A lot of San Francisco residents went onions when they heard that the Gold Dust Lounge was closing, but the historic Union Square dive bar isn't the only local business whose imminent shut down has the potential to knock down all the pins in the hearts of thousands of San Franciscans.
It was announced last week that the 99-year old landlord of Daly City's Serra Bowl has declined to renew the lease for the beloved 44-lane bowling alley. The Bay Area bowling institution has until April 15 to vacate the premises.
[Serra Bowl Manager Mike] Leong, 56, has been managing the alley since 1983 and said the landlord, who he wouldn't name, won't explain why he won't negotiate to renew the lease for the bowling alley…
"There are no tenants scheduled to go in, nothing planned for a demolition," he said.
The bowling alley has played host to countless league games, kids' birthday celebrations, late-night laser bowling parties, more drunken karaoke than is probably healthy to even contemplate and a handful of epically sweat-drenched rock shows during the 51 years since Serra Bowl opened on Junipero Serra Boulevard, just off I-280.
"I've been coming to this bowling alley since 1960, when I was about this big in the nursery," longtime Serra Bowl customer Brock Lee told CBS San Francisco. "My parents were in a league and I probably met my wife here because she was here too. We probably met in the little nursery."
Leong told the San Francisco Bay Guardian that the alley will be searching for a new location, "once this initial period of shock has subsided."
Don't despair San Francisco bowling aficionados, all is not lost. All the Dudes will abide, we promise.
While Serra Bowl may soon be no more, a bevvy of new bowling options are popping up to take its place. On Friday, the Beard-endorsed Lucky Strike Lanes is opening across the street from AT&T Park, and despite the Mission Bowling Club not actually opening its doors until later this spring, it's already so packed with hipsters that no one ever goes there.
A protest against the closure is scheduled at Serra Bowl on Saturday, March 10.