Published: Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 / Updated: Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 12:12 AM

Rock Hill to go retro with bowling alley, arcade planned in Manchester spot

A vacant restaurant building in Rock Hill's Manchester Village will return to life next year as a venue twice the size: An entertainment center with a retro-themed bowling alley and arcade.

When visitors walk into Marly's at Manchester, they can turn right to find a 130-seat restaurant, sports bar and VIP area with four lanes for private parties.

Or they can turn left for a 12-lane bowling alley and arcade with Skee-Ball and racing and video games. Music and graphics in the center will change themes depending on the time of day, shifting from Top 40 music or sports games to cosmic bowling later at night.

The concept resembles Strike City in uptown Charlotte's EpiCentre complex. But while young adults seeking nightlife are the main audience at Strike City, Marly's also will aim for families and teenagers, said local real estate agent Jay Rinehart, who is developing the project for a group of investors.

“When you look at entertainment facilities, we are limited in Rock Hill,” Rinehart said. “You can go to a bar. You can go to the movies, and that's about it.”

Workers will more than double the size of the 12,000-square-foot building, previously home to Midtown Sundries, Manchester Tavern and a short-lived Tex Mex restaurant called Cactus Creek, which closed in January 2007.

The building sits along Interstate 77 next to Manchester Cinemas. Construction is slated to start early next year in time for a June opening. No rezonings are required, Rinehart said.

The property sat on the market for more than two years as one of Rock Hill's highest-profile vacancies.

In February, a group of investors bought it for $1.9 million, York County property records show. The group, called Hackett Limited Partnership & BBN Investments, invests in real estate mostly in the Southeast. Some members have ties to Rock Hill but did not want to be identified, Rinehart said.

The concept emerged after dozens of businesses turned down the space. Rinehart said he reached out to Bass Pro Shops and REI outdoor store, as well as every franchise he could find on the Internet. He figured a Wild Wing Café or Buffalo Wild Wings might work.

But the building made for a tough sell at nearly twice the size of typical restaurant spaces.

An emerging trend

Marly's joins a growing number of indoor entertainment centers opening around the country.

In the town of Shallotte just across the North Carolina border from Myrtle Beach, a venue called Planet Fun offers 36 bowling lanes, bumper cars, laser tag, a grill and an arcade, said Brian McCall, whose company, East Coast Entertainment, developed the complex.

Families are looking for cheap getaways that don't require much travel, McCall said.

“People are starved to get out of the house and recreate,” he said. “Even though they may not fly to Disney, they may not go to Colorado to go skiing this year, they're still going to go out ... and enjoy a nice experience with their family.”

Rock Hill already has a bowling alley on Dave Lyle Boulevard. Strikers owner Howard Davis said his 40-lane venue caters to leagues and serious bowlers, not the casual fun-seekers that Marly's wants to attract.

“It's a different type of environment,” Davis said. “They're going to be more about flash and glow. I can't compete with that type of entertainment, nor do I want to.”

Like Strikers, the new entertainment center will be smoke-free to comply with city and county regulations passed earlier in the year.

The right price?

Jay Kistler, a senior at Winthrop University, said he and his roommates struggle to find things to do in Rock Hill, especially on weekends. The Marly's concept sounds good, he said, but only if it's affordable.

“The price is going to be the deciding factor for me,” said Kistler, 22. “We've really cut back on going to the movies because it's 10 bucks a ticket. We're pretty much living off our parents still.”

Prices have not been set, but Rinehart said he expects to charge rates similar to other bowling alleys. Chicken fingers, sliders and similar fare will sell for around $6, he said.

Visitors can use a single, universal payment card to bowl, order food and play video games.

Groups that rent out the VIP area can bring iPods to play their own music while they bowl. Flat-screen TVs and music can be programmed to work in tandem, as with cosmic bowling nights that feature laser shows and smoke from dry ice.

The idea is to create a venue versatile enough to tailor its atmosphere to the audience.

“We can control whether it's a Miley Cyrus video or a Clemson football game,” project manager Eric Eberhardt said. “You might get moms in there with little kids during the day. At night, you're going to be catering to more teens and adults.

“It's a place where there's action going on all the time.”