The latest addition to the Lane 7 bowling alley empire has opened its doors.
The newest venue has opened in the historic former Leicester Central railway station, just off the city’s inner ring road.
The dramatic redevelopment is part of a new £50m Great Central Square regeneration scheme in the city, which also includes a hotel, aparthotel and offices.
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It is one of three sites the North East boutique bowling company is in the process of adding to its portfolio.
Lane7, which opened its first site in Newcastle seven years ago and now has late night bowling and gaming venues across England and Scotland, is also planning openings in Manchester and Bristol.
It comes despite the huge impact of the pandemic on many operators in the leisure and hospitality industries.
Founder and owner Tim Wilks recently told BusinessLive the firm was keen to maintain a positive mindset, despite new 10pm curfew measures and other restrictions stopping households from mixing.
The new Leicester venue includes bowling, mini golf, UV ping pong, arcade games, and gaming tables, as well as a street food court and a variety of themed bars.
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A former goods yard area has been turned into Leicester’s first permanent street food court, with a selection of independent traders taking up residency.
Customers can enjoy burgers from What’s Your Beef, baos buns and fries from Deckards, fried chicken from Yardbirds, and Oriental dishes from Thai Express.
Bars concepts include a UV cocktail and frozen slushie bar to a 1960s gin kitchen.
A 6m x 3m television on the wall will be used for Lane7 events that have an interactive element, and although the venue will not be a sports bar, larger sporting events will be shown here.
There are bowling lanes on both floors, with six underlay lanes downstairs and five overlay lanes upstairs.
The 30,000 sq ft development was due to open earlier in the year but suffered building setbacks due to Covid-19.
Prices depend on the activities, with bowling costing £9.95 at peak times, £8 off peak, and £6 for kids and NUS workers.
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Speaking to BusinessLive last month Tim Wilks said: “The amount of times we’ve been able to start development work, and then been forced to stop has been a commercial frustration shared with everyone in Leicester in recent months.
“As an industry, we’ve experienced the toughest and most painful period imaginable.
“Openings in Leicester, Manchester and Bristol have been long in the planning for us and, without Covid-19, I’m confident most of these sites would have been open by now.
“We’ve been dealt the toughest hand possible in trying to maintain commitment to these sites during a period without trade on existing sites, so we’re excited to be in a position to now press on.
“Watching other leisure facilities open while bowling alleys had to remain closed was tough to stomach.
“Whilst we know trading conditions will remain challenging, we’re keen to get on the front foot and extend the Lane7 experience to big cities across the 海角视频.”
Since opening its first 10-lane site across three floors in Newcastle’s St James’ Boulevard, Lane7 has gone on to open sites across the country, with its last new opening coming in Sheffield just before Christmas 2019.