Uptown Alley A Nice Surprise For Arizona City

Located near Phoenix/Glendale, the city of Surprise, Arizona has 117,500 residents but not much to do. Work began here on a bowling center back in 2007, but the project fell through and the building shell stood empty for 2½ years.

Residents recently ranked a bowling center second on their list of most-wanted new businesses – and they’re about to get their wish. Trifecta Management Group, a Brunswick business alliance partner, brought the stalled project to the attention of Stephen Uphoff and family, owners of the glitzy new Uptown Alley family entertainment center currently being built in Richmond, Virginia. The Uphoff’s came to visit and “fell in love with the area, the site, the whole opportunity,” says Trifecta managing partner Mike Auger. “They’re taking the original plan to the next level, adding many elements of the Richmond Uptown Alley to the center here,” says Auger.

The nearly $20 million, two-story facility will boast 40 lanes of bowling including a boutique area with Brunswick’s new dark cherry lanes, plus two full-service restaurants, climbing walls, laser tag, meeting rooms, arcade and much more. Mr. Uphoff told the city council to expect “an entertainment Mecca” when Uptown Alley opens in spring 2012. They’ll get a big boost to the local economy, too, with at least 100 new jobs and over $150,000 in annual tax revenues. “The Uphoff’s are very impressed with everything Brunswick is doing to make this new center a success,” says Auger. But after all we’ve done together at the Richmond Uptown Alley, it’s really no surprise.