Inside Israel’s Bowling Boom, and the Man Behind It
A new Hebrew feature traces how bowling, despite video games and extreme attractions, remains a popular family pastime in Israel, where more than 60 centers now operate nationwide. At the center of the industry is Len Cherni, an immigrant from South Africa who arrived in Israel at 17 and has spent 40 years building, supplying and promoting the sport.
Cherni, now the Israeli representative for U.S. equipment maker Qubica AMF, helped run the legendary bowling alley beneath Ramat Gan Stadium and later supplied gear to most Israeli venues. He said that when the Ramat Gan center opened in the 1990s it was a hit, with long weekend and evening waiting lists, and that he even brought in a world-class coach to train local players and help form a national team for overseas tournaments.
He says opening a profitable center requires a large, accessible space, no obstructing support columns, and typically 12 lanes, though 10 can also work. A venue needs about 1,200 square meters, plus room for a cafeteria, arcade games and event spaces, and lane equipment alone costs roughly $36,000 to $38,000 per lane, before construction, rent, taxes and staff. The total investment runs into several million shekels, and returns depend heavily on location, marketing and local demand.
Cherni says the biggest business challenge is that most customers come on weekends and in the evenings. Some centers stay closed on Shabbat and rely on holidays, summer break and private events, and he says he is in talks with Haredi backers in Jerusalem for a Shabbat-closed project. He also notes that bowling has expanded into a broader entertainment format with LED lighting, mini-bowling, Duckpin, hyper-bowling, birthday parties, company events, bars and restaurants, but says bowling and food remain the main revenue sources.
The feature says he has also been called for unusual projects, including bowling lanes in an office tower in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli complex and private basements in villas. Cherni says Israel can still support more centers, estimates a realistic game price at about 40 shekels, and recalls that he helped launch Egypt’s first bowling centers in Sharm el-Sheikh and Cairo, later even leading to a request from Hosni Mubarak for lanes at major Egyptian military bases after Mubarak beat Yasser Arafat in a friendly game.
