The Hillside Lanes bowling alley officially re-opened under new management on Sept. 9 after Gov. Whitmer’s executive order 2020-176, which permitted organized sports to restart.
Like most businesses in the area, the staff set extra precautions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hillside Lanes is adhering to social distancing, masking guidelines, and cleaning everything so we can help reduce the spread of COVID-19,” longtime employee Brad Otterbein said.
Moreover, Dave Jackson, head coach of the Olivet College men and women’s bowling teams and co-owner of the Char Lanes Bowling Center in Charlotte, MI, took ownership of Hillside Lanes on Feb. 1. Since then, exciting changes to Hillside Lanes have taken place.
Otterbein noted that under Jackson’s management, the bowling alley has focused on being family-oriented, and teaching the next generation of bowlers. “Dave will just walk up to guests and offer coaching and tips to help them improve their game,” he said.
In addition to the traditional bowling leagues and daily bowling options, Jackson also offers several new opportunities for incoming bowlers. While designed for the summer, Hillside Lanes extended its “Kids Bowl Free” daily program. For the month of September, kids 17 and younger may access two free bowling games per day. Kids also have access to coaching from Jackson and other certified instructors on the staff.
“Our object is to bring young people in and start a youth program through here,” Jackson said. “Part of this industry I don’t think is focused very well on longevity.”
During quarantine, Jackson and his team began renovating the old locker room area of the alley with the intentions of converting it into a pro-shop. According to Jackson, the nearest shop is in Jackson, MI. Once the pro-shop is finished, local bowlers will be able to purchase bowling balls and other bowling apparel at only a fraction of the distance that they used to drive.
Although the Hillside Lanes restaurant, Lane 17, was only open for takeout from March to early June, the restaurant is now open for indoor dining. Jackson plans to keep the restaurant’s menu the same as under the previous owner.
Some students appreciate the re-opening.
“I’m really happy the bowling alley is open again,” senior Jonathan Meckel said, “It’s a great chill spot to come and hang-out with friends.”
Meckel also said that he was impressed with the safety precautions, quality of service, and affordable food and beverages.
“This is the cheapest pint of Oberon I have ever purchased,” Meckel said.
In light of the many bowling alleys closing across the country, Jackson expressed the importance of Hillside Lanes to Hillsdale’s culture.
“You’ll see when you lose a local bowling center, it’s a loss to the community,” Jackson said, “People feel the loss, and while it hurts the economy, it really hurts the people themselves.”
