Get bowled over by alley's new look

A passion project years in the making is nearing completion at Pioneer Lanes.

The bowling alley at 200 Hobson St., Suite 41 has always held a special spot in the heart of Rich Pekarz. His lifelong passion for bowling took root in the very building he now owns. After four years of hard work, the bowling center now resembles the vision Pekarz has fostered for decades.

"I've owned the bowling alley since March 1, 2022 and it's been a work in progress since day one," Pekarz said. "Ever since I worked here as a teenager, I had a vision of what this place could be and what it needed to be successful and for the community to enjoy it. I grew up in bowling my whole life and it's always been my No. 1 passion. I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to own my own center, let alone the exact one I practically grew up in after moving here from Connecticut."

Pekarz's vision included not just upgraded lanes and bowling equipment but a new game room and pool hall which is now complete after a few issues had put the existing pool area behind the eight ball.

"The previous area where the two pool tables were located had some construction/legal issues that caused it to be closed off for the last three and a half years," Pekarz said. "I had the pool hall upstairs for a couple of years just to give everyone somewhere to go for pool until we got the clearance to start construction downstairs. Once we received the go-ahead, I closed the pool hall down about nine months ago."

After extensive work, Pekarz is pleased to announce the pool hall, as well as a new arcade, are set to open next week. The opening represents not just a new addition but the culmination of Pekarz's vision and he is proud to invite those who haven't been bowling in a while to come check out the fruits of his labors.

"We just completed the construction on the new arcade, and the pool hall is pretty much finished," Pekarz said. "I plan to open it next Friday, Jan. 9. I'm super excited the renovation of the whole business is almost finally complete and it is a fully functioning business on all levels. It's taken all of the four years, thousands of labor hours, thousands of miles of travel and a pretty penny to get everything running great, renovated and up to my standards. It is something I'm really proud of and I've always received kind words and compliments since taking over in 2022 about each change that's been put in place."

Pekarz has taken pride in creating a place where families feel welcome and hopes to pass on his love of bowling to the next generation by offering a local option for a fun, inexpensive evening.

"In our small town, I think it's a great thing to have somewhere the community can go and enjoy themselves in a clean environment," Pekarz said. "I want it to be a place people are proud to go and take their family and friends and just relax, especially with the limited choices we have in this town. That goes for the surrounding cities as well like Smithville, Sparta, Woodbury, Manchester, etc. I get a lot of support from the neighboring cities as well, being the halfway point between McMinnville and the bigger cities. If they can choose between driving 20-30 minutes to us or 20-30 minutes towards the bigger cities, a lot of them prefer to go to a locally owned place rather than a corporate business. You also save some money that way too."

Affordability is key to Pekarz as he seeks to establish return customers and regulars who will be drawn to a hometown place which offers all the amenities of a big-city bowling center.

"I try to keep our prices fair and reasonable to the best of my ability," Pekarz said. "It's not all about hitting the home run off of every group. If the prices are fair and they enjoy themselves, they'll come back and you'll make more money off repeat business then a one-time visit, especially in smaller population towns. I hear it all the time from my open bowlers and my league bowlers. They enjoy the hometown feel when they bowl here as opposed to the 'come in, give me your money and get out quick' vibe you feel at bigger places."

The renovations have brought new entertainment options not previously seen at the local lanes, expanding the center's reach to bowlers and non-bowlers alike. In addition to 14 well-maintained bowling lanes, the addition of new games expands the center's appeal. Pekarz hopes the new, cleaner atmosphere will help remove the stereotype the alley has gained over the years through a revolving carousel of ownership and changes.

"The new pool hall has four pool tables, shuffleboard tables, dart boards and a ping-pong table along with four TVs and music," Pekarz said. "For right now, I plan on just running it like normal business hours. I have quite a few asking about pool and dart Leagues or tournaments, but for now I'm going to let the word get out there and build up the business. I may look into that stuff later on down the road.

"For decades, there's just been a very rocky stigma about the alley here in McMinnville between all the ownerships. I just want everyone to see that it is a different place than they may remember from the last time they were here. Come check out the difference and give it another shot. We have a little bit of everything for everybody no matter what age, gender or physical shape you're in–even if you want to just come in and try some of our delicious food and watch everyone."

With a wide selection of food, Pioneer Lanes could even be the answer to the eternal question–'where are we going to eat tonight?'.

"The kitchen has a full menu with tons of choices to pick from compared to other bowling alleys," Pekarz said. "It's not just concession stand food or cheap quality options. Check out our website http://www.pioneerlanestn.com for any information or questions you have. You can book parties, church/group outings, scope out the menu or just check hours and prices. Everything you need to know is on our website and it's very easy to use and navigate." 

Pioneer Lanes is open Friday and Saturday from 3-10 p.m. and Sunday from 3-8 p.m.

The next time you have a few hours to spare, strike out to Pioneer Lanes and see the realization of Pekarz's dream.

Until next time, the Beat goes on

Thanks for reading the first Biz Beat of 2026. Thanks also to Ben Lomand Connect for sponsoring the column. Send your local business tips, questions and suggestions to seth.wright@mainstreetmedia.llc.

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