Bowlero Bethesda to rebrand as Lucky Strike

All three Bowlero locations in Montgomery County will rebrand as Lucky Strike. Bowlero Bethesda at 5353 Westbard Avenue, Bowlero Gaithersburg at 1101 Clopper Road, and Bowlero Rockville at 15720 Shady Grove Road will become Lucky Strike bowling alleys over the next two years. Bowlero, which acquired Lucky Strike last year, has decided to make the name change to reflect its intention to broaden its entertainment empire beyond bowling. 

Lucky Strike has an existing Montgomery County location at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The future of the Westbard location is unclear, however, as its lease ends in 2027, requiring a decision by property owner Regency Centers.

Bowlero told The Wall Street Journal this week that profits from its Raging Waves water park in Illinois have exceeded expectations, fueling confidence that the company can expand its horizons, while staying centered on its core business of food and beverage sales. CEO Tom Shannon told the Journal that he envisions the company one day selling passes that are accepted at all of its entertainment businesses.

Lucky Strike to open today in Bethesda (Photos)

Bethesda gets a new bowling alley today, as Lucky Strike Social opens at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Lucky Strike aspires to be more than the local lanes for MoCo pinheads, though, offering upscale gastropub cuisine and cocktails, as well as live entertainment and event hosting capabilities.

Located at the bottom of the escalator from the Dining Terrace, Lucky Strike takes over the space formerly occupied by the mall's original movie theater. The interior could be described as a cross between a 2017-era chain restaurant, a neon-colored adult bowling alley and a wood-paneled library hidden away on or near an Ivy League campus. Large industrial wall pieces compete with dozens of graduate library-style bookshelves filled with real books. Scattered about are choice vinyl records, including two that I spotted by Survivor and Randy Travis.

But there is a clear division between the dark dining and bar spaces, and the glowing bowling lanes. One downside is the overall space is small, and it can be difficult to move around inside if it's crowded. There is a small seating area outside the restaurant in the corridor, underneath the escalators, making the overall footprint larger than it was when the space was a theater.

 Lucky Strike will be the place to be in Bethesda tonight.

Congressman Jamie Raskin
welcomes VIP guests

Scattered among the many
books on bookshelves are
vinyl records like this, which
reveal impeccable taste

Again, impeccable taste
on display

Lucky Strike opening postponed to 2017 at Westfield Montgomery Mall

You may not be surprised if you saw how little progress had been made in my last construction update on Lucky Strike Social, the new bowling suite/gastropub concept coming to Westfield Montgomery Mall, but their opening has been delayed until early 2017. It will take the place of the old movie theater at the mall, and directly compete with the future Pinstripes at Pike & Rose up the road.

Lucky Strike's original opening had been scheduled for this past summer.