Rumor around town has it Hollister’s bowling alley is
closing.
That’s just rumor.
Rumor around town has it Hollister’s bowling alley is closing.
That’s just rumor.
Greenwood Chevrolet owner Marty Greenwood and two partners are in escrow to purchase Hollister Family Bowl and include a Kawasaki motorcycle store in half of the building.
“We know the community needs a bowling alley,” Greenwood said. “We have made a commitment and signed a purchase agreement to buy the bowl. And we are bringing another business in to bring revenue into the community.”
If everything stays according to plan, Greenwood will open a Kawasaki dealership in half of the current building and scale down the bowling alley’s 18 lanes to somewhere between eight and 12, he said.
He plans on completely remodeling the bowl to include party rooms for events, upgrade the restrooms, the restaurant and sports bar, and other general improvements, he said.
“We’re going to continue with the leagues and really get involved,” he said. “We want to make this a fun, family-oriented place to come.”
Greenwood decided to purchase the bowl when current co-owner Dave Buich approached him about buying it, he said.
Buich and his partner Frank Ficken both live outside of Hollister.
Greenwood contacted his brother, Mike Greenwood, president of the South County Auto Group, and a very close friend, Dave Galtman, and the three men decided to partner in the investment.
Buich, who has owned the bowl for the past seven years with Ficken, decided to sell the bowl because it was losing substantial amounts of money, he said.
The Ticket, the sports bar inside the bowling alley, and the restaurant are both doing exceptionally well and were never in jeopardy of closing, he said.
Before approaching Greenwood, whom he knew through a prior business transaction, he gave the bowl’s general manager, Don Rovella, the chance to purchase it, he said.
Buich negotiated with Rovella for about 120 days, but decided to venture out when Rovella could not meet the time frame, he said.
“(Rovella’s) very passionate about bowling and it has been his dream to own it. We tried to get him in there,” he said. “Don is a great manager – better than we’ve ever had at the bowl.”
Rovella is still working with outside investors to get the finances together to purchase the bowl and keep it the way it is, he said.
“Nothing is cast in stone. I’m in the process of getting the financing before escrow closes on May 31,” Rovella said. “I’m not out of it – I’m still in the picture.”
Greenwood had no idea Rovella had been trying to purchase the bowl when he was approached by Buich, he said.
“We’re not trying to go against Mr. Rovella. Our hearts don’t go that way,” he said. “What it comes down to is that we got the deal put together and we just want to save the bowling alley and put the Kawasaki store in.”
Greenwood has been in escrow for the past three and a half weeks and is going through the due diligence period, which is the last stage in the buying process.
Inspections and appraisals are being done right now. When the due diligence period ends in about 10 days, remodeling work will begin immediately, Greenwood said.
“Once inspections come out and the bank says, ‘OK, you’re approved,’ you’re going to see hammers and nails that quick,” he said.
Greenwood could back out at any time, and if that happens Rovella and his investors could step in, Buich said.
However, if Greenwood backs out and Rovella is unable to come through with the financing, as of June 1 the bowling alley will shut down for good.
Greenwood is confident the bank will approve his loan, he said.
“The bank likes the idea and community leaders also because it’s bringing more revenue into the community,” he said. “Bringing Kawasaki in is the only way to save the bowl because it’s not standing on its own. We’re trying to make it a win-win situation for everyone.”
If it happens, Greenwood hopes to keep as many of the employees currently working at the bowl as possible, he said.
“We kept 98 percent of the employees when we bought Greenwood Chevrolet,” he said. “We’re excited about Mr. Rovella and the employees we’ve met.”
