Crafted Copper Will Bring ‘Bowling’ to Downtown Kalamazoo

To operate a bowling alley, you need a LOT of space. Endless lanes of pine (now synthetic) lanes to throw your ball down and crash into the ten-pins. It's a lot of fun, but when you're trying to operate in small spaces, it's near impossible to get a lot of lanes in one place.

Thankfully, there's an alternative, and Crafted Copper will soon bring this smaller, shorter variation on the American standard to downtown Kalamazoo.

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Crafted Copper has announced plans to open a new space in the downtown area at 229 E. Michigan Ave., right next to the recently opened Barrio Tacos, Tequila, and Whiskey. Their original location, out on Stadium avenue, is set up next to Revel & Roll, which makes for a great pairing. But bringing bowling to downtown Kalamazoo is near impossible, so Crafted Copper has found the solution... Duck Pin Bowling.

Duck Pins are much shorter, and fatter than a typical ten-pin, and can be played on shorter lanes that require less maintenance, and less space and equipment. You also use much smaller, hole-less balls to play duck-pin bowling (however, the rules are essentially the same as ten-pin).

Grand Rapids has a similar place called Woodrows Duckpin that opened two years ago.

The new Crafted Copper spot in Kalamazoo will also offer pour-your-own beer taps, similar to what Gun Lake implemented in 2022. Patrons will pay by the ounce as they pour their drinks.

General manager James David St. John recently told MLive that he thinks it's something different, and unique that could do quite well in downtown.

"Downtown is so up-and-coming right now. To be a part of everything that is going on, with the arena and everything, we're so excited."

Recently, Saugatuck Brewing-Kalamazoo also announced a rebrand in downtown, where they cleared some of their dining room to make way for pool tables, arcade games, and other games like skee ball and a Boxing machine.

With changes like this coming, and the re-opening of the movie theatre, downtown Kalamazoo is quickly becoming a great place to spend a night out on the town with your friends.