Hollywood Bowl launches international expansion as it strikes a record revenue
Hollywood Bowl, the UK’s largest ten-pi bowling operator, has more than bounced back after its pandemic closures, with its revenue exceeding pre-pandemic levels by over a third.
The London-listed leisure business snagged a little over £100m in revenue in the six months to 31 March – a new record for the company – and up over 36 per cent in comparison with the first half of 2019, where it pulled in £67m.
The company has also snapped up a Canadian bowling chains, Splitsville and Striker Bowling Solutions, as part of its plan for international expansion.
Hollywood Bowl has also opened two new UK centres, in Harrow and Birmingham, in the past six months, as well as fitting three centres with solar panels in a bid to trim soaring energy costs.
Revenue from drinks have risen nearly 23 per cent in the period, after the business allowed customers to order from bowling lanes amid pent-up demand for leisure and hospitality experiences after pandemic restrictions, which eased last summer.
“We saw exceptional pent-up demand in the first half which, in addition to the investments made in our customer experience, led to us achieving a record first half with four of our top performing months ever,” chief executive Stephen Burns said in a statement.
“While we are aware of the financial challenges many of our customers are facing, we continue to provide a great value for money experience. We are confident that demand will remain resilient as families seek out affordable leisure activities.”