Lawrenceville’s iconic Arsenal Bowl is up for sale.
The bowling alley, in operation since 1938, survived the pandemic after a record-setting year in 2019, according to the Specialty Group, the real estate broker tasked with finding a buyer.
Pennsylvania’s pandemic-related business restrictions have been slowly loosening for months, and all capacity limits expired Monday. Terri Sokoloff, of Specialty Group, said business has already been picking up at the alley and “ownership wants to go out on top.”
Paul Buncher has owned Arsenal Bowl since 1991. Sokoloff wrote in a release that as the second-generation ownership has neared retirement, they are looking for someone else to take over.
In a 2007 profile of Lawrenceville’s Butler Street, The New York Times called the retro bowling alley a place “where old-school bowling vibe meets nightclub atmosphere.” That old-school feel is complemented by more modern upgrades – pin setters, 22 lanes, a full-service bar and live entertainment space, according to the listing.
Buncher said that celebrities filming in the area have dropped by while in town, including Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston, according to the release.
The asking price is $595,000, according to the Speciality Group website.
The bowling alley is currently open 5 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. The alley has a full kitchen and serves a number of typical bar foods. It also has a full-service bar.
Each day of the week has a special, from a DJ and craft beer night on Monday to top-shelf Saturday nights. Regardless of day, the venue is 21 and older from 9 p.m. to midnight.
