ALL STAR LANES will be opening a venue in Manchester this summer.
Of course we could all hang out with the emos in Cathedral Gardens but All Star Lanes offers a return to some good old fashioned leisure for families, flirters and fogies.
The well-regarded, individually designed, quirky bowling group will be bringing as they call it their ‘boutique bowling’ experience to the southern part of Manchester City Centre. This is no ordinary bowling chain and it will be a permanent fixture in the city centre not a temporary facility.
"We’re very excited to be opening in Manchester this summer," said Mark von Westenholz, founder of All Star Lanes to Confidential. "After 6 successful years we feel the time is right to expand beyond London and there was never any question it wouldn’t be Manchester first."
Graham Hall, Operations Director, said, "Having experience of operating in Manchester I have an understanding of what the public there expect. With eight lanes in the main hall and two in a private room we plan to bring something fresh and exciting to the hospitality market in the North West. It is great that Manchester has always enjoyed such a good nightlife and this is one of the main factors which made our decision to bring All Star Lanes to the city a very easy one. I can’t wait to share our take on boutique retro bowling, authentic home cooked food and award winning cocktail bar with you all."
The bowling lanes will be matched with home cooked American food including grill steaks, burgers, ribs, fish, pasta and even 'sunchoke soup with Parmesan chips' and 'baskets of fried buttermilk chicken'.
Drinks come in all shapes and sizes including a set of 'award winning cocktails'. Confidential’s interested in taking one of the Fire Buckets at £55 for 8-10 to share, into the next board meeting. This is served in a 1940s' Fire Bucket and includes ‘fireball cinnamon whiskey, ginger beer, and fresh lime’. It should make Gordo’s flipchart presentations sail by.
Beer includes 'Goose Island Honkers ale 4.3%' from Chicago and milkshakes such as 'The Elvis'- a peanut butter and jelly concoction.
It all sounds damn fine, for this is great news for the city centre. We need more people palaces, more popularist fun zones down town.
We have very little at present.
There’s the Manchester Wheel of course, casinos and cinemas, and then...er...seasonal markets and funfairs in Piccadilly and Spinningfields. Otherwise aside from the odd dodgy amusement arcade and the occasional pool hall, where is there anywhere for people to have japes and fun without diving into a bar?
Of course we could all hang out with the emos in Cathedral Gardens but All Star Lanes offers a return to some good old fashioned leisure for families, flirters and fogies.
For family visits to Manchester in particular it's a huge boost.
And for all the real 'players' who like to stay out late this place will open late into the night and early morning.
The location off the southern end of Deansgate (the name will be revealed shortly), fits well in terms of leisure and tourism with the AMC cinema, Manchester Central conference centre, the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) and the Opera House.
It's good news indeed.
The pictures on this page come from the Holborn All Star Lanes. For a taster of the All Star Lanes and its enthusiastic and charming attitude to bowling check out: www.allstarlanes.co.uk
You can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter here @JonathSchofield
