowling lane?
The average length of a bowling lane can be anywhere from 90 to 100 feet. The standard length of a lane from the foul line to the back of hte pin deck is 63 feet (1920 centimeters). The standard approach is usually 15 to 16 feet (457 to 488 centimeters). Additional length is needed for the pinsetter (Funk’s string pinsetter requires an additional 5 feet and 3 inches (160 centimeters). Finally, the seating area can vary but typically ranges from 8 to 12 feet (245 to 366 centimeters). All of these measurements are standard but everything is customizable.
In terms of width, two lanes with an above ground ball return usually comes to aboue 11 feet and 7 inches (354 centimeters). For two lanes with an underground ball return, expect to dedicate 11 feet and 4 inches (345 centimeters).
How much does it cost to build a bowling lane?
Every bowling project is unique. With so many options and customizations to choose from, it is difficult to offer general pricing information. From design to installation, there are many choices bowling business owners have, which is why we build custom quotes to fit your needs. Contact us today to request a quote for your bowling project.
