A Family Entertainment Center (FRC)

A Family Recreation Center (FRC) includes a total entertainment system comprising Video game parlour for the kids, Billiards, pool-tables, A restaurant or a café for the whole family other features added to cater to various age groups like Kiddies Party Area, Theme restaurants Sports Bar and so on.

Family Recreation Center Economics

A bowling center requires about 100 ft. length, 12 ft width and 10 ft height per lane. A typical bowling lane package consists of new synthetic lanes, foundations, state-of-the-art automatic scoring systems, operation and cash control computer, seating arrangements and electronically controlled automatic pinsetters.

Typically an eight-lane bowling centre requires a minimum of 8,000 sq ft, inclusive of alleys, snack bar, seating arrangements and so on. Taking the installation and alley costs into account, eight lanes cost roughly Rs 2 crore (inclusive of duty at 55 per cent). With air-conditioning, pro-shop, amusements, fast-food/cold drinks counter also included, the capital cost works out to approximately Rs 2.75 crore.

Taking a lineage of 50 (lineage is number of games per lane per day) at Rs 100 a game, an eight-lane centre would generate Rs 1.4 crore per year. In addition would be the earnings from the amusements (Rs 40 lakhs) and the pro-shop (Rs 6 lakhs).

The fast-food/beverages bar can estimatedly rake in about Rs 1.8 crore. Total revenues work out to be approximately Rs 3.5 crore annually. Industry sources say that the pay back at these centres is generally worth in 24 months.

A good quality pool table costs anything from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.25 lakhs, and a centre can expect to recover the cost of a table in about ten months, though there are some who ever claim three months. Typically, a half-hour’s pool costs about Rs 25, while it is about Rs 125 for a game of bowling during peak hours.

Ten-Pin Bowling: Basics

Ten-pin bowling can be played by persons of any age group. The game basically involves knocking down the ten pins placed at a distance of 60 ft from the foul line by rolling a six to sixteen pound urethane ball down the bowling alley.

The bowler picks up the ball from the return rack, walks a few paces away from the foul line and gathers momentum before rolling the ball so as to knock down the maximum number of pins. The bowler scores according to the number of pins knocked down.

Ten-Pin Bowling in Your Multiplex

Multiplex with a Family Entertainment Center (FEC) as an anchor is the hottest concept as far as the leisure sector is concerned. Such centers are single point centers that offer the consumers a range of services at a single location and in an attractive, comfortable and secure environment with adequate parking provision. To provide the necessary degree of flexibility, such multiplexes require a footprint of about 5,000 sq.m, and 300 parking spaces.

A multiplex of this configuration can accommodate a range of uses that are emerging as an appropriate tenant mix including a multiplex cinema of 3000 sq.mts (5 screens with 200 seats each); Ten pin bowling of 1000 sq.mts (about 10 -16 lanes); Restaurants of 150-200 sq.mts each; Video games arcade; Mini-golf, Skating rinks Snow rooms Pro-shops Cyber-cafes Music and gift shops.

In multiplexes, Bowling would serve as a major feature for the reason that cinema going in India is mainly a group activity and so is Bowling.