Lucky Strike's Bold Rebrand: From Bowling to Entertainment Empire

THIS WEEK ON TRENDS WITH FRIENDS 

Forget what you know about bowling alleys; this isn’t your grandpa’s Friday night league.

Lucky Strike executives Lev Ekster and Bobby Lavan join us to break down how Bowlero Corporation evolved into Lucky Strike Entertainment—an empire spanning 360 locations with more than just bowling on the menu. Think AI, family entertainment centers, water parks, and more.

This isn’t just a story about bowling lanes—it’s about bold moves, big acquisitions, and the reinvention of location-based entertainment. Whether you’re into cutting-edge AI applications or just love a good rebrand story, this episode hits all the strikes (pun intended).

As always, we also dive into the markets, explore the hottest trends, share fresh ideas, and break down the biggest AI news of the week (like Google and Quantum), all with the rest of the Trends With Friends regulars.

📅 Recorded live on Tuesday, December 10th.
📈 Here are the charts.

KEY TOPICS

• The strategic rebrand from Bowlero to Lucky Strike Entertainment

• The evolution from a single NYC bowling alley to 360 premium entertainment locations

• How they plan to integrate AI

• Expansion into water parks and family entertainment centers

• The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) ownership and media rights

• Implementation of social media integration and gaming elements

• Strategic vision for location-based entertainment market expansion

SKIP AHEAD

(00:00) Show introduction and welcome
(02:50) Introduction of Lucky Strike executives
(04:08) Company history and evolution
(07:58) Their design-forward approach 
(10:56) Competitive/pro bowling and the popularity of the sport
(14:27) Growth opportunities
(17:00) Revenue model discussion
(20:08) Gamification and AI integration
(23:12) PBA tour and brand involvement
(29:19) Charts with JC
(37:00) Lucky Strikle’s future growth initiatives
(39:32) Market overview
(40:23) Google’s new quantum computing chip
(47:32) The psychology of markets
(51:25) Trends with No Friends: PriceSmart
(52:40) Closing remarks

WHERE TO FIND HOWARD AND FRIENDS

• Howard – https://stocktwits.com/howardlindzon 
• JC – https://stocktwits.com/allstarcharts 
• Phil – https://stocktwits.com/ppearlman 
• Michael Parekh – https://stocktwits.com/MParekh 
• Riley – https://stocktwits.com/coloradoriley 
• Lev Ekster – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lev-ekster/
• Bobby Lavan – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-lavan-274505107/
• Production and Marketing – https://penname.co/

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