DraftCade, an arcade bar and restaurant at Zona Rosa Town Center, has redesigned space in its arcade for a classic game that’s making a comeback: duckpin bowling. The craft beer, bar and restaurant is the first location in the greater Kansas City area to offer this variation on bowling.
“We wanted to bring something new that no one else has in town,” said Travis Leinenbach, general manager of DraftCade. “We’ve done quite a bit of research and found that duckpin bowling is up-and-coming and growing in popularity. Some of the busiest bars in big cities are offering it and we wanted to bring this experience to Kansas City.”
Duckpin’s lanes look similar to traditional bowling where players try to knock down 10 pins each turn and a games lasts 10 frames. The differences are that the lanes are a third of the traditional size and players don’t need special bowling shoes.
“After playing duckpin with my friends in other cities, I decided I needed to bring this fun game to KC. It’s a quicker game and the perfect fit for groups, families, date nights and special events,” Leinenbach said.
The new lanes opened Saturday, Dec.14 and cost $4 a game per person, or customers can rent a lane for an hour for $30. Guests also can organize duckpin bowling parties or reserve lanes at draftcade.com.
The locally-owned DraftCade expects to expand its arcade bar experience to future locations in Kansas City as well as other cities in the United States.
Located adjacent to its sister venue, the Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theater, DraftCade combines a bar and restaurant with an arcade in a family-friendly setting at 720 NW 87th Street. The entertainment venue features 60 arcade games, 10 pinball machines, Skee Ball and other games along with a full-service bar featuring 60 taps of craft beer, specialty cocktails and wine.
Guests purchase a wristband that includes all-play access to arcade games. Monday through Wednesday all-play wristbands are $4 and Thursday through Sunday wristbands cost $7. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Draftcade welcomes those under 21 Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.