DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – A central Illinois bowling alley is shocked by Gov. JB Pritzker’s guidelines for moving into Phase 4 of his five-phase re-opening plan, which was announced on Monday.
Under the next phase, indoor and outdoor recreation - things like bowling alleys and skating rinks - can open with 50 customers or 50% capacity, whichever is less. The owner of Spare Time Lanes in Decatur said that requirement came as a shock.
"We got blindsided today with the announcement,” owner Gary Hines said. “"We have to rethink if we are going to reopen and if we do reopen, how we are going to redo it."
Hines, who is a member of the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association, described the guidance as nothing more than a gutter bowl. Hines said the 50 people requirement has him worried.
"We thought we were at 50% like we were supposed to be, then we got blindsided by the 50 people,” he said. “The larger centers won't be able to open. I don't know how they can do it."
The governor’s office said it worked with businesses to come up with the guidelines, writing "the administration solicited feedback on best practices for reopening businesses directly from those who run the businesses, but the final guidance was issued after medical experts approved the plans."
Hines said 50 people will not pay the bills. He estimates that since the shutdown began, the bowling alley has lost $400,000 in revenue, and if he does not open on Friday, that number will rise.
"It takes a lot of money to run the center,” he said "I am trying to figure out how to open. In a normal season, the more people, the more revenue for the city, for the state. The fact that we are not making any money, they are not making any money either, so what goes around, comes around."
The Bowling Proprietors Association has 270 centers statewide and employs over 5,000 people, according to Hines. He said the association intends to send the governor a letter requesting they be allowed to operate at 50% capacity.
