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Bowling alley finance for lanes, pinsetters and centres

How bowling centres and bars fund lanes, pinsetters, scoring, refits and centre purchases, which finance fits each cost, and what lenders check before lending.

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In short

Bowling alley finance usually puts lanes, pinsetters, scoring systems and bar equipment on asset finance, funds building works with a term loan or fit-out finance, and uses acquisition finance or a commercial mortgage to buy a centre.

Lenders look most closely at games played, food and drink income per site, the lease or freehold, the age and condition of the equipment, and the operator's experience.

About bowling alley finance

This page is for people running or planning bowling venues: traditional tenpin centres.

This page is for people running or planning bowling venues: traditional tenpin centres, family entertainment centres with bowling at their core, bars and restaurants adding a few boutique lanes, and operators buying or refurbishing an existing centre. It covers lanes, pinsetters, scoring, refits and purchases. Smart Funding Solutions is a broker, not a lender: we search a panel of 300+ lenders and arrange facilities from £10,000 to £20 million. It goes deeper than our indoor leisure finance page, which covers bowling alongside trampoline parks, climbing and other attractions.

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Funding options for bowling venues

Asset finance for lanes and pinsetters

Pinsetters, scoring systems, lane machines, ball returns, balls, shoes and furniture can usually be funded with asset finance. Bowling equipment from established manufacturers can be removed and reinstalled elsewhere, and there is a market for used kit, which makes it easier for lenders to fund than fixed attractions. Hire purchase suits equipment you will keep for its working life.

Used and refurbished equipment

Refurbished pinsetters and lanes can cut the cost of a fit-out, and some lenders will fund them if they come through a recognised supplier with a known history. Our page on used equipment finance explains how lenders approach second-hand assets.

Fit-out finance and term loans

Building works, the bar and dining areas, approach areas, ceilings, lighting and decoration cannot be repossessed in any useful way, so they are usually funded with a term loan, an unsecured business loan or fit-out and refurbishment finance. Kitchen and bar equipment can sit on asset finance alongside; see commercial kitchen equipment finance.

Raising cash against equipment you own

If you own your pinsetters and lanes outright, asset refinancing may release cash against them to fund a refit or new attraction, depending on their age and condition.

Buying a centre or its property

Buying an existing centre as a going concern is usually funded with acquisition finance, often combined with asset finance on the equipment. Where the freehold is included, a commercial mortgage may fund the property. Our guide on how to buy a business covers the process.

How a bowling centre earns and spends

Income comes from games or timed lane hire, shoe hire, food and drink, amusements, parties and corporate bookings, with leagues filling quieter weekday evenings. In many modern venues food and drink matters as much as the bowling itself, and add-ons such as mini golf, pool, karaoke or an arcade lift spend per visit. Weekends, school holidays and the Christmas party season bring the peaks.

The cost base is rent or property costs, staff, energy and the upkeep of a lot of machinery. Pinsetters need regular servicing and parts, lanes need oiling and resurfacing, and scoring and masking units date quickly. Larger centres often employ a mechanic; smaller venues rely on a service contract. Equipment that is not maintained affects both the customer experience and its value as security.

When operators look for funding

Fitting out a new centre, or adding lanes to a bar, restaurant or leisure venue
Replacing pinsetters, often switching from free-fall to string machines
Upgrading scoring, masking units, lane surfaces and ball returns
Refurbishing the bar, kitchen, seating and toilets
Adding attractions such as mini golf, an arcade or private karaoke rooms
Cutting energy costs with LED lighting, heat pumps or solar panels
Buying an existing centre, the freehold or a second site

Licences that matter to lenders

Most bowling venues sell alcohol, which in England and Wales needs a premises licence from the local council, along with a designated premises supervisor. Prize machines such as crane grabs and coin pushers are gaming machines, and whether you can site them depends on your premises and permits; the Gambling Commission's guidance on category D gaming machines is the place to start. Lenders funding a bar-led venue will want to see that licences are in place and transfer with any purchase.

Risks and trade-offs

Pinsetters and lanes hold value better than most leisure kit, but only if they are maintained, so build servicing and parts into your budget. Never take finance for longer than the lease has left to run. A refit should lift income enough to cover the payments in a cautious year, not just a strong one. Expect lenders to ask for personal guarantees; see our guide to personal guarantees. Borrowing of £25,000 or less by sole traders and small partnerships can be regulated consumer credit, which brings additional protections.

Alternatives include a landlord contribution, refurbishing rather than replacing equipment, or adding lanes in phases. Bars adding a few lanes may find it simpler to fund the project within bar and pub loans or hospitality business loans.

Underwriting

What lenders look at

Trading per site

lines or lane hours, spend per head and the split between bowling, food and drink and amusements

Property

years left on the lease, break clauses and rent reviews, or the freehold value

Equipment

make, age, condition and service records for pinsetters and scoring

Experience

the operator's track record in leisure or hospitality

Licences and insurance

premises licence, any gaming permits and public liability cover

Owners' position

credit records, contribution and personal guarantees

Checklist

Documents to have ready

Two years' accounts and current management accounts, split by site where possible
Till and booking system reports showing games, parties and food and drink sales
Bank and card processing statements
The lease or title, and the premises licence
Supplier quotes for equipment and works, or the heads of terms for a purchase
Equipment service records and the insurance schedule

Side by side

Compare your options

How the main business finance structures work. Lenders set their own terms, so treat this as a guide to the questions to ask.

Option	How you repay	Security	Often used for
Unsecured business loan	Fixed instalments, usually monthly	No charge over assets; a personal guarantee is usually required	Growth, stock, tax bills and cash flow
Secured business loan	Fixed instalments, often over a longer term	A charge over property or other assets	Larger sums, property and refinancing
Revolving credit facility	Interest on what you draw; repay and redraw	Varies by lender and case	Recurring or uneven cash flow gaps
Merchant cash advance	A share of future card takings	No charge over assets	Card-taking businesses with uneven months
Asset finance	Regular payments over the life of the asset	The asset being financed	Equipment, vehicles and machinery
Invoice finance	Settled as customers pay their invoices	Your unpaid invoices	Businesses waiting on customer payment

General information only. Every lender has its own criteria, and all finance is subject to status.

Matching bowling costs to finance

Cost	Finance that often fits	Why
Pinsetters and scoring	Asset finance	Removable equipment with a used market
Lanes and ball returns	Asset finance or a term loan	Depends on the supplier and how they are installed
Bar, kitchen and furniture	Asset finance	Identifiable equipment
Building works and decoration	Fit-out finance or an unsecured loan	Works with little security value
Buying a centre	Acquisition finance	Repaid from the centre's profits
Buying the freehold	Commercial mortgage	Long term, secured on the property

Our guide to hire purchase vs leasing explains the main asset finance options. The Annual Investment Allowance may let a business deduct the cost of qualifying equipment it buys; ask your accountant how it applies.

The broker’s view

How we help bowling operators

We separate equipment that suits asset finance from works and purchases that need a loan, then approach lenders on our panel that fund leisure and hospitality businesses. If your equipment supplier has offered finance, we compare it against the wider market and set the options out side by side, including guarantees and repayment profiles. We manage the application through to completion; the lender makes the decision. Our asset finance calculator gives a feel for payments before you speak to us. It is free to enquire; any broker fee is disclosed separately before you proceed.

FAQs

Questions clients ask

Can you get finance for bowling alley equipment?

Yes. Pinsetters, scoring systems, lanes, ball returns and furniture from established manufacturers can usually be funded on hire purchase or leasing, because the equipment can be removed and has a used market. Lenders will check the supplier, the equipment's age and your trading record.

Can I finance refurbished pinsetters?

Often, yes, if they come through a recognised supplier with a known history and service records. Some lenders limit the term on older equipment. See used equipment finance.

How do you finance buying a bowling alley?

Usually with acquisition finance repaid from the centre's profits, often combined with asset finance on the equipment and a commercial mortgage if the freehold is included. Lenders will want the centre's accounts, the lease or title, and a meaningful contribution from the buyer. See acquisition finance.

Can a bar add bowling lanes on finance?

Yes. A trading bar or restaurant adding a few lanes is assessed on its existing accounts, which often makes funding easier than for a new centre. The lanes and pinsetters can usually go on asset finance, with the building works on a term loan.

Can I get finance to open a new bowling centre?

It is possible but harder than for a trading business, because lenders cannot test visitor numbers. Leisure or hospitality experience, a secure lease, a detailed forecast and a substantial contribution of your own all help. See start-up business loans.

Do lenders need a personal guarantee for bowling alley finance?

Usually, yes, especially for unsecured loans and fit-out finance on a leased site. Asset finance on equipment with a strong used market may need less support. Check exactly what you are guaranteeing before you sign.

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