Game changers: Staying ahead in the recreation industry
| Beth McKenna | Story from and.flintandgenesee.org
If there’s one rule in the world of recreation and entertainment, it’s this: adapt or disappear.
Today’s consumers crave a constant churn of new experiences that are immersive, unique, and TikTok-worthy. That means the recreational facilities and businesses staying ahead of the game are the ones paying attention – analyzing trends, listening to customers, and daring to try something new.
Recreational businesses that were once staples, such as bowling alleys, arcades, and movie theaters, now compete with an ever-changing stream of new entertainment options. Even relatively new-to-the-scene escape rooms, pickleball courts, and axe-throwing bars are already reinventing themselves to hold their customers’ attention.
It’s all about the pivot.
“One thing I learned a long time ago is you just have to keep throwing things against the wall to figure out what works and what’s a homerun,” said Jim Teuber, owner of Bowl Flint Bowling Centers, which includes B’s Bowling Center and Richfield Bowl in Flint.
Teuber has spent decades evolving his business to keep up with changing times.
“Back before the ’70s, bowling alleys were typically filled with guys, smoke-filled, and not necessarily a place for women or children,” Teuber said. “Through the years, bowling centers have made themselves into family-friendly places, which is part of the evolution as well.”
League play – once the backbone of the bowling industry – all but disappeared in the 1980s in Genesee County and nationwide due to economic and population shifts, lifestyle changes, and competition from other forms of entertainment.
Instead of accepting this decline, Teuber has continually adapted his business model through the years to attract new audiences and revenue streams.
To attract families and casual bowlers, Teuber introduced birthday parties; bowling specials like Penny a Pin, offering affordable play on Sundays; fundraisers, which have brought in local organizations and strengthened community ties; and afterschool bowling to encourage young people to take up the sport.
His investment in high school bowling, which he helped establish in the late 1990s as a sanctioned sport in Michigan, fostered a steady pipeline of young athletes in Genesee County.
“We have over 24 state championship banners hanging here at Richfield Bowl, which is very unique,” he said. “There’s no other bowling center in Michigan that sponsors high school teams that have accumulated that many state championships.”
High school bowling is not only fun and competitive, it’s also a great way to pay for college. Since 1997, bowling proprietors in Genesee County have awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to graduating seniors.
“It’s an investment in our future and it’s proven to be a successful one,” said Teuber, who often sees young athletes returning to adult leagues later in life.
Teuber has also embraced new technology and entertainment trends. From bumpers and cosmic bowling to automatic scoring and Spark interactive lanes that project visuals that react to the ball’s movement, he continually works to make bowling more engaging for all ages.
To help his bowling centers rebound from the downturn in play caused by COVID-19 restrictions, he created a Rum Bucket League designed for “bad bowlers only.” The league, in which adult players get a 32-ounce rum drink, has gone viral on social media, drawing in hesitant players with a mix of fun and relaxed competition.
“It was a way to get people out, active, and socializing again – and it’s still incredibly popular,” he said. “That’s the true goal of bowling: meeting with friends in a social environment and having some friendly competition.”
Pickleball is another form of recreation that strikes a balance between friendly fun and serious competition. It’s also the fastest-growing sport in the nation and played by more than 8 million Americans.
But what makes it so popular?
A combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, pickleball is played on courts about one-quarter the size of a tennis court. Games are low-impact and fast, keeping the action moving and making it easy to play multiple rounds in a short time.
The sport’s explosive popularity has made it a must-have feature for athletic facilities looking to engage a broader audience.
Gyms, parks, and recreation centers across the country have been rapidly installing pickleball courts to meet the surging demand. Many public parks are repurposing existing tennis or basketball courts, while private gyms and fitness centers are adding dedicated pickleball facilities to attract new members – and retain existing ones.
But Henry Ford Genesys Health Club in Grand Blanc is no newcomer to the pickleball craze.
“We jumped on the pickleball trend back in 2015,” said Don Leavy, club tennis and pickleball manager. “In fact, our 10-year anniversary of the courts is coming up, and we are excited to show off our new, upgraded courts to our members.”
As part of its mission to create a community-focused fitness experience, the club recently expanded and resurfaced its pickleball courts, now offering a total of nine courts to members.
The pickleball courts expansion is just one way the health club is meeting member needs. Court usage is included with all club memberships and their Pro Shop is stocked with paddles, balls, equipment, and clothing to ensure members have everything they need to enhance their experience and play their best.
In addition to open play, private and group lessons are offered by instructors who are certified by the Professional Pickleball Registry.
Since 2001, the health club has offered services that cater to all fitness types, from aquatics and tennis to golf and exercise classes. Like other recreational and entertainment facilities, they’ve learned to embrace emerging trends to meet the evolving needs of their nearly 10,000 members, said Sandy Meszaros, club general manager.
“By staying ahead of trends and continually adapting, we aim to ensure Henry Ford Genesys Health Club is a top health-and-wellness destination, offering a well-rounded fitness experience for everyone,” Meszaros said.
That same forward-thinking mindset drives Shane and Tracy Moore, owners of Spymaker Entertainment, who are always on the lookout for the next buzzworthy entertainment trend to bring to Greater Flint.
In 2017, the husband-and-wife team – then a retail district manager and a flight attendant, respectively – had grown tired of their jobs and rarely seeing one another. Intrigued by the prospect of starting their own business, they couldn’t settle on an idea.
“So, we asked ourselves what do we both like doing that makes us really, really happy, and we decided it was doing escape rooms,” Shane Moore said.
Escape rooms, sometimes known as puzzle rooms, are a physical adventure game where players are placed in a themed room and must use elements within the room to solve a series of puzzles, discover clues, and escape the room within a set time limit.
The Moores purchased and renovated a building on Miller Road in Flint Township and opened Spymaker Escape Rooms in late 2017.
“Every puzzle, every clue, and every hidden nook and cranny is still designed by us today,” Moore said.
The escape room industry has evolved over the years and the Moores have kept pace with changing consumer interests. Technological advances have added a whole new dimension to the games and helped the industry stay relevant over time, he said.
The Davison couple were so happy with their escape room venture that they jumped on a new-to-mid-Michigan craze a few years later in 2021: axe throwing.
“We’ve taken axe throwing to a whole new level,” said Moore, who described the game as the fine art of hurling a sharp tool with precision.
Spymaker Axe Throwing in Burton was an immediate sensation, drawing customers from across the region to its 12 lanes. In response to customer requests, Spymaker secured a liquor license and serves bottled beer and canned cocktails.
The Moores continue tweaking their entertainment lineup to keep things interesting, now offering axe-throwing leagues, football bowling, and a board game lounge at their Burton center.
Like other businesses, the Moores understand the recreation and entertainment game is always changing. That’s why it’s crucial to stay relevant and on the lookout for the next “it” thing.
“We’re always trying to grow the business,” Moore said. “We see up-and-coming trends that might take off and others that might not. But we’re always watching to see what’s happening out there.”Posted in: Cover Story, Mar/Apr 2025
