(Topic ID: 103625)

What is the etiquette for playing at a bar/bowling ally?

By Bothan

9 years ago


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  • 67 posts
  • 44 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 9 years ago by Aurich
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There are 67 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.
#51 9 years ago
Quoted from beauimpala:

As a bowling alley owner I appreciate you thinking about spending more than just a few quarters on games. Food and beverage is what keeps the place a float........not the pinballs themself. Whenever I go to a bowling tournament in another center I make a point of at least ordering one meal in there while I'm bowling. Many bowling centers are family owned and are disappearing at an alarming rate. Support these places whether they be bowling alleys or just bars with pinball. Buy a drink or two.....as an owner I sure do appreciate it while you play the games.

Of course its better to drop extra money at the bar. but as the owner, which would you prefer. making 2.50 off the split with a cost of 0 to you, or making 0?

#52 9 years ago

The operator of the machines is very happy that you play. That's enough.

#53 9 years ago

You are a paying customer if you are paying to play the games.....

#54 9 years ago
Quoted from calvin12:

Of course its better to drop extra money at the bar. but as the owner, which would you prefer. making 2.50 off the split with a cost of 0 to you, or making 0?

Yeah, I'd be curious to the answer of this. I know the owner would LIKE it if the patron also bought a beer and food, but what if they didn't? Would they rather they not come in at all if they just want to play the machine?

Serious question.

#55 9 years ago

I think an owner asking someone to buy food/drink or get out it really short sighted. An owner should want patrons feel like they are welcome even if they don't buy anything. That way they keep coming. They might bring friends or tell other people about the fun they are having at your business. More customers = more money even if some of them don't buy anything

Also, if I'm told to buy something or get out. I'm not going to ever come back, and I'm going to tell people what a dick you are. Maybe they bowl at a different alley because of it. I would

#56 9 years ago

That's how I look at it. Since I've come to this bowling alley I've thought that when I want to go bowling I would come here and bring my friends, the one of my friends who is most into bowling is also a big drinker haha. So if they were to kick me out it would def be shortsighted. Even if I don't feel obligated to buy food and drinks about half of the time I'm going to buy a drink or a patty melt anyway. So for those times I buy nothing I shouldn't look at it as an issue.

#57 9 years ago
Quoted from frolic:

Yeah, I'd be curious to the answer of this. I know the owner would LIKE it if the patron also bought a beer and food, but what if they didn't? Would they rather they not come in at all if they just want to play the machine?
Serious question.

Serious answer, the owner probably never even looks at the arcade. He just collects from the op every week and that's all he cares about. If the op stops producing he's history so every quarter you put in keeps him in business a little longer. The bar probably earns ten times what the arcade does so the owner is looking at the bar, not the arcade. Don't even think or worry about it for a second. It's not an issue.

#58 9 years ago
Quoted from Pinballmike217:

Serious answer, the owner probably never even looks at the arcade. He just collects from the op every week and that's all he cares about. If the op stops producing he's history so every quarter you put in keeps him in business a little longer. The bar probably earns ten times what the arcade does so the owner is looking at the bar, not the arcade. Don't even think or worry about it for a second. It's not an issue.

that's a good point. The arcade at a bowling ally is usually in the back / out of the way. No one probably notices, or cares. The buy something or leave policy would be dumb. I used to go to a bowling ally and play. Sometimes I just had a bit of time and would stop in, play a few games and leave, other times I would make a night of it, a couple of beers, dinner. If they had told me to leave they wouldn't get that beer and food sale every other visit.

Also, I am guessing they don't really make much off bowling alone. So if you come in an bowl without buying anything else is it much different?

#59 9 years ago

I used to go to go to bowling alleys to play pinball and also the following.

1. Eat chili
2. Drink beer
3. Fart

That's generally enough to keep someone from playing next to you.

#60 9 years ago
Quoted from calvin12:

Of course its better to drop extra money at the bar. but as the owner, which would you prefer. making 2.50 off the split with a cost of 0 to you, or making 0?

We are in the minority. We own and operate all of our own machines on our own. No outside vendors.

#61 9 years ago

You are putting way to much thought into this. The arcade in some part subsidizes the bowling alley business. Just by showing up in the building willing to spend even quarters makes you a better customer than some.

I usually do the same but do not feel required by any stretch of my imagination.

Have fun playing and hope you enjoy your drink and food.

#62 9 years ago

I'll go into any pub or shop just to play the games.

#63 9 years ago

If you play half a dozen games at say 50 cents a game, that's probably the same as 1 game of bowling.

#64 9 years ago
Quoted from beauimpala:

We are in the minority. We own and operate all of our own machines on our own. No outside vendors.

even better do you prefer making 5 on pins and no food, or 0 on no pins and no food?

#65 9 years ago
Quoted from boagman:

In a room/facility with darned near 100 machines and only enough people to occupy around 10% of them, it's kind of silly to go up to a machine next to a person that's playing and basically act the fool. If you know that you're, uh, "animated" when you play, you should at least try to hold off on playing until their first full game is done.
Even if you're not animated, a little personal space is never unappreciated, especially when there's lots of other machines you could be playing. It's kind of stupid to crowd things up "just because".

I guess my response when I hear something like this is; "Whom the f&^# are you to make me not play a machine I want to play?"
Seriously, I paid my monies, if you can't handle the way other people play (sans physically touching you), then you should just play at home.
I understand there are diff'rences in relaxed playing & tournament playing, but I can only play the way I play; which may involve wide sliding of machines, swearing, yelling, and anger...or maybe none of those at all.

EDIT: We all want the pinball business to boom again like the old days, with great games in great locations and plenty of players....as long as they aren't next us.

#66 9 years ago

I've always felt more comfortable going in to just play games if I took the time to make friends with the staff.

Go eat a couple meals there, tip the staff well, and maybe even have a couple fun talks about pinball. Then when you come in to play and not eat, it won't be a big deal.

#67 9 years ago

I honestly didn't know this was something to even think about. I've walking into plenty of bowling alleys, found the pins, played my quarters, and left. Never made friends with the staff, never bought food, just paid for my games.

The doors are wide open, I can go in without talking to a soul, why is this even a worry?

I was in SF for business last week and found a diner on Pinball Map with a couple pins. I went in, politely asked the staff behind the counter if they still had games, and asked if they'd mind if I played. Walked back, dropped quarters, thanked them on the way out, didn't order food. They didn't seem to care.

If the games are on free play and they make money on drinks or something, like Headquarters in Chicago, then it's different. You should support the establishment. But if you're paying for your games and not bothering anyone or driving off other paying customers I can't fathom any issues.

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