Turning a Dream into a Popular, Award-Winning Food & Fun Venue
By Sara Karnish
Sometimes, the wildest dreams are just wild enough to come true. Star Lanes Polaris in Columbus, Ohio, started that way and more than a decade later, it’s a top BEC in the area. “This was one of those ‘wouldn’t it be fun…’ back of the cocktail napkin kinds of things,” says Doug Mechling, co-owner and managing partner.
In 2008, Mechling owned a construction company that did interior residential remodeling when a neighbor brought him an idea for bowling. “I didn’t know much about bowling, so I said, ‘Let’s take a look at this.’ There was a space available, and there was a need for entertainment,” Mechling recalled. His idea was to pair entertainment with high-quality F&B. Nothing like that existed in his target market at the time.
The business didn’t happen overnight. There were personal and professional setbacks. After his mother passed away and his father retired after a 30-year-plus insurance career, Mechling took stock.
“My brother Jeff had a hospitality degree, and I had a retail background. I brought my father and brother together and said, ‘I think this can still work.’ I believed in the business model, and they were both in positions where I could utilize them,” he said.
They moved forward, purchasing a former Circuit City location with 33,000 sq. ft. of space, which they gutted and built out into Star Lanes Polaris.
“From the outset, we knew it would be a bowling-arcade-social mix. We knew the entertainment attractions would revolve around food and beverage and vice versa. We run about 50% split of our F&B revenue,” Mechling said.
Bowling remains at the heart of the venue, which has grown to 20 bowling lanes – a bank of 14 and a second bank of six. There’s also a VIP room with a 6-lane suite where people can hold private events, AR darts, Hyperbowling, an Omni VR Arena, full arcade, a restaurant and a bar.
“We have a merchandiser mix. Back in 2012, it was controversial whether you’d have tickets or not. At that time, people still had tickets, and they still want them. One of my best games is Ticket Ring – it’s the biggest earner in the room.”
Although bowling is a core attraction at Star Lanes, Mechling is quick to point out it’s not solely a bowling alley. It’s a misconception that goes back to the venue’s earliest days. Mechling’s concept was new to the landlord and other interested parties when he was pitching it to them in 2011.
“We were the unknown. People didn’t understand that we were bringing in more socialized bowling. Our concept was more events-driven with F&B. We wanted something more high-end, and more for families.”
When they opened, he said they quickly realized how important it was to position themselves with their marketing. “People walked in with their own bowling equipment. We’re not a place where the serious bowler wants to come and bowl all the time. We had to figure out how to message better,” he explained.
“When we entered this, we didn’t have a full marketing program or push behind us. We worked with a local marketing firm who didn’t really know what we were or how to position us.”
So, Mechling ended up doing it himself, which led to a second venture: Upward Entertainment Marketing. It’s a digital marketing firm he operates with partner Dave Williams, specializing in campaigns for BECs like Star Lanes Polaris and other entertainment venues.
It was always Mechling’s intention to make food and beverage a focal point of the operation, not just the attractions. He actually describes the venue as “a restaurant with entertainment. We’re a restaurant that does full catering and banquet and offers entertainment.”
Looking back, Mechling says he should have focused more on building up the food and beverage side of the operation from the get-go: “I think I undervalued how much effort would be put into the F&B side of the business,” he admitted. “It’s critical. Here in Columbus, we’re pinned up against every restaurant chain, type and style. We have to excel in F&B.”
Star Lanes is a scratch kitchen, and Mechling said he was surprised by the amount of work that went into that. “We had some ideas for the type of food we were going to serve. Some things we thought were great, but they just didn’t sell. People want shareables – the appetizer-type entrees versus sit-down-style entrees. You have to listen to the consumer. It’s just one of those ‘aha’ moments you have and build on over the years,” he recalled.
Other attractions include a Triotech XD Theater and 501 Fun’s augmented reality darts. “We feel we’ve got good relationships with people in the industry who continue to support us,” he said.
With years of experience behind him, there are a few things Mechling wishes he’d known when he started.
“If I could go back in time, there would be some difference in looking at the revenue and non-revenue aspects,” he said. “For one, our dining room is way too large. We should have scattered more dining around the area.”
It’s all about constant improvement, which for Mechling and his team means striving to do better and looking ahead to what’s next. “It’s always front of mind that we want to improve – we’re never satisfied with something being ‘good enough.’ Our team knows we celebrate the wins, but how can we do better on the next one?”
His formula for success appears to be working. Star Lanes Polaris was named AAMA’s FEC of the Year at the Amusement Expo in March. “It was very exciting to be recognized as a premier operator by our peers and leaders in the entertainment industry. For our team, it was a very proud moment, which they recognized was a result of their professionalism, hard work and dedication. We were up against some great operators, and to come out on top was truly an amazing achievement.”
Mechling is also working on an expansion project for an as-yet-to-be completed second location. “I’m in the middle of working through lease and finance details,” he said. And there’s the continual evolution of Star Lanes Polaris that remains a passion.
“It’s fun being involved in something where the end user is ultimately enjoying themselves and having fun,” he said. “We wanted to create a fun, social, ‘hang out’ type of place. Advice I’d have to other operators is to continue investing in your facility. In the long term, it’s going to pay off. Keep adding new attractions and keep your food menu fresh. It’s critical to invest and evolve.”
You can find them online at www.starlanespolaris.com.