ANSBACH, Germany (March 6, 2014) -- Almost as soon as Phil Brown assumed the role of Katterbach Bowling Center's new business manager in January, customers noticed some changes.
One of the most obvious was the new hours. The facility now serves customers every day and opens its doors at 7:30 a.m. every weekday. The center is also open later on weekends, with a new closing time of 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Previously the bowling center was closed Tuesday and closed at 9 p.m. on the weekends, which Brown said "was way too early" and had hours he said sounded more like weekday closing times. For the full listing of new hours, visit the link on the right side of this page.
Among other advantages, the early opening times allow the bowling center the opportunity to serve breakfast, including omelets, breakfast burritos, toast and bacon.
"People love it," Brown said of the changes. "They love the idea that we're going to be open every day of the week now. They love the longer hours, and they like that we can serve omelets and breakfast burritos now. I think it will take off once we really advertise it and start really getting it out there."
Brown has teamed up with MWR Marketing and the Public Affairs Office to help spread the word.
"I'm working right now on a couple of interesting things, like doing a rap video so we can promote the breakfast, and working on bigger marketing displays for the bowling center -- with big posters, instead of the little posters you see in every facility," he said.
Brown said he's also looking forward to hosting tournaments, including the upcoming USAG Ansbach Bowling Championships this weekend, from which the top four men and top four women will move up to the U.S. Army Europe Bowling Championships in April at Panzer Kaserne.
One tournament Brown said he's considering is called the "King of the Hill," which is a yearlong competition that the bowling center would host monthly to determine a top contender throughout the course of 12 games. Each month the winner might receive a gift card and an incumbent trophy, for which the next month's participants would compete. This tournament might culminate in a significant cash prize, for example, on the 12th tournament.
Brown said he has yet to pin down a time of the year to start tournaments like the "King of the Hill," and "it's a little bit of a work in process because I'm trying to get sponsors."
Plans are also in the works to host a Texas hold 'em poker tournament, in association with Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers, possibly at the Von Steuben Community Center, Brown said.
"I know I'd get a lot of people from Bamberg down here, and possibly Grafenwoehr, to play in it," he added.
Brown, who officially arrived here Jan. 23, comes to U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach MWR from USAG Bamberg. As soon as Brown accepted the job in November, however, he began strategizing.
"I started looking at the financials and everything while I was still in Bamberg, and I got down here and I got it switched pretty quickly," said Brown, who served as the acting manager at the Bamberg Bowling Center for six months and as the food and beverage supervisor there.
With Bamberg and Schweinfurt scheduled to close, he is one of an assortment of people throughout the Franconia Military Community slated to move to Ansbach. Brown said he knows of at least two others who work for MWR who are expected to make their way here this year.
"We're trying to get people in positions here who are coming from those closing communities," he said. "I was lucky -- I was one of the first ones from MWR."
Although the changes at the Katterbach Bowling Center will take some adjustment for his staff, he said he has faith they'll do fine.
"As far as the employees, I don't think it's going to be a challenge, but it's a change that we have to get used to," he said. "All and all I'm pretty sure they're going to see it for the better. If I succeed, that means my employees succeeded, so I can succeed. I'm nobody without my employees."
Brown said a year from now, his goal is to be able to "pack the bowling alley every night" with customers -- with bowling veterans and novices alike.
"I want to get people in here," he said. "Those people who don't bowl now, I want them to become loyal bowlers by next year, where they're coming in with their family every Thursday night or every Sunday morning to bowl. That's what I want to do."
Social Sharing