
Bowldogs, the newest bowling alley in North Liberty, offers much more than an hourlong adventure with 10 pins and a weighted ball.
It’s a multifaceted entertainment center with options for the entire family, according to its co-owners, Max and Rachel Albrecht.
“We started with a simple idea, and it definitely expanded,” Mr. Albrecht said. “It turned out so much bigger and better than I could have even imagined.”
Located at 1355 Hayes Lane in North Liberty, along the rapidly-developing Penn Street on the city’s north side, BowlDogs officially opened its doors Jan. 27 after a previous soft opening.
It offers 26,000 square feet of entertainment space, including 16 bowling lanes, four VIP lanes, pool tables, dart boards, hatchet throwing and a full kitchen.
BowlDogs is located in the 80-acre Solomon’s Landing developed by Brandon Pratt and his Lion Development Group. The development includes the Palestra sports complex and several multi-family housing structures.
BowlDogs is situated on the east end of an entertainment complex with three attached businesses, including a Pizza Ranch restaurant owned by Mr. Pratt on the west end and a Fun Zone arcade in the middle.
The arcade in the middle of the complex is co-owned by Mr. Pratt and the Albrechts, with internal entrances connecting all three businesses.
Mr. Pratt said when Mr. Albrecht first approached him with the idea of developing BowlDogs, he considered building a separate facility with its own arcade, but Mr. Pratt suggested “putting it all under one roof.”
“When we originally set out to do this, we wanted to try to open as close together as possible,” said Mr. Pratt. “But the architecture of the bowling center is spectacular. We’re going to be incredible neighbors. We’re already doing a lot together. The amount of birthday parties, kids’ activities and late-night entertainment late night crowds, it’s already more than we would have assumed. It’s exciting.”
The atmosphere of the new BowlDogs is dynamic and energetic, with extensive use of LED lighting. The floor plan is open and expansive, with high ceilings and a large bar in the center, surrounded by the bowling lanes and three hatchet-throwing booths.
A large balcony with pool tables and dart boards overlooks the entire facility, and features two colorful, high-impact murals created by West Liberty artist Carlos Maldonado.
A third blacklight mural is located on the main floor, between the bowling alleys and hatchet-throwing area.
And TV screens are everywhere, from the bar backdrop to full-width screens at the end of the bowling lanes.
“We had some amazing contractors,” Mr. Albrecht said. “Ben Hur, the general contractor, did an incredible job. And Dynamic Designs designed it. They’re one of the best amusement designers in the country. They absolutely knocked it out of the park.”
The name “BowlDogs” is derived from the Albrechts’ longtime experience with owning bulldogs, and the canine theme is reflected throughout the facility, from the murals to a bulldog-and-hydrant display under the balcony stairs and custom bulldog-themed wallpaper.
Mr. Albrecht, who has years of construction experience in the Johnson County area, said he had been exploring entertainment venue options in North Liberty for some time.
“We were thinking of some ideas and some ways to give back to the community, and a good buddy of mine named Ron told me that (Mr. Pratt) had some land for sale,” Mr. Albrecht said. “I saw the spot and thought it was perfect, right off Penn Street, and he’s building these housing units behind it too. So it seemed like a great place to build like a community entertainment center.”
Mr. Albrecht said he’s never had experience with bowling alleys or similar developments.
“I’ve worked in restaurants and bars, but never in a bowling alley,” Mr. Albrecht said. “So we’re actually a little out of our wheelhouse. But you surround yourself with smart people that know what they’re doing. We come from a construction background. We have some construction companies that we own, and I’ve grown up running those with my family. But we tend to get laid off in the winter, so this is our first non-construction based project.”
The expansion of a bowling alley into what has now become an expansive entertainment venue is designed to give North Liberty an option it hasn’t previously offered, Mr. Albrecht said.
“I really love North Liberty,” he said. “I’ve lived here a long time, and I wanted to give something back. One thing the town seemed to kind of miss, and people always seemed to be asking for, is entertainment.There’s been a lot of people talking about bowling and how it would be a great addition. We did some research, and we just felt it would be a really good fit, with the arcade and the bowling. And then we added the hatchet throwing. We’re just trying to offer a bit of everything, so everyone can enjoy themselves.”
The Albrechts also said they hope BowlDogs’ extended hours – 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week – will offer a late-night entertainment option for workers from North Liberty businesses like the nearby Whirlpool warehouse and the soon-to-open UI Health Care campus.
“We’re staying open later to just see the traffic flow,” Mr. Albrecht said. “If it ends up getting really slow at the end, we’ll adjust the hours, but that’s how we’re going to start.”
“As a fellow person who works a lot of swing shifts, it’ll be really nice to have somewhere after work to go get a good bite to eat and do something with the coworkers,” Ms. Albrecht added. “We’re really trying to give families a lot of options and things to do, to keep people here in North Liberty.”
BowlDogs’ food options might be considered unconventional. The menu includes quesadillas with pulled turkey or pork, grilled or buffalo chicken sandwiches, a veggie burrito, a range of salads, “shareables” including crab rangoon dip, dates stuffed with goat cheese and bacon and caprese skewers, sides such as cheese orzo, street corn or blackened veggies, and desserts such as “gutter balls” – iced lemon cake balls topped with chocolate sauce, powdered sugar, ice cream and fresh berries – or rainbow cake, with buttercream frosting, candy sprinkles and ice cream.
“We are not the traditional bowling alley, with everything fried in a basket,” Mr. Albrecht said. “We have real food and a real menu. We’ve had amazing compliments about it.”
Mr. Albrecht said he hopes BowlDogs becomes an integral part of making North Liberty a more regional entertainment attraction.
“We hope that this can be one of the starting grounds,” he said. “You’ve got Field Day, the Palestra, our complex and more. We’re making this sort of a hub. We wanted everything to be as big and as good as we could make it.”