Brunswick introduced its Boost ST string pinsetters just in time for Palasad South, a 20-lane family entertainment center in London, Ontario.
"We had been running freefall pinsetters at this location since 2000," says Marty Novak, director of operations for Palasad Ltd, which operates Palasad South and two other entertainment centers in London. "The machines were old, and the labor for ongoing maintenance was adding up. Our frames per stop were consistently not where they should be, and it was becoming hard to find mechanics that truly understood the pinsetters."
Boost 'Ticks All the Boxes' with Exceptional FPS and Decreased Labor Costs
"When Boost was introduced, we jumped at the chance to switch to strings," says Rob Szabo, president of Palasad Ltd. "Boost string machines tick all the boxes: no spending labor dollars on babysitting machines, easy to maintain, great guest experience, full safety guarding and Sync integration."
"We're getting about 13,000 frames per stop with Boost. We couldn't be happier with the performance. No other machine on the market offered an FPS anywhere close."
Boost is designed to be simple enough for any staff member to operate, and its modular construction means center staff can switch out components onsite. Boost's 360 Controller features an intuitive, easy-to-learn touchscreen that makes operation and maintenance easy.
"Replacing 20 freefall pinsetters with 20 Brunswick Boost string pinsetters has allowed us to reposition our three mechanics to doing long-neglected building repairs and revenue-generating game maintenance," says Szabo. "Integration with Sync is important to us because given fast-rising wage costs, we're looking forward to installing Sync Service kiosks to further save on labor."
While integration with Sync is ideal, Boost is compatible with any major scoring system on the market.
Simple, Rugged, and Safe
"We looked at a couple of different string machines," says Novak. "Boost had features that were enticing to us for the safety of our team, like how the whole machine can be fixed, detailed, and maintained all from behind the lanes."
Boost's commercial-grade construction boasts the same heavy-duty steel frames and injection-molded components as Brunswick's GS-NXT. Access to machine components is easier and safer: a movable curtain further improves performance and access, so pins don't get stuck on the curtain and staff can safely detangle strings from the rear of the machine.
Energy-efficient technology shuts off the motors when not in use, reducing energy consumption by more than 70% compared to traditional pinsetters. Together, these features deliver cost savings for the center while providing an exceptional guest experience.
Exceptional Guest Experience
Realistic pin action, commercial-grade design and construction, longer string length, and denser kickbacks create a more authentic bowling experience. Plug-and-play integration with the Sync scoring and management system takes competitive play, guest satisfaction, center operations, and maintenance to the next level. Sync's exclusive on-demand pinsetting allows for unique pin arrangements for Sync games and league training features—ideal for creating engaging experiences.
Boost is equipped with Brunswick's 360 Controller, featuring adaptive detangling that automatically resolves potential pin tangles 99.99% of the time without staff intervention.
Future-Proof Design and Real-Time Operations Alerts
Boost's forward-thinking design and engineering leverage the Brunswick Cloud, enabling ongoing updates to functionality and performance features (such as detangling) so centers can keep up as the industry evolves without replacing hardware.
Brunswick's Pronto center operations app provides real-time pinsetter operational alerts and troubleshooting, saving time and ensuring optimal performance. Cloud-based data tracking allows access to critical performance reporting from anywhere. Boost ST is the natural, USBC-certified evolution of Brunswick's popular StringPin pinsetter, building on the proven engineering and next-generation technology of the GS freefall series.
The Future of the Industry
"String machines are the wave of the future, especially with rising labor costs and the fact that they provide a much better guest experience," adds Novak. "We would 100% recommend the Brunswick string machines and Sync software."
Szabo agrees. "I would certainly recommend the switch to string machines, especially for locations with older freefall machines. There's a big reduction in parts and labor to run them and literally no complaint calls to the desk."
Brunswick Makes It Easy
"Both the Brunswick sales and support groups have been great to work with," says Szabo. "We made the switch in the prime season in just 10 days, including the removal and installation of 20 machines, and with an upgrade from Vector to Sync scoring."
Brunswick is the industry's only provider of both capital equipment and consumer products, a proud supplier of capital equipment to the USBC, and producer of the world's leading freefall pinsetter series. Backed by Brunswick's exceptional support and commitment to ongoing, software-driven innovation, proprietors can be confident that Boost is the right choice today and well into the future.
Visit brunswickbowling.com/boost to learn more.
Palasad South reports about 13,000 frames per stop with Boost ST. Palasad Ltd president Rob Szabo says no other machine they evaluated came close in FPS, and that performance is a significant improvement over the free-fall pinsetters the center has run since 2000.
Palasad South replaced all 20 of its freefall pinsetters in just 10 days during prime season, and that timeline included upgrading from Vector to Sync scoring, along with machine removal and installation.
Rather than cutting staff, Palasad South repositioned its three mechanics to long-neglected building repairs and revenue-generating game maintenance. Boost is simple enough for any staff member to operate, and its modular construction lets center staff swap components on-site.
Yes. Boost is compatible with any major scoring system on the market. However, Sync integration adds plug-and-play features like on-demand pinsetting for unique pin arrangements in Sync games and league training. Palasad South upgraded to Sync as part of its conversion and plans to add Sync Service Kiosks to reduce labor costs further.
