Lane7 has opened the biggest of its 12-strong portfolio of boutique bowling venues in Birmingham, with more promised to be arriving soon.
Ballers in England’s second city are now spoilt for choice with the venue’s second site opening, a vast 30,000sq ft space in Birmingham Bullring. Owners have also revealed the opening of its first site in the capital will be next pin to fall, with a new venue in London Victoria, which also teases a secretive ‘adults only’ attraction as part of its gaming make-up.
In
true Lane7 style, more new gaming will feature
at the new Bullring site
in Birmingham. Alongside 14
lanes of bowling will
be dart
boards, beer pong, floor shuffle and karaoke
booths.
The new site even has two
mini
curling
rinks and 35 retro arcade gaming machines.
For a decade, the group has been
redefining boutique bowling, uniquely blending it with alternative gaming, hospitality
and immersive experiences. Its peerless approach
has
won it an ever increasing and loyal fanbase
across the UK, and owner and founder Tim
Wilks says it’s
now ready to spread the baller love to London
having opened what is now its 12th
operational site in the Midlands.
He
said: “We’ve created and
curated a new fanbase of baller fans who also love
the additional
and unique attractions we bring to each new
site. The
plans for London are perfect for its setting
in the heart of Victoria, including a new adult-only gaming
attraction. That’s Victoria’s
secret for now…just watch this
space.”
Wilks revealed Lane7’s London venture
of
upmarket bowling and gaming is due to open in December
on a site that spans three floors and features a dramatic 30
metres of floor to ceiling glass frontage.
It will be hotly followed by its first international site with a launch in the heart of Dublin City Centre in 2024 at the much-hyped Chatham & King, a mixed use leisure and retail destination adjacent to St Stephen’s Green. “It’s going to be a huge year for the business,” added Wilks, “with our growth plans in the next 12 months affirming our commitment to providing top tier entertainment in vibrant, urban settings.”
Supporting the impressive expansion plans is the behind-the-scenes work taking place on shaping the new senior team and structure, appointing a new managing director for its Lane7 and Level X brands, as well as a new group chief financial officer.
Former FD at Merlin Entertainments Group and interim CFO at Southampton FC, David Bence officially arrives at the group, having already enjoyed what Wilks describes as ‘a good few months happily dating.’
Also, after an extensive and lengthy search and interviewing some of the best candidates in the industry, Lane7 has appointed former Everyman operations director, Gavin Hughes as MD to lead the day to day running of Lane7.
Wilks says: “Coming from Everyman Cinema, and with over 25 years in the industry, it was clear Gavin was the right person for the job and was worth waiting for. His passion for creating an exceptional guest experience makes him the perfect fit to guide Lane7 through this exciting period of growth.
“We are already seeing the organisation and efficiency that comes with appointments like Gavin and David, meaning we can grow our brands with new confidence.”
Lane7 continues to push the boundaries by researching and investing in new innovative concepts that they hope to bring to market next year. The aim is to make the Lane7 Group a wider leisure business that will both reinforce their position in the UK market and establish international territories. With the appointments above, Lane7 has the foundations for this to be a successful period of growth.
It now has Lane7 operations in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham (The Cube), Birmingham (The Bullring), Liverpool, Bath, Bristol, Durham, Leicester and Newcastle. It also has Level X venues in Glasgow and Middlesbrough and Gutterball in North Tyneside.
