Compact Efficiency: Why Smaller Bowling Formats Are Gaining Ground

InterGame featured Brunswick's Duckpin Social in its June 2023 issue, in a story by Lee Wild. Here's a look at the piece.

Brunswick is one of the most recognizable names in bowling, and its vice president of product solutions, Brandon Meigs, told InterGame that the well-established duckpin game is the perfect attraction to lead in the fast-growing space of competitive socialization.

"The main premise is to provide various easily understood forms of entertainment with low barriers of use," Meigs says, pointing to attractions like beer pong, axe throwing, and pickleball that pair with bowling to create a destination drawing a wide audience.

Key takeaways from the article:

• Accessible to everyone. Duckpin Social features lower-weight, smaller balls. "The smaller bowling balls mitigate intimidation of large, heavy tenpin balls, so all guests can participate," Meigs says. "Virtually everyone knows how to bowl and has had some experience bowling."
• A faster game. The duckpin game is quicker than traditional tenpin, fitting fast-paced lifestyles and letting guests get a real bowling experience in less time while enjoying food, cocktails, and friendly competition.
• Strong returns from a small footprint. Occupying just one third the space of a traditional tenpin lane, the duckpin game can theoretically accrue three times the ROI. "Duckpin Social has proven to generate very impressive revenue per square foot just on bowling revenue, and when combined with the increased food and beverage revenue generated while customers bowl, the numbers are extremely positive."
• A competitive advantage. "Many operators see duckpin bowling as the biggest competitive advantage they have over competition and a leading reason why consumers choose their facility over others," Meigs says. Because duckpin installations typically run smaller (8–12 lanes is common), the demand-to-supply ratio favors operators charging premiums—and guests spend elsewhere in the facility while waiting.
• Tenpin still has its place. Meigs is clear that traditional bowling remains the popular choice for new construction where buildings are designed for bowling, especially large FEC models with 40,000–50,000 sq. ft-plus of space. "Both forms of bowling attract a very broad audience; it is the business model and space available that typically dictate which is more appropriate."

Read the full feature from InterGame here.