River City Roll, a new boutique bowling alley in Richmond, is planning to open its doors mid-April!
When we think of bowling alleys, we picture dingy lighting, the smell of cigarettes, pitchers of watery beer, stuffed-animal claw machines, and out-of-date scoring screens. And while this has its own strange charm, there are times that the idea of bowling in a more upscale atmosphere is appealing. Upscale bowling alleys are not a new idea, but there has yet to be one in the downtown area of Richmond. However, come mid-April, that will change. [caption id="attachment_6889" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Photo courtesy of https://theidleman.com[/caption]
River City Roll will be opening in a space off of North Boulevard, close to Scott's Addition. The new structure will span 22,000 square feet and contain 20 lanes, a restaurant, and a stage for live music. There will also be a 1,800-square-foot outdoor patio that will allow dogs. The actual location is at 939 Myers Street, in between Aldi and Bowtie Cinemas.
The building was designed by Richmond-based firm Price Simpson Harvey, also known for designing another upscale bowling alley south of the river, Uptown Alley. However, River City Roll will be much more true to Richmond culture, with murals by local artists gracing both the interior and exterior of the building. The interior will not resemble a typical bowling alley, but will instead have custom-made furniture and a modern industrial feel.
If bowling isn't quite your thing, but you're forced to participate in a group outing, you won't be disappointed with all of the other ways to entertain yourself at River City Roll. You can choose between the multiple big-screen TVs, skee-ball, table-top shuffleboard, live music, and of course, the bar. On top of that, the restaurant at River City Roll will be serving up wood-fired pizza, among other menu items, all available for $15 or less.
Upscale bowling doesn't necessarily mean upscale pricing. While normally bowling alleys charge by the game, River City Roll will charge by the hour. During the week (Monday-Thursday), it will cost $25 to rent out a lane for an hour, accommodating up to six players. On the weekends, it will cost $35 an hour, which won't break the bank if you're able to split the cost with your group.
The grand opening date is yet to be announced, but you can stay up to date on River City Roll's progress by following its Facebook page.
