'Chaotic' by Design: Four Revenue Streams at Gutter Chaos
BCM (Bowling Center Management) featured Gutter Chaos in its April 2023 issue, in a BEC Interview conducted by George McAuliffe. Here's a look at the story.
Melanie and Jonas Helm say they got into the bowling business "by accident." With a background in land and cattle, they built vacation cabins in Broken Bow, Oklahoma—a small vacation community with plenty to do outdoors but nothing indoors. Their original idea was modest: a few lanes, a few games, a snack bar with a bar. What they built instead is Gutter Chaos, a four-revenue-stream destination.
Key takeaways from the interview:
- Expert guidance reshaped the vision. "One of the first things we did was contact Brunswick and they set us up with Jason Dean," Jonas says. Dean toured them through modern bowling and FEC venues in Kansas City. "Jason explained that bowling brings them in, while the arcade, bar and restaurant keep them there. Together, those elements create a destination," Melanie says. He convinced them to run fewer lanes to make room for the arcade, and to upscale the bar and restaurant.
- Layout drives behavior. The six-lane bowling area sits to the left while the arcade is front and center with one way in and out—and restrooms in the rear of the arcade. "That way almost everyone is exposed to the arcade and is more likely to stay and spend money there," Melanie says.
- String pinsetters were a win. "We are big fans of our decision to go with string pinsetters. Most guests are intrigued with them and, operationally, they are pretty easy to maintain. We don't need a full-time mechanic just to keep the machines running." Pushback was minimal—most guests are recreational bowlers out for a good time.
- F&B as a real revenue stream. Under general manager Chad Mullins, the original hot-dog-and-popcorn concept grew into a full program of high-quality bar food and shareables. The bar and restaurant also absorb peak wait times, which can run two hours—and occasionally five.
- Never leave anything the same. "We believe in changing it up; we don't want to get stagnant," Jonas says. But additions have to fit the brand: they looked hard at adding pickleball outside and decided it was a different entity that didn't fit. "We have four outlets for income working together and not relying on a single attraction. We're diversified under one roof."
Read the full interview from BCM magazine here.
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The Helms initially envisioned a few lanes, a few games, and a snack bar. After Brunswick connected them with Jason Dean, who walked them through modern bowling and family entertainment centers, they reduced the lane count to make room for a larger arcade and expanded the bar and restaurant.
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Operationally, they're easy to maintain—Gutter Chaos doesn't need a full-time mechanic just to keep the machines running. Melanie notes most guests are intrigued by them, and since the clientele is largely recreational, pushback has been minimal.
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The six-lane bowling area sits off to the left, with the arcade front and center, one way in and one way out, and restrooms at the arcade's rear. Nearly every guest passes through the arcade, and walling it off also keeps noise from the bowling area and the restaurant contained.
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"One thing we do is that we never leave anything the same," Jonas says. They change the menu, add games, run drink specials, and refresh redemption merchandise—while making sure any addition complements the brand rather than conflicting with it.