Working to bring families into the bowling alleys

Bowling is in Jon Perper's blood. His late father, Irvin, built Playdrome Woodcrest in 1960, and Jon started at the alley when he was 13, working his way up from porter to assistant manager. He has expanded his family's bowling business, adding Playdrome Cherry Hill (then known as Erlton Bowl) in 1980. The 52-year-old resident of Mount Laurel now owns another alley in Allentown, and manages others in Devon, Pa., and Pennsville, N.J.

But as his career took off, the bowling business changed. Alleys could no longer rely on league bowlers for their revenue, and began catering to casual bowlers, who may not know a strike from a split. He believes entrepreneurs today need more capital and have more difficulty getting it than he did.

Further complicating the picture for Perper is New Jersey's controversial smoking ban, passed last year, which he says puts him at a competitive disadvantage to Pennsylvania alleys.

In an interview with Jonathan Berr for PhillyInc, Perper discussed his career, his regrets about not going to college, and his plans to make his flagship location in Cherry Hill more attractive to families.

PhillyInc: What was the biggest lesson you learned from your father?

Perper: [My dad taught me that] even though you might slave away . . . the bottom line is that it didn't matter how hard you work, it mattered what the customer saw when they walked in the door. He really knew how to talk to people. He always tried to focus on resolving the issue and not dwelling on problems.

Q: Did you go to college?

A: I went to Drexel University for two years, and figured that I had learned enough, and went into business full time. That's something I regret now. It's nice to say you have a college degree.

Q: Yours was one of the first alleys in the region to install automatic scoring. Did that help business?

A: When we installed the automatic scoring, the business jumped dramatically. It made the experience a lot more enjoyable.

Q: What's the biggest change you've noticed in the bowling business?

A: It's not a growing industry. It's a shrinking industry. . . . The issue that's created this is, the real estate value and the costs of operating large facilities have not kept pace with the times. . . . League bowling is becoming a tougher business because people are so busy. . . . When you combine that with the other entertainment choices, there's a lot more choices than there were 20, 30 years ago for the entertainment dollar.

Q: Is that why you are spending more than $2 million upgrading your Cherry Hill location?

A: The whole bowling facility will be upgraded, adding on a family entertainment center, which will consist of a large arcade with attractions like rock climbing and an area for kids to climb through.

Q: Has New Jersey's 2006 smoking ban had an impact on your business?

A: The smoking laws were the tipping point. We were fighting to stay ahead. . . . When the smoking law came in, it whacked out 10 percent of our gross revenue. I am sure it's the smoking law.

Q: Wouldn't more people with families come to your alleys because they are now smoke-free?

A: In the long run, it may help the business - but in the short run, it shrunk.

Q: Several months ago, you closed Woodcrest. Was it tough to shut down the business your father started?

A: When you can't pay the bills, it's pretty clear what you have to do.