A trip to Leland Lanes in 1966 changed the Ratliffs forever.



The story that owner Alvin Ratliff tells is how his father, Leon, drove to the bowling alley one Thursday afternoon for a quick game. Pulling into the parking lot, Leon saw the business was closed and that trucks were backing up to the doors to remove equipment. It was the third time the business had gone bankrupt since opening in the Alberta community in 1960.



Leon, then a chemist, decided to do something about it, talking the owners into selling him the alley for his life savings.



“It was dicey for the first couple of years, but it paid off,” said Alvin, who joined his father at Leland in 1973.



Now, with new bowling alley Bowlero Tuscaloosa opening at the former Bruno’s on McFarland Avenue, Leland soon will close its doors for good, along with AMF Bama Lanes on 15th Street. Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa first reported the closing of the two alleys last week.



Ratliff, whose father died in 2002, said Bowlero Corp., which is the largest alley operator in the country with more than 300 locations, was the main reason he decided to close Leland, which has 12 employees. Ratliff tentatively marked May 25 as Leland’s last day.



“From my understanding, Bowlero grossed more than half a billion dollars last year, which is over 1,000 times bigger than I am and it’s not feasible to compete with them,” he said.



Bowlero, which will have a soft opening April 5 and grand opening April 27, has been described as a “hipster-inspired hangout” that will have bowling, games and dining.



Ratliff said that for the last decade, business has been difficult at Leland, and that it has been losing money for most of that time. He said that while he hoped things would change, having Bowlero open a couple of miles from Leland did not help the matter.



“It’s kind of a death of a thousand cuts and then one big machete chop,” he said.



City Councilman Kip Tyner said he has fond memories of Leland, from growing up in a time when bowling was a popular community sport.



“Everyone in the ‘60s seemed like they bowled,” Tyner said. “Dad and Mom were on team and I was on a Saturday morning league.



“We were there at least three days a week.”



However, Tyner said he thinks things could turn around for Leland if the right buyer came along. Tyner, whose district includes Alberta, said that in the last week, he has received a couple of calls about potentially buying the bowling alley.



“I’m very hopeful someone will step up to buy it because it’s been an anchor for Alberta and the city for so long,” he said.



While Ratliff has spoken to a couple of people who have expressed interest in buying the alley, he said no deals have been made yet.



“For a younger person, there’s an excellent opportunity,” he said. “It can be very competitive with some new investment at a price point that is a value type location.”



In addition to being a city institution, Tyner believes Leland can also serve bowlers who don’t necessarily want the glitz Bowlero will bring.



“(Bowlero) is going to appeal to a younger generation for sure, but for lifelong league bowlers, I don’t think that would be a great fit for them,” he said.



Tyner said that while he’s glad Bowlero is coming to Tuscaloosa, he feels there is room for Leland and Bama Lanes to still operate in town.



“I feel there is a strong enough bowling community that there is still a place for it,” he said.



For AMF Bama Lanes, which is owned by Bowlero Corp., the closure will be done to give Bowlero a workforce. According to an article published by Townsquare on March 19, Bama Lanes general manager Chris Felts said the entire staff would relocate to Bowlero. Felts did not give a date for when Bama Lanes would close.



Attempts to reach Felts or a Bama Lanes representative for comment were not successful Tuesday.





Reach Drew Taylor at drew.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.