Start a 810 Billiards & Bowling Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $1.1M - $2.2M

Units as of 2022: 6 100.0% over 3 years

810 Billboards & Bowling Franchise

Ever wanted to run your own upscale, family-friendly restaurant but aren’t interested in the high costs and energy required to build a restaurant brand from scratch? Franchising with 810 Billboards & Bowling could be the answer.

As an entertainment franchise, 810 Billboards & Bowling doesn't just offer bowling; it also offers additional activities like ping-pong, darts, billiards and delicious food.

810 Billboards & Bowling offers various location formats for franchisees, ranging from big-box conversions to boutique shops. Therefore, an 810 Billboards & Bowling franchise model is ready for you somewhere in America. Read on to learn what it takes to succeed with an 810 Billboards & Bowling franchise.

Reasons to start an 810 Billboards & Bowling franchise

810 Billboards & Bowling, founded by Michael Siniscalchi, is a high-end yet affordable entertainment chain that combines great food with games into a one-stop shop for families and friends hanging out in the evening.

It doesn’t just offer a bowling center. 810 also provides mini golf, board games, shuffleboard and corn hole.

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

It combines upscale bowling experiences, state-of-the-art bar service and scratch kitchens into a full-service concept (or “eatertainment”).

This entertainment concept lends itself well to franchise opportunities in many areas and demographics. People can show up to 810 Billboards & Bowling locations, have dinner and play games all night long.

Because of this, franchising with 810 Billboards & Bowling offers several significant benefits. For starters, 810 Billboards & Bowling franchisees benefit from diversified revenue streams.

Bowling revenue makes up approximately 25% to 35% of franchisee revenue, while the rest comes from food and other gaming activities. Since your financials don’t rely on one revenue stream, your franchise location can be much more financially secure.

On top of that, 810 Billboards & Bowling franchised locations don’t allow for serious league play. Instead, the focus is on casual, open bowling customers. That means fewer lanes and more tables for diners or viewers.

As a result, 810 Bowling has carved a specific niche for leisure bowling, offering families, friends, and other groups of novice bowlers dedicated venues to enjoy a night of bowling.

Plus, 810 Billboards & Bowling provides ongoing support for new franchisees and the installation of equipment, furniture and high-end bowling lanes.

Each franchisee gets a discount on the initial equipment investment for 12-lane locations, meaning it’s much more affordable to start a bowling and dining restaurant with 810 Billboards & Bowling than to build your own similar business from scratch.

Still not convinced? Owning an 810 Billboards & Bowling franchise also includes:

Access to an extensive and supportive network of 810 business systems and fellow franchisees.
Technical support for customized store designs and layouts.
Support contacting and working with local suppliers and servicers.
Early positive cash flow.
Good long-term business security — there’s no threat of technological disruption, as 810 Billboards & Bowling’s business model provides something that people are always interested in.
Tons of territories are available, and there aren’t any barriers to multi-unit ownership if you want to own multiple 810 Billboards & Bowling locations.
Immediate access to championship-size and high-quality billiards tables adds value to each location you open up.
The ability to leverage proprietary manufacturing relationships. All franchisees get to access bowling equipment at reduced prices, which improves their profit margins significantly. These include automated and interactive scoring systems and automatic bumpers.
Access to the 810 menus, which an in-house executive chef designs. The menu is regularly updated with new recipes to follow trends and remain attractive to customers.

Bottom line: Franchising with 810 Billboards & Bowling could allow you to open up your own bowling and restaurant location without the hassles of opening a business on your own.

How to open a bowling alley franchise with 810

One of the first steps to opening an 810 Billboards & Bowling franchise location is speaking with one of their franchise developers. In that conversation, you will both explore if this is a good match. You will likely discuss your goals and how you want to operate and what they look for in franchise owners.

Generally, 810 Billboards & Bowling looks for long-term franchisees interested in owning their locations for at least several years. Notably, 810 Billboards & Bowling does not require any past business ownership or industry experience for you to succeed.

Once you sign up with 810 Billboards & Bowling and pay the franchising fees, 810 will help you scout out a new location for your alley. Because each location has to have enough space for a scratch kitchen and dining tables, you’re a little more limited compared to a standard bowling alley (though not by much).

Once you've secured the lease, 810 Billboards & Bowling will help you customize your location layout and provide you with contacts and equipment. You can start filling up your location with furniture and equipment while you and your staff are trained.

Is 810 Billboards & Bowling a passive ownership business?

It can be, but you need to have a good manager to run the day-to-day operations, and they’ll need to come to the corporate training sessions with you. Each 810 Billboards & Bowling location has to have a dedicated manager running things daily. You need to have a suitable replacement if this won't be you. The odds are that you’ll have to fill this role, at least in the beginning.

Note that you’ll need to manage about 35 to 40 employees for each location, so keep this in mind when deciding whether you plan to be the manager long-term or if you plan to hire a manager to replace you after the first few months of operations.

810 Billboards & Bowling training and support

810 Billboards & Bowling offers many different forms of training and support for its franchisees and employees. It starts with two weeks of training at corporate locations for principals and managers (that’s you, as the franchise owner). These include instructions on how to hire and manage your staff.

After the corporate training, 810 Billboards & Bowling offers two additional weeks of on-site staff training plus support for your grand opening. The on-site staff training will help you train waiters, chefs, hosts, hostesses and bowling alley staff, so everyone knows how to run this operation.

810 Billboards & Bowling even offers recruitment assistance so you can find the best possible employees for your location right from the start. Even after your grand opening, you’ll be able to take advantage of ongoing support, specifically related to food, equipment, menu changes, store monitoring, and more.t

810 Billboards & Bowling franchise cost

To open a bowling alley franchise with 810 Billboards & Bowling, you’ll need to pay an initial franchise fee of $50,000.

After that, the initial investment is between $1 million and $2,170,000.

To satisfy these requirements, 810 Billboards & Bowling needs each potential franchisee to prove that they have a net worth of $2 million plus $500,000 in liquid cash. If you’re a veteran, good news: You get 15% off the franchise fee.

After opening your store, you’ll pay a 5% regular royalty fee plus another 1% advertising fee. That said, 810 Billboards & Bowling’s stability and potential profit margins make it an attractive franchise option for many entrepreneurs.

Does 810 Billboards & Bowling provide financial assistance?

810 Billboards & Bowling, as a franchisor, won’t help you find any loans or leases to help pay for the initial franchising costs. As with many other franchise opportunities, this is an area where you’ll be on your own. However, one of the upsides of franchising with 810 Billboards & Bowling is that they offer lease negotiation assistance.

If you’re having difficulty securing a lease for a prime location for a new 810 store, 810 will help get the ball rolling or convince the leaseholder to sell to you.

Get started with an 810 Billboards & Bowling franchise today

With the right drive and mindset, you can create and succeed with your very own 810 Billboards & Bowling franchise today. Contact 810 Billboards & Bowling to get started.

Check out Entrepreneur’s other guides and articles for more information on this topic.

Company Overview

About 810 Billiards & Bowling

Industry	Recreation
Related Categories	Miscellaneous Recreation Businesses, Sports Bars/Pubs, Children's/Family Entertainment
Founded	2015
Parent Company	810 Management LLC
Leadership	Susan Koch, Director of Marketing
Corporate Address	1220 Moser Dr. Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Social	Facebook

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2018 (6 years)
# of employees at HQ	5
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	6 (as of 2022)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a 810 Billiards & Bowling franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$50,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$1,057,000 - $2,170,000
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$2,000,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$500,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	15% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	to 1%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	810 Billiards & Bowling has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	70 hours
Classroom Training	16 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Grand Opening Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes