Modern Machines, Classic Values: How Andy B's Slashed Labor, Parts, and Power Costs

IBI (International Bowling Industry) magazine featured Andy B's Bowl Social in its June 2025 issue in a Success With story by Stephanie Davis. Here's a look at the story.

At Andy B's Bowl Social, the team blends old-school charm with smart, modern upgrades. With five Andy B's-branded locations and two traditional centers under their umbrella, they stay laser-focused on efficiency and guest experience. So when it came time to retire some old pinsetters, Kirk Manes, vice president of facilities, didn't hesitate.

"We had one center with machines that were 68 years old," Manes laughs. "The other was using a 50-year-old setup. The time and costs involved in keeping them running were enormous." In the fall of 2023, Andy B's swapped the old machines for Brunswick's Boost ST string pinsetters at their Springfield, Missouri, and Oklahoma City locations.

Key takeaways from the article:

• Real savings on power and labor. "We upgraded our electrical system, and now we're saving around $1,000 a month in electricity alone at one 32-lane center," Manes says. Labor savings followed: where three to five people were needed just to keep the old pinsetters running, staff have since been reassigned—one team member took over janitorial duties, letting the center cancel an expensive outside service.
• Less clutter, more control. "Before, we had thousands of spare parts, just shelves and bins of stuff. Now all we need is one toolbox, the size of a carry-on bag. That's it!" His team hasn't had to replace any strings since installation.
• A more confident team. "I came back from lunch one day and saw our 18-year-old party hostess untangling a string in the back. She had minimal training and nailed it," Manes says. When a problem can't be solved immediately, Brunswick's Pronto app shows a video of what to do.
• Performance with a tap. Boost accommodates both casual and league play. "We can switch to performance mode with just a button. It's handled the pace and demands of both league and open play—consistently exceeding our expectations."
• Fast installation. In Springfield, the doors stayed open while crews swapped machines four lanes at a time, completing the job in four days.

On the skeptics: "Some league bowlers resisted," Manes admits. "But it is like when we moved from pin boys to machines—people complain until they see the benefits. We have one traveling league, and this year, we had the highest average of all the centers in Springfield."

His bottom line: "If you are on the fence about Boost, I'm an old-school mechanic, and I say it's a no-brainer. You are going from thousands of parts to a 250-piece machine with almost no maintenance. Financially, it just makes sense."

Read the full story from IBI magazine here.