New Management Promises Big Changes at Warrior Lanes

If you've visited Warrior Lanes recently, you might have noticed a few changes to Waukee's only bowling alley. 

All the bowling lanes are working, the kitchen is busy, surfaces are clean, the game room is bright and inviting and the staff is eager to please.

The changes are a vast difference from how things were at the center just a few months ago. Thanks to new manager Kristy Morse, things are really looking up.

Morse has been in the bowling business for 24 years. Until 2009, she worked at Val Lanes in West Des Moines managing operations for the center there. When the bowling alley fell under new ownership, Morse decided to start consulting for bowling centers across the state.

That's how she came to Waukee. Warrior Lanes owner Tom Young was looking to fill a management position after the alley's previous manager resigned. Morse, who had worked with Warrior Lanes before, jumped at the chance.

"Tom called me and asked if I knew anyone looking for a job and I said, 'Well, yeah,' and he said, 'Would it be you and how soon can you start?'," said Morse. "And this had my full attention beginning Sept. 11."

Morse says previous management challenges, a lack of training and a lack of regular maintenance had pushed Warrior Lanes into a funk. When lanes would be down - which was quite often months ago - customers complained and then never returned.

"We needed to get things back up and running because if the lanes aren't working, the cash register isn't ringing," she said."We needed the right combination of things to turn this around."

As a result, Warrior Lanes now has a full-time mechanic and all 16 lanes are in working order. In addition to that, Morse said a heavy emphasis has been put on maintaining a clean, compfortable environment for people out looking to have fun while bowling.

In addition to the working lanes, there's a new improved menu, catering, party packages and cleaner, well, everything in the alley from the bathrooms to the bowling balls.

In the next few months, Morse said, visitors will also see a new, improved extreme bowling experience, new games in the game room, a bigger presence on social media and an even better, more efficient website.

"The Waukee community deserves this," said Morse. "The last few years, they've not received the quality of service they deserve. I came in and accepted full responsibility. I'm full of apologies and honesty because that's how I work. I want people to come here and have fun because you don't go back to places where you aren't having fun."

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Warrior Lanes

Where: 190 S.E. Laurel St., Waukee

Phone: (515) 987-4840

For more information: Go to the Warrior Lanes website at www.warriorlanes.com, find them on Facebook or Twitter @WarriorLanes.