Duckpin bowling coming to Franklin

<p>New owner of 90-year-old building aims to add to town’s entertainment mix. Also this week: Dos Hombres Taco House, Scarlet Lane Brewing, Belle Tire, Huntington Learning Center and more.</p><p><strong>Indianapolis Business Journal</strong></p><p>A Johnson County business owner plans to bring a duckpin bowling facility to 27 W. Monroe St. in downtown Franklin.</p><p>Pat Hagan bought the 10,000-square-foot building for $250,000 in January 2017, after long-time business Smallwood Appliances shut its doors. After considering different uses for the building, Hagan decided on duckpin bowling. He’s a fan of the duckpin bowling lanes in Fountain Square, and figured that downtown Franklin needed an activity-based business to complement its downtown restaurants and its historic Artcraft Theatre.</p><p>“It’s a fun game—anybody can play,” Hagan told IBJ. “It just seemed like a good fit in this building.”</p><p>Hagan’s working name for the project is Franklin Duckpin Bowling, though he has solicited name ideas from family and friends and hasn’t yet selected an official name.</p><p>The building has about 4,500 square feet on the ground floor, a second floor with about 1,400 square feet and a basement of about 4,250 square feet. It was built in 1930, according to property records.</p><p>While awaiting the necessary approvals, Hagan has already begun working on the interior, removing carpeting, paneling and plaster to reveal the wood flooring and exposed brick walls beneath. The completed space will have a “light industrial” look to it, Hagan said. “It’s a cool space.”</p><p>Pending state and local approvals, Hagan hopes to be open this spring after installing 10 duckpin lanes. The bowling alley will have beer and wine service and concession-type foods provided by a local restaurant or two—think pizza, hot dogs and wings.</p><p>Because he works in telecommunications—Hagan also owns Blue Top Communications, a Dish Network operator—he also plans to add numerous televisions that will air sporting events.</p><p>Duckpin bowling, which is mostly found on the East Coast, is a 10-pin bowling variant that uses smaller balls and pins than does standard bowling, and which allows three throws per frame instead of two. The game is much more challenging than traditional bowling—according to the National Duckpin Bowling Congress, the all-time men’s high score, set in 1992, is 279 points of a possible 300. The women’s record, set in 1973, is 265.</p>