Malco Bowling Alley Announces Opening in April

Renderings courtesy Malco

It has been rumored for a while now that Oxford’s newest Malco theatre, located on 206 Commonwealth Blvd, has plans to open a bowling alley. The addition, sure to be a family favorite, has been talked about and greatly anticipated for months with little to no concrete facts on the subject. However, the date has finally been confirmed: “Premiere Lanes Oxford” will open the second week of April, and those involved with the project as well as Oxford residents are ecstatic.

The entrance to the new area will be located to the side of the of the Malco theatre, separated from the theatre itself. Lanes will be available for rent to anyone. Rick Bourgeois, Vice President with Malco, anticipates that the lanes will be rented for fraternity/sorority events and family reunions, to name a few occasions. While the bowling alley has surely been the most discussed addition to the complex, those working on the project have imagined many other activities that will bring entertainment to the area like Oxford has never seen before.

Wanting to make the 36,000 ft. area as family friendly as possible, developers have transformed the addition to the theatre from just a bowling alley to a full entertainment center. To begin, the building will offer a full-service café restaurant and bar. Private rooms will be available to rent for birthday parties and the like. The attachment to the theatre will also include an entire game section where visitors can exchange tickets for prizes.

“It’s sort of like a much more sophisticated Chucky E. Cheese’s,” Bourgeois says. “Guests will be able to electronically transfer money to play the games, and once they’re ready to leave for the night, they can trade their tickets for a variety of prizes.”

Other additions include a laser maze, where players can maneuver their way around an intricate set up of laser lights, much like what would be seen in an action movie. Other visitors can view players as they roll around and dodge the lights from a television outside of the room.

In addition, there will be a job fair for the bowling facility from 10a.m. to 5p.m. on Saturday, March 21. Bourgeois says there are about 50 openings available for every position from mechanics to food and beverage servers. To learn more about the job fair, contact the Malco theatre at 662-638-0365.

Bourgeois believes that the new bowling alley and entertainment center will be an excellent addition to the city of Oxford.

“Malco has been in the movie business for 100 years and bowling has been around for 60 years,” says Bourgeois. “By putting the two options together, we believe that this entertainment center will attract people, especially families, from hundreds of miles away to our community.”

Oxford residents agree and believe that the building will positively affect residents and visitors.

“I’m very excited about the new bowling and entertainment area,” says Donna Martin, mother and Oxford resident. “I think it will be wonderful for families because it’s something that the entire family can do together. I also think it will be a great place for students to go and be with their friends in a healthy environment.”

Miller Hollingsworth is a HottyToddy.com staff reporter and can be reached at mmhollin@go.olemiss.edu.