Santa Maria Rancho Bowl celebrating 60 years of family friendly fun
Rancho Bowl in Santa Maria is celebrating 60 years of family friendly recreation, competitive sport and entertainment with a big investment in the present and future.
“We’re trying to preserve leagues and the game of bowling”, said owner Ashlee Carranza, “we have youth programs trying to get kids interested in bowling, over the years, yes the leagues have dwindled, they’re not full houses like they used to be.”
After it opened in 1959, Rancho Bowl was home to numerous bowling leagues and competitions that spanned generations.
“Back then leagues were really prevalent, women were not working, so they were here bowling, there was a daycare here where are current arcade is, you could drop your kids off and bowl while your husband is working and then there were night leagues”, Carranza said, “whereas today there are still some leagues however it’s more about open play and people coming out as a family or with their friends, eating and drinking, and playing in the arcade and bowling, leagues are dwindling, so we’re trying to come up with new, fun leagues.”
A huge investment in the future of the family-owned Rancho Bowl includes state-of-the-art technology and upgrades to all the amenities expected at one of the few remaining traditional bowling alleys on the Central Coast.
“About five years ago our roof started to cave in, and we had to take out a loan to fix that and at that time we decided let’s just upgrade the whole bowling facility”, Carranza said, “we spent a lot of money but the community has supported us and has given us back every penny that we’re spending.”
“The younger generation, they want the flashy stuff, so we put in new TV’s, new touchscreen panels, you can put your face up as cartoons as you bowl, so for the younger generation it’s definitely about technology and bringing something new to the game of bowling”, Carranza said.
Community involvement is an integral part of the Rancho Bowl business model with support for local schools, non-profit and special needs groups nearly every day.
“We try to give back to the community”, Carranza said, “in turn they are always here to support us as well.”
A public mural competition for its exterior wall is part of the 60th anniversary celebration at Rancho Bowl.
Ownership is also counting on business from a resurgent North Broadway corridor in Santa Maria that includes a new Hampton Inn hotel to attract out-of-town visitors looking for something to do nearby.
“A lot of it is geared toward open play, to keep our doors open, we’ve seen other centers close because they didn’t change with the times”, Carranza said, “there’s not too many businesses here that you can say have been around this long and it’s in the same family for 60 years, so we’re pretty proud of it.”
Rancho Bowl will be hosting a 60th Anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 15 with a Santa Maria-style barbeque and other family friendly festivities planned, everyone is invited.
