New England's Largest FEC Chooses Brunswick

The Apex Center Reaches New Heights

The Apex Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts, is an enticing $160 million complex of hotels, restaurants, offices, and attractions about an hour outside of Boston. Developer Robert Walker decided to anchor the massive development with Apex Entertainment.

"The whole complex is a very unique offering," said Marcus Kemblowski, Apex Entertainment general manager. "Our family entertainment center (FEC) covers over 80,000 square feet, making it the largest FEC in New England."

Bowling as the Main Attraction

Apex Entertainment's owners chose bowling as the FEC's anchor attraction. "Bowling is terrific because it's fun for the whole family and is an activity that all age groups can participate in," said Kemblowski. "Also, bowling is a great revenue generator and overall boost to the bottom line."

As Apex Entertainment has learned, bowling helps increase revenues from food and beverage and other on-site amusements.

"When we have a wait time for our lanes, our guests enjoy food and beverages and the other activities we offer and ultimately come back and enjoy bowling on the lanes," said Kemblowski. "Bowling creates a great environment for our families and friends to enjoy, and it is a huge boost on the F&B side."

Apex Entertainment's other offerings include a multilevel indoor go-kart track, laser tag, a ropes course, an arcade with more than 65 games, bumper cars, and golf and sports simulators.

“With so many attractions under one roof, Brunswick was the obvious choice,” said Kemblowski. “They offer comprehensive solutions and the technology to work with things that are not necessarily bowling related.”

A Great Community Offering

"Bowling has really been a great feature for the community," said Kemblowski. "We get to be with families for their whole life, with kids, competitive leagues, and senior leagues. We're able to help with fundraisers. It allows our business to make a mark and stand behind our core values."

Sync Is the User-Friendly System that Saves Staff Time

Kemblowski is especially impressed with Brunswick's Sync scoring and management system. "I've used other manufacturers' systems in the past," said Kemblowski. "Sync is hands-down the most user-friendly scoring system I have ever seen, and just as important, it saves time for my staff. It almost eliminates the desk person needing to be involved. Sync makes it so easy."

In addition to Sync, Brunswick supplied Apex with 22 Pro Lane™ lanes; eight Anvilane™ ColorFull™ lanes in the VIP section; GS-X™ pinsetters; Lightworx® pin deck lighting; Envoy lane machine; and Center Stage™ furniture, including custom sofa tables and ottomans.

Brunswick for Bowling—and More

Apex Entertainment chose Brunswick as its supplier and adviser for bowling—and a lot more. "With so many attractions under one roof, Brunswick was the obvious choice," said Kemblowski. "They offer comprehensive solutions and the technology to work with things that are not necessarily bowling-related, and the ability to tie everything together to make our operations easier."

Apex tapped the Brunswick team during the early stages of planning. "Brunswick's help was extremely in-depth," said Kemblowski. "The Brunswick team had recommendations regarding the entire package, from the furniture to the layout to the color of the lanes. Brunswick has very strong relationships with industry partners, and everyone helped put this concept together."

Kemblowski is unreserved in his recommendation of Brunswick to other FEC proprietors and managers.

"I would recommend Brunswick to anyone, and especially to a developer who is new to the bowling business, to take advantage of the Brunswick team's experience and knowledge, which are outstanding," he said.

"I've been an avid bowler for years, bowling competitively and overseeing a center in Wisconsin before moving to Marlborough," said Kemblowski. "Brunswick is a great company, from the machines to the scoring. The innovative technology and development with Brunswick shows that they've got the market share and that they're established in the industry and reputable."

Find out how Brunswick can help you develop a family entertainment center design to attract and keep guests longer, maximize revenue, and increase staff efficiencies.