OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BOWLING CENTERS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BCSC Newsletter V O L U M E 1 4, I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 1 0 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Good-Bye Grand Prix 1 Adult/Jr. Doubles REVISED 1 BCSC Partners 2 President s Perspective 4 All In! 5 Day at the Races 6 Bowler Day at Six Flags Magic Mountain San Diego Regional Meeting 10 Come Sail Away 11 Incentive for Bowl Expo 2010 Attendees 8 11 Dr. Pepper Pricing 11 2010 BCSC Golf Tournament 11 BCSC Annual Meeting, Nov. 10 11 Pepsi Ad 12 Advertising Does a Center Good 13 Calendar 13 MillerCoors Ad 14 BCSC Board of Directors 15 WBPI Ad 16 Good-Bye Grand Prix Over the past few years, bowler participation in the Grand Prix Scholarship Program and the number of centers offering the program have steadily declined. Only five centers have agreed to continue to run it, which, in the board of directors belief, is insufficient participation to justify the program. As a result, the Foundation s board of directors has, with much regret, decided to terminate the program as of the end of the current program year, August 31, 2010. Once the annual calculations have been completed for this program year, all scholarship funds will be permanently frozen and remain in each bowler s account until he/she reaches his/her 23rd birthday. As in the past, every bowler will continue to receive a yearly statement showing the balance available in his/her account. The procedure for requesting scholarship money also remains the same: visit www.socalbowling.com to download, complete and return the request form. For those centers that are active in the Grand Prix program, please encourage participation for the last mail-in tournament coming up on June 12-26. The Last Chance and State Finals tournaments will still be held this year on July 31 and August 1, respectively, at Brunswick West Covina Lanes. The goal for 2010 and beyond is to create fresh and exciting opportunities for all youth bowlers in Southern California. To that end, the BCSC has implemented a brand-new adult/junior scholarship tournament open to all BCSC member centers. Please refer to the BCSC monthly newsletters for more details. Adult/Jr. Doubles REVISED The BCSC has made some significant changes to the Requirements section of the Adult/Jr. Doubles packet. Please throw out your old copy and use the packet enclosed with this newsletter, labeled REVISED on the front page. If your center is interested in participating, please complete the last page of the packet, which is the registration form, and send it to BCSC.
PAGE 2 BCSC PARTNERS All Systems Company Paul D. Ghitescu 27662 Nugget Dr., Suite 6 Canyon Country, CA 91351 661-510-6112 danpaul2000@hotmail.com www.allsystemsco.com American Consulting Group Eric Martin 23361 Madero, Suite 220 Mission Viejo, CA 92691 800-747-8666 www.american-consulting.com Betson Kyle Berger 5660 Knott Ave. Buena Park, CA 90621 714-228-5714 kberger@betson.com C. Sanders Emblems, L.C. Penny Ledbetter 12965 Arroyo St. San Fernando, CA 91340 800-336-7467 penny@csanders.net Champion Family Games, LLC Douglas Parrott 19451 Vintage St. Northridge, CA 91324 866-523-4039 www.championfamilygames.com info@championfamilygames.com CleanSource Inc. Gus Dominguez 5580 East Olympic Blvd. Commerce, CA 90022 323-837-4149 323-788-3392 gdominguez@cleansource.com Digital View David E Brow 2735 San Pasqual St. Pasadena, CA 91107 626-354-1989 adigitalview@gmail.com www.adigitalview.com Dippin Dots John & Cheryl Hiller 27530 Newhall Ranch Rd. Valencia,. CA 91390 661-510-8348 661-857-3274 Elavon Alicia Umber 865-403-8857 Fax: 865-403-5857 alicia.umber@elavon.com Accept credit and debit cards easily and efficiently. Elavon has offered discounted pricing to members of the BCSC since 2004. El Dorado Hotel & Casino John McGinnes 888-808-7720 mcginnesj@eldoradoreno.com Family Amusement Corporation Stephen or Robert Peck 876 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90029 323-660-8180 info@familyamusement.com www.familyamusement.com Presidio Foods Co. Zev Zukerman 5618 Geary Blvd. Suite 207 San Francisco, CA 94121 877-HEY-FUNTS Direct: 415-377-9288 www.havefunts.com HPSI Hospitality Spencer Gonzalez 136 Reynolds Ave., Suite 101 Irvine, CA 92614 949-250-4774 spencerg@hpsionline.com HPSI is a national group purchasing service company that negotiates contracts, collects rebates, and audits invoices for our consumers in the food service, bowling, hospitality, and healthcare industries. Herzog Insurance Agency Bob Herzog 235 Main Street Pleasanton, CA 94566 800-300-1303 info@herzogins.com Just In Time Communications Aaron Gomez 175 N. Indian Hill Blvd., Suite 208 Claremont, CA 91711 888-985-3777 ext. 8 aaron@justintime.tv BCSC NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5 BCSC PARTNERS PAGE 3 Kahn Air Conditioning, Inc. Mike Carson 19434 Business Center Dr. Northridge, CA 91324 818-886-2600 mcarson@kahnair.com www.kahnair.com National Planning Corporation Vayle Floria 752 Town and Country Road Orange, CA 92868 714-750-3090 ext. 110 Fax: 714-750-3091 vayle.floria@natplan.com Lime Energy Burke Ewers 2247 Lindsay Way Glendora, CA 91740 909-394-0230 bewers@lime-energy.com www.lime-energy.com Lime Energy provides energy-efficient design/build solutions for lighting, HVAC, water, weatherization, and renewable energy. Lind Shoe Company David Wiggins 6620 Southpoint Dr., Suite 501 Jacksonville, FL 33216 800-950-4568 dwiggins@linds.com www.linds.com Lind Shoe Company supplies USBC-approved pins, house shoes and balls, essential items for pro shops. No-hassle warranty on all products. Contact us at sales@linds.com. MillerCoors Jeff Colton (949) 278-9875 Jeffrey.Colton@millercoors.com Mischel & Company Bowling & Entertainment Centers - Full-Service Brokers, Appraisers and Financial Advisors Ken Mischel 37 Tunapuna Lane Coronado, CA 92118 619-423-2001 Fax: 619-423-7850 Murrey International, Inc. Bill Snoberger 14150 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90061 Ph: 310-532-6091 www.murreyintl.com sales@murreyintl.com Pepsi Greg Copeland 27717 Aliso Creek Rd. Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 949-643-5743 greg.copeland@pepsi.com QubicaAMF Joe Roussin 190 S. Summertree Road Anaheim Hills, CA 92807 714-974-9436 jroussin@qubicaamf.us www.qubicaamf.com QubicaAMF, the leader in new bowling center development and existing center modernization, bowling equipment and support services. Switch Bowling and Billiards LLC James Borin 1025A Avenue M Grand Prairie, TX 75050 972-679-4824 james@switchbowling.com Switch Bowling offers the latest technology and highest quality production methods. Check us out on www.switchbowling.com. US Bowling Corporation/ US Steltronic Mark Marchido 5480 Schaefer Avenue Chino, CA 91710 909-287-0712 Fax: 909-287-0718 mark@usbowling.com Western Bowling Proprietors Insurance Larry Linder 1535 E. Shaw Street, Suite 100 Fresno, CA 93710 800-200-9998 Fax 559-227-4461 Western Pacific Bowling Supply Chuck Sager / Lee Haxton 1216 W. Grove Avenue Orange, CA 92865 714-974-1733 chuck@wpbowling.com
PAGE 4 President s Perspective For the past few months of this year, I have noticed how many businesses are cutting back on their help. They say it s because their numbers are down and payroll is the first thing they must trim. I see their point, but I also believe that they are walking straight into complete disaster. All businesses must realize that service is most important when people frequent a facility. Less help when people want service is one of the biggest complaints going today. Remember, other than grocery stores and gas stations, people don t have to come to your business. Did you ever think that full help makes people think you are busier than you really are? With summer season approaching and schools coming to an end, it s time to start forecasting about summer programs for our centers. There are many schools that have summer camps now, with many of the activities becoming field trips. Sounds like pizza, bowling, beverages and maybe some rock n bowlin. The parks and recreation departments also offer field trips, and they are easily reached with phone books and websites. Another great idea being used today is giving the local schools cards that offer their students a free game of bowling daily during the summer. Most people won t bowl just one game and the shoe rental business usually is pretty good, too. That also means soda, hot dogs, nachos, and French fries. The summer season also means that our partner, Dippin Dots, will be very busy delivering you products that the kids just love. If you have not placed one of the units at your center, call the BCSC office ASAP. My center receives a monthly check of $300 for using a machine that requires me to just plug it in. Another great feature about the summer season is the team parties available through sports in the community. Summer means baseball, softball, soccer, swimming, and track and field. Most of those sports have teams of at least 12 players. Include their parents and that package can be rather nice. Let s see, bowling, shoe rental, pizza, soda, and team cakes?! Not too bad, eh? Tom Cristi, President Bowling Centers of Southern California
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5 PAGE 5 All In! In this column, I usually write about upcoming BCSC events or programs. I ll encourage participation from centers and basically do everything except hit you over the head to get you to take full advantage of the programs thoughtfully engineered to help you, BCSC members, make money. This year, there have been lots of those programs. This month, however, I d like to take a few paragraphs to discuss one event that has just occurred, BCSC s Bowlers Day at Magic Mountain. In the past four years, I ve organized and hosted many events banquets, tournaments, golf outings, meetings, retreats, you name it. This one was different. It was special. With approximately 150 bowlers attending, this event was viewed by everyone as a huge success. The day was glorious, the park well-manicured. The service by the staff was impeccable. Lines were short and our bowlers had a great time. However, there was a problem. A problem I wish to share with you here, in a frank and straightforward manner. Of the 12 centers that signed up to run the program, 90% of our bowlers came from only one center. This is a problem that can t be simply dismissed as a matter of geography, a function of the economy, or the event itself. We all know there is a missing link between the creation of any given program (BCSC/BPAA) and the execution at the center level. Simply buying a program kit and distributing our professional-quality point-of-sale material to your bowlers is never enough to guarantee success. The big question: Is it even possible to bridge that gap? Yes, it is, because there are some proprietors who really get it. So much so, I ve created a new nickname for one for them, our BCSC president and owner of Santa Clarita Lanes: Tom Mr. All-In Cristi. Tom doesn t participate in every BCSC program, but I ll tell you what: when Santa Clarita Lanes does sign up, they are the most aggressive with their in-house promotion and marketing. And their success is clear. They bring in tons of bowlers and tons of additional revenue by being all-in. We want to develop more programs that motivate you to be all-in too. Will you help me to help you? Please call, write or email and let me know what ideas you have to help us increase overall participation in our programs. There are no bad ideas or ideas that are too far out. As Walt Disney said, It s kind of fun to do the impossible. Scott Frager, Executive Director Bowling Centers of Southern California
PAGE 6 BCSC Day at the Races! A big thanks to all the attendees of our get-together on April 8. We sure picked a beautiful day to be out at the Santa Anita racetrack. The weather couldn't have been any better (it was perfect), our partners were excited to have a chance to personally meet our proprietors, and our proprietors were excited to bet on some horses. We gave away some cool raffle items, too, donated by Pepsi and Eldorado Hotel & Casino. To the right: Gary Forman of Fountain Bowl discussing BCSC bylaw changes with attendees. To the left: Dave Osborn of Fountain Bowl, Doug Svela of Gage Bowl, and guest.
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5 PAGE 7 Above: Candy and Dan Mueller, Dina Fink and Dave Rundell all from Buena Lanes. Below: Greg Copeland of Pepsi discussing new Pepsi programs.
PAGE 8 BCSC Bowler Day at Six Flags Magic Mountain On Saturday, April 24, the BCSC put on yet another successful event this one to honor bowlers. The food was exquisite, the entertainment was out-of-this-world, and the bowlers were in high spirits! With 150 attending, we set the stage for a regular event that will show your customers that you really appreciate them. A special day just for them, at low, discounted ticket prices. To the left: Adults and kids having fun playing in the picnic area. To the right: Parents nearby.
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5 Above: Ariel view of Six Flags Magic Mountain Above: Tom Cristi trying to shed a few pounds. To the left and above: Kids having fun in the picnic area.
PAGE 10 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5 San Diego Regional Meeting On April 20, BCSC held a San Diego regional meeting at Kearny Mesa Bowl for centers to get together and talk about how the BCSC is performing, programs that are available, issues in the region, and to discuss what we can do to improve center revenues. In attendance we had Bill Rossman and Luanne from Parkway Bowl, Jimmy Anvarino and Tracy Hadaway from Poway Bowl, John Balla from Mira Mesa Bowl, Gerry Sagen from Sea and Air Bowl, Ronnie Weber from Brunswick Premiere Lanes, Ron Briseno from Vista Entertainment Center, and Johnny Humble from Kearny Mesa Bowl. Big thanks to Johnny for hosting the luncheon and for promoting the meeting to local centers. We had an awesome turnout. Just some of the items we discussed: Having webinars in addition to rollouts for programs, and posting them on www.socalbowling.com so centers can learn about programs without having to drive. From left: Ron Weber, GM, Brunswick Premier Lanes; Lynne Graves, USBC San Diego Association; Johnny Humble, GM, Kearny Mesa Bowl. Working out a sports club program to begin in 2011 with the Padres. Offering Bowler events at Sea World, Legoland, or the San Diego Zoo. Putting together a possible cruise for San Diego centers. We at the BCSC learn a lot from these regional meetings and you can, too. It only takes a few hours out of a day to join us and hear what s new at BCSC, what your neighbor centers are saying, and how you can make your business better. We hope to see more proprietors attend these twice-a-year meetings. From left: USBC San Diego participants, Jimmy Anvarino, GM, Poway Fun Bowl; Tracy Hadaway, Promotion Director, Poway Fun Bowl; Bill Rossman, GM, Parkway Bowl; Luanne Tacey, Assistant Manager, Parkway Bowl; and John Balla, GM, Mira Mesa Bowl.
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5 PAGE 11 Come Sail Away Join John McGinnes of the Eldorado Hotel & Casino and your fellow BCSC proprietors on May 8 for a private party on the Ferrari-Carano yacht. Enjoy hors d oeuvres and Ferrari-Carano wine as we sail Newport Harbor. The yacht will board at 11 a.m. and depart from the Bellport Marina on Lido Island (in front of the Sausage Factory) promptly at 11:30 a.m. The Bellport Marina is located at 101 Shipyard Way in Newport Beach. At press time, we had room for 6 remaining proprietors and their guests. RSVP with the number in your party by emailing bcsc@socalbowling.com or call us at 818.789.0900. Our thanks to John McGinnes and the Eldorado Hotel & Casino for their generosity and tremendous support of the BCSC. Incentive for Bowl Expo 2010 Attendees! If you haven t attended since 2006, you should have received a letter and VIP coupon code from BPAA that you can use when you register. By using the code, the BCSC receives $25 plus a ticket in a drawing for $1,000. On the bottom of the registration form under the VIP coupon code area, write STEDCA to qualify. If you haven t attended Bowl Expo in a while (or ever), this is the year to be there! Dr. Pepper Pricing We re pleased to announce a new lower price on Dr. Pepper syrup. For a 5 -gallon bag-in-box, the new price is $11.15 per gallon. While there are no rebates offered in Dr. Pepper syrup, this is the first time we have had national pricing on this product. If you are paying a higher price, please call Pepsi directly or let BCSC know and we will do our best to try to correct this. 2010 BCSC Golf Tournament The annual golf tournament is coming up! Sign up your foursome today. Prices and location stay the same. We re going to be at Black Gold Golf Club on July 28, 10 a.m. This event is packed full of great goodies, giveaways, raffles, auction, golf, dinner and lots of laughs. Sign-up flyers are enclosed with this newsletter. Bring a new golfer to golf with you and we ll automatically enter you for a surprise prize! BCSC Annual Meeting, Nov. 10 Plans are in the works for the 2010 BCSC annual meeting, Nov. 10. This year, we re going to be local and we want you to mark your calendars early to attend. We encourage every center to attend. You don t want to miss this opportunity to voice your opinions, compliments, complaints, concerns to the BCSC board and staff. You ll also have the chance to vote on association business, hear reports on BCSC s financial health, learn about what the BCSC did for you in 2010, and learn about the plans for 2011 and beyond. The luncheon event will be held at Disney s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa in Anaheim, and the lunch is free. Plus you can turn the meeting into a vacation! We ve worked out a deal for discounted rooms at $199 per night, and for discounted park tickets so you can bring the entire family. More info coming your way soon. Please stay tuned
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5 PAGE 13 Advertising Does a Center Good How often does your center advertise, besides the free options of Twitter, Facebook and MySpace? Corbin Bowl does a lot of paid advertising in the Daily News under the Bargain Hunter section. One good deal at Corbin: from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, bowling is $40 per lane, which includes shoe rental. With a maximum of eight bowlers to a lane, that s just $5 per person. This is the time of year to promote your center with the best deals possible. Summer is almost here! Calendar June 2010 July 2010 Sun Mo Tue We Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 Sun Mo Tue We Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 June 1: Angels game 2 ticket orders due June 4: Bowler Cruise Sailing today! June 12-26: Grand Prix Mail-In Tournament #2 June 25: Dodgers game 3 ticket and jersey orders due June 27-July 1: International Bowl Expo in Las Vegas, NV 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 July 7: Los Angeles /Ventura County regional meeting July 14: Riverside/San Bernardino County meeting July 27: Winners of Angels Baseball Pepsi suites at Angel Stadium and Dodgers Baseball batting practice winners announced today July 28: BCSC Annual Golf Tournament at Black Gold Golf Club, Yorba Linda, CA. July 31: Grand Prix Last Chance Tournament at Brunswick West Covina Lanes
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VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5 PAGE 15 BCSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS TOM CRISTI President Santa Clarita Lanes 21615 W. Soledad Canyon Rd. Santa Clarita, CA 91350 P: 661-254-0540 F: 661-254-7562 scl4usc@aol.com DAN MUELLER Vice President Buena Lanes 1788 S. Mesa Verde Ventura, CA 93003 P: 805-656-0666 F: 805-656-0774 buenalanes1@earthlink.net GARY FORMAN Secretary / Treasurer Fountain Bowl 17110 Brookhurst St. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 P: 714-963-7888 F: 714-965-1158 gcf@fountainbowl.com BRYAN ALPERT Pickwick Bowl 921 W. Riverside Dr. Burbank, CA 91506 P: 818-842-7188 F: 818-845-5082 balpert@pickwickgardens.com MICKEY COGAN Gable House Bowl 22501 Hawthorne Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505 P: 310-378-2265 F: 310-378-6158 mcghb@aol.com NICOLE ELLISON Del Rosa Lanes 1499 E. Highland Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92404 P: 909-886-4675 F: 909-883-4665 nicole@delrosabowl.com CRAIG GOODMAN Santa Clarita Lanes 21615 W. Soledad Canyon Rd. Santa Clarita, CA 91350 P: 661-254-0540 F: 661-254-7562 craiggnla@dslextreme.com DINA FINK Buena Lanes 1788 S. Mesa Verde Ventura, CA 93003 P: 805-656-0666 F: 805-656-0774 buenabowler@aol.com JOHNNY HUMBLE Kearny Mesa Bowl 7585 Clairmont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92111 P: 858-279-1501 F: 858-279-8693 johnnyhumble@hotmail.com BILL MOSSONTTE Mission Hills Bowl 10430 Sepulveda Blvd. Mission Hills, CA 91345 P: 818-361-1221 F: 818-361-0321 missionbowl@verizon.net SCOTT PODDIG Harley s Camarillo Bowl 305 Arneill Rd. Camarillo, CA 93011 P: 805-482-0747 F: 805-987-5170 cambowlscott@yahoo.com DOUG SVELA Gage Bowl 3477 E. Gage Ave. Huntington Park, CA 90255 P: 323-587-3211 F: 323-587-3531 gagebowl@sbcglobal.net Official Publication of the Bowling Centers of Southern California 13245 Riverside Drive, Suite 501 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 Scott Frager, Executive Director scottf@socalbowling.com Victoria Tahmizian, Office Administrator bcsc@socalbowling.com Phone: 818-789-0900 Fax: 818-783-2874 www.socalbowling.com