Investment in estate scores for Hollywood Bowl

Ten-pin bowling chain Hollywood Bowl is on track to have 130 centres across the UK and Canada by 2035. The group currently has 73 centres in the UK and 13 in Canada after adding eight new sites so far this year. Updating on trading for the year ended 30 September, the group said it had seen revenue rise by 3.8% in the UK to £119.7m, with its Canadian operations delivering a 42.2% increase in revenue to £30.7m. Operating profit for the period is expected to be ahead of market expectations at £65m. The group said investment in the size and quality of its estate was driving strong returns, enhancing its proposition and resulting in increased dwell time and higher spend per game. New centres added during the period included sites in Dundee, Colchester, and Westwood Cross in Kent as well as the acquisition of Lincoln Bowl. The firm said it was on track to open a further four centres in the UK in FY 2025. In Canada, four new centres were added during the year, with three acquisitions in the first half, Guelph (Ontario), Richmond Riverport (British Colombia) and Saskatoon (Saskatchewan). The group is on-site at two new centres, in Creekside (Calgary) and Kanata (Ottawa), both of which are due to open in the first half of 2025. Chief executive Stephen Burns said: “We have continued to grow our estate in the UK and Canada and drive strong returns through the ongoing investment in our centres. We remain confident in the long-term opportunity for future profitable growth across both the UK and Canada. Our strong cash position means we are well placed to continue to invest in our growth, increasing the size and quality of our estate and looking to continually enhance the customer experience.”  Hollywood Bowl will publish its final results on 17 December.