Small-Town Center Gets Its Groove Back With Big-Time Makeover

Jorgensen’s Lanes holds a special place in the heart of little Richfield, Utah. “Everyone in town can remember a birthday or graduation party here,” says Mike Jorgensen, one of three siblings who own the center. “Or maybe this was where they first met their girlfriend or boyfriend.”

Klar Jorgensen bought the center in 1974. His kids eventually took it over and started other businesses of their own, including a Ford dealership and a motorcycle/RV store that bookend the lanes on Main Street. “The bowling center helped keep our other businesses afloat when interest rates hit 24% in the late ‘80s,” Mike recalls. But 20 years later, Jorgensen’s Lanes itself was in trouble. “Business had bottomed out,” says Mike.

After much deliberation, the Jorgensens decided to totally remodel the center and build on a game room addition. All new Brunswick gear was installed, from Pro Lane with PowerLift and Pinball Wizard bumper rails to Vector Plus scoring and management, to Frameworx and Striking Line furniture. “We bought all Brunswick because we felt like they give us the best quality. You get what you pay for,” Mike says. Just months after the center reopened, the investment is paying back nicely with revenues more than tripling. “It was a tough decision to remodel,” admits Mike. “But Brunswick did a great job. And knowing what I know now, I’d do it again.”