ROLL WITH ITKings Bowl Flips Franklin Forward to the Fifties

Written by Leigh Hendry and Gloria Houghland

Photography by Allen Clark

In the flourishing and blooming city of Nashville, new restaurant

concepts open left and right. Contributing to the newly growing

expansion, Kings Bowl America will debut their share of

originality in none other than the suburbs of Cool Springs.

By stretching Music City geographically to the ‘burbs, this

upscale, retro-inspired, experiential hybrid serves to further

expand Middle Tennessee’s fine dining options and entertainment

choices. Nestled between such All-American establishments as

Harley Davidson and American Girl, this 24,000-square-foot

behemoth harkens back to the “Happy Days” era of the ‘50s and

‘60s. Much like a throwback Thursday photo on Facebook, Kings

Bowl exudes sweet nostalgia.

While baby boomers reminisce and millennials strive

to emulate those not so far, few realize that bowling or “pin

games” in some form can actually be traced back to 3200 B.C.,

according to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of

Fame. Throughout the years and in many western European

countries, games such as Italian bocce, French petanque and

British lawn bowling were a definitive part of those cultures.

When immigrants journeyed across the ocean to America, they

naturally brought their countries’ versions of the game with them.

In fact, the first permanent U.S. location for lawn bowling, circa

1700s, was in Manhattan’s Battery area. Even today, New Yorkers

still refer to it as “Bowling Green.” As the new titans of American

industry began amassing their fortunes, many even installed

bowling alleys inside their stately mansions. Soon, the sport

caught on among the working class and bowling centers served

as country clubs for a lower echelon of the population. Patrons

could reserve balls, check their hats and rent their bowling shoes

while attendants polished and rolled cigars.

Bu t , i t wa s the adven t o f a 1951 t e chno log i c a l

breakthrough that fueled the sport’s explosive growth. When

the American Machine and Foundry company purchased

Gottfried Schmidt’s patented automatic pin spotter plans,

the services of teenage “pin boys” were no longer required.

Television programs such as “Make That Spare” and “Bowling

for Dollars” shot the game into the popularity stratosphere,

turning professional bowlers into unexpected superstars. With

its broad appeal to all age groups, the golden age of ten-pin

bowling was in full swing. Teenagers in their bobby sox and

letterman jackets set the bar for socializing in malt shops, at

sock hops, drive-ins and bowling alleys, while parents joined

corporate teams and clubs. All facets of American industry

were suddenly eager to sponsor bowling teams.

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Fast-forward to 2002 when family entertainment became

laser-focused around sports, music and finer dining options.

Bowling centers nationwide descended into a collective state of

disrepair with shabby interiors and equally stale beer; the lacquer

was off the lanes and they were no longer community gathering

places. Patrick Lyons, a successful restauranteur in New York

and Boston, as well as a co-founder of House of Blues, thought

why not recreate the charm, warmth and safe “feel” of the ‘50s

while adding the vibrancy of multiple entertainment and upscale

epicurean options all under one big roof? With that idea in mind,

the original Kings Bowl which appeared as a boutique bowling

venue, debuted to much acclaim along Boston’s back bay.

The ninth Kings location opened its doors during the first

week of May in Cool Springs Galleria following a year-long

marketing campaign featuring an upside down billboard subtly

declaring, “We’re about to flip Franklin upside down!” The

opening night celebration attracted a sold-out crowd of donors

just as delighted to be walking the red carpet as they were in

supporting the High Hopes Development Center’s first annual

Stars and Stripes bowling benefit. The singer-songwriter dinner

and auction affair showcased Kings’ corporate philanthropic

mission of giving back to the community beginning day one

in order to build its brand one person, one cause at a time.

With more than $40,000 raised for High Hopes, the venue’s

inaugural fundraiser was clearly a smash.

Another integral part of the company’s mission is to spare

no expense in the training of its staff. The 120 new employees

completed a three-week training course with a stringent

emphasis on superb service. Doug Warner, who started with the

company 10 years ago as a bartender paying his way through

grad school, is now the vice president of marketing. Lyons’ first

general manager, Josh Rossmeisl, is now chief operating officer

of the entire organization.

Culinary Director Richard Lambiase, designs menus for

consistency and travels to all locations to oversee and train

staff members while banishing the widely held perception that

bowling alley food “stinks.” His approach has certainly been

effective. Trusted travel website, TripAdvisor, consistently ranks

Kings Bowl, with its “made-from-scratch” offerings, in its “Top

Ten for Food Excellence” in all of its markets.

Chris Mulcahy, kitchen manager at Kings Bowl Cool

Springs, has 35-plus years in high-volume dining with NASCAR

Cafe and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Having studied at the

Culinary Institute of America and apprenticed under world-

famous Chef Paul Prudhomme, Mulcahy had no trouble in

quickly assembling the Nashville team.

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From the moment guests enter the Draft Room, they see

a 17-foot-wide Jumbotron, high-definition LED video panels

and countless high-definition television sets plastered to the

wall. The venue’s plush leather banquettes, bar seating with

bump outs that comfortably accommodate parties of four

and accordion doors leading to the partially covered patio,

indicate that this is no old-fashioned sports bar. The high-

brow sophistication of Kings Bowl is epitomized in the design

and décor of the aptly named, “King Pin Room,” a strikingly

seductive, private bowling lounge embedded in the corner of

the Draft Room. With three overhead disco balls, velvet curtains

and the most fashion-forward floral wallpaper hung anywhere,

20 bowlers can roll their hearts out on the four lanes in this

sure-to-be-wildly-popular, private lounge.

The Draft Room’s open pizza window is a perfect showcase

for the venue’s specialty pies made with feather-light, hand-

tossed dough (gluten-free is also available) and imported

mozzarella cheese. We can attest that the mushroom and

Arugula pizza is especially divine.

Hungry? The Draft Room kitchen, the heart of any eating

establishment, serves food throughout the entire venue and is

located just next to the pizza window. With its adept 20-plus

kitchen staff, this crew turns out everything from salads - think

apple, raisin, chicken, kale and Brussels sprouts or strawberry

and spinach - to juicy, grilled steak tips, to maple-glazed sea

scallops, to a slew of specialty burgers. It’s all freshly made

here, and, as the folks at Kings like to say, it is all “genuine

food.” Equally as inspirational is the extensive list of craft

beers and the coldest, freshest drafts available, due to the draft

lines being less than three feet from the coolers, in pints or in

34-ounce frosted mugs. And, if guests are determined to get

their “dranking” on, they can order a Big Ball specialty drink,

which can be made for one, two or four imbibers. These are

just a few examples of the multiple reasons why Kings garners

such enthusiastic accolades. It is truly a mecca, first and

foremost, for fine, fresh food with a twist.

The core of the complex, done in a traditional red and black

color scheme, is devoted to 12 swanky bowling lanes. These are

within an arm’s swing of an oversized bar crafted from striated

Zanzibar wood, topped by a 1950s-looking epoxy countertop

featuring a shimmering star motif. The room shines brightly

with retro touches including red linoleum floors, bowling pin

wallpaper, red leather barstools and an exuberant floor mosaic

of flying bowling pins. The only exception to the authenticity of

the time period is the use of reclaimed wood ceilings in lieu of

the expected “popcorn” spray application.

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Guests can rent custom-made leather shoes, select their

preferred balls and head to the lanes, which are crowned by

Jonathan Adler “lava light” shaped fixtures in orange, blue

and lime colors suspended overhead. Once ensconced for

their game, they can sip vintage cocktails, frosty milkshakes

or the famous Bacon Bloody Mary while taking turns rolling

and keeping score. The comprehensive menu of appetizers,

sandwiches, pizzas and entrees are all available lane side. Talk

about a terrific way to hang out with friends and family---this

makes for a most memorable “blow-out five” moment - that’s

10 pins down in bowling jargon.

Behind an open decorative wall of what appear to be floating

wooden pins is the Royal Room, centered by a gigantic blue and

red painting of Dude from “The Big Lebowski” with the word

“Abide.” Fans of the 1998 Coen Brothers cult classic will instantly

get the reference to the film’s central character, avid bowler Jeffrey

“The Dude” Lebowski, deftly played by actor Jeff Bridges. The

neo-noir comedy reflects a slice of ‘60s bowling culture where the

Dude and his friends could abide, take life easy and engage in a

never-ending stream of inane conversations. A creamy, specialty

drink on the menu called, “The Dude,” is made of Kahlua, vanilla

vodka, Godiva liqueur and ice cream.

The Royal Room adds nostalgic, low-tech gaming to the laid-

back atmosphere in an effort to encourage guests to put down

their phones and get back to talking face-to-face. There’s a custom,

oversized four-player air hockey table, a banked shuffleboard table

for more strategic thinkers and an automated foosball table. Three

billiard tables with cues set up teepee-style hold the triangular

racks under vintage, perforated, stainless steel pendants. There

are two television screens in this room and bar tables with black

leather stools in case guests decide to take a break and indulge in

the decadent chocolate banana rum spring roll sundaes, an adult

milkshake or cheesecake served three ways.

Speakers have been seamlessly integrated into the woodwork

so that guests feel the richness of the sound while still being

able to chat. There is also the opportunity to hear live music,

as this is the first Kings location to offer The Whiskey Room

live. As general manager Christopher Ian Santos succinctly put

it, “If we were going to do live music, we might as well do it

here. This is a perfect fit for this town.” Located off the Royal

Room and with window views of the bowling lanes - lest we lose

sight of why we were drawn here to begin with - this listening

venue, which accommodates 150, could easily be located on

Broadway in downtown Nashville. With its industrial overtone

brick walls, exposed ceiling, authentic Jack Daniels oak barrels

and reclaimed wooden bar, this is an acoustically engineered

paradise for singer-songwriters and karaoke wannabes, as well as

a premium celebrity event space.

Taller tables with aluminum bar stools are placed along the

back providing excellent visibility for all. Sparkling chandeliers,

modeled after those found in the original home of the Grand

Ole Opry, twinkle from the ceiling. This room boasts a distinct

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personality, along with state-of-the-art audio and lighting. Here

you can try a whiskey-based cocktail for four, called “Whiskey

Room Tea” served in a mini barrel dispenser or any of the

carefully curated, high-end sipping whiskeys or get into the spirit

and order house smoked baby back ribs, bacon Sriracha deviled

eggs or a Fat Elvis Burger complemented with bacon, spicy

peanut butter and deep fried banana. We were shocked by how

scrumptious this truly was while throwing back to the days when

calories were rarely counted.

On a recent Wednesday evening, otherwise known as

karaoke night in the Whiskey Room, we treated ourselves to an

ample sampling of at least 12 of the most popular items on the

menu. Our bowling-shirt-clad server, Brendon Lamphear, and

front of the house marketing manager Brian Tsang, could not

have been more attentive in steering us toward dishes we would

crave in the future. We thoroughly enjoyed Kings’ famous

sangria by the pitcher, the oh-so-fresh Primo-jito with just the

right dash of pineapple juice and the Runaway Phish, one of

the signature “Big Ball” drinks containing vodka and coconut

rum, garnished with Swedish fish. One in our group absolutely

had to order the Daddy-O, created with Hendrick’s gin, ruby

Red Vodka, St. Germain, mint simple syrup and a splash of

grapefruit juice, because she loved the name - she also buys cars

solely based on color, but we digress.

Like carnivores going in for the kill, we jumped on the buffalo

wontons, a refined take on buffalo wings with yummy homemade

ranch dressing. Our mouths watered over the fried mac and cheese,

the barbecue ribs and the baked wings with honey garlic. Our

resident vegetarian successfully selected the crispy deep-fried Brussels

sprouts and kung pao fried cauliflower with a wasabi dipping sauce

so delicious that we were forced to lick the plates clean. And, while

the Mediterranean sampler entrée with roasted red pepper hummus

and cucumber feta rolls made for the perfect light meal, the rest of us

devoured the crispy, seared scallops and the succulent sirloin tips with

smashed red bliss potatoes. Yes, you could hear us across the room

when one member in our party wonderingly exclaimed, “Who’s ever

heard of ordering scallops in a bowling alley?!?!” Enough said.

Kings Cool Springs, Franklin truly has something for

everyone with three distinct venues under one roof. The after-9

nightly promotions insure that the wishes of every demographic

are met. Kings brags that they take Happy Hour very seriously

and, indeed they do, Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. until

6 p.m. and Monday through Thursday after 10 p.m. for late-

nighters. And, for those who don’t like to wait, feel free to call the

gregarious Joy Williams, head event coordinator at (844)-683-

4500 for the Eat Then Bowl priority waiting list placement or

to place an easy pick-up, to-go order or to reserve The King Pin

room for your next celebratory occasion.

Whichever way you roll, your visit here will earn a superb strike

on your personal scoresheet. Kings Cool Springs, Franklin is open 11

a.m. to 1 a.m., Monday – Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and

Saturday and 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Sunday. sl

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