Sparians, an upscale bowling alley and restaurant in Raleigh’s North Hills, has changed owners and will rebrand as Kings Bowl America.
According to John Kane, CEO of Kane Realty, the developer of North Hills, Sparians was sold to Kings, a Boston-based entertainment company, near the end of 2013 and has continued to operate under the Sparians name since then. The place will close May 5 for extensive renovations and is expected to reopen as Kings in August.
The eat-and-bowl concept of Sparians will carry through to the new place; however, Kings’ main attraction won’t be its rented shoes, sleek alleys or colorful balls.
It will be the food.
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“It’s going to be a place where people will want to come to just eat, and they may not even bowl,” said Frank Stryjewski, Kings’ chief operating officer.
The Kings’ menu will offer fresh and seasonal dishes such as wings, nachos, fried mac and cheese bites, hummus, buffalo wontons and fried green beans, along with salads, pizzas, sandwiches and burgers. The place will also have what Stryjewski calls “signature dishes” that include steak tips, pan-seared citrus salmon and maple-glazed sea scallops.
And according to Stryjewski, eating traditionally messy finger foods like wings while bowling won’t be a problem.
“We realize people are eating wings while they’re bowling,” he said. “(They) are butterflied. Food is prepared so you can eat and bowl.”
The menu will be available throughout the restaurant, including the bowling alley, lounge and bar area.
Kings full bar will include a signature martini list and big bowls, which are giant cocktails served with multiples straws and are meant to be shared amongst friends.
Stryjewski said the company is still working out prices, but said Kings “prides itself on being affordable.”
Along with its 18 bowling lanes, Kings will have ping pong tables, pool tables, shuffleboard and giant high-definition televisions for watching sports. After the reconstruction, the 29,000-square-foot place will have a new patio, a new bar and a stage that Stryjewski said will potentially be a space for live music. He also plans to have karaoke, open mic nights, a DJ and dancing.
Like its six other locations, Kings will have a 50s and 60s retro theme with a nostalgic feel, something the company started when it opened its first spot in 2003.
Stryjewski also hopes Kings will become a destination for events like corporate functions, holiday parties and charity fundraisers with local celebrities.
Kings will be at 141 North Hills St., Suite 120, near The Cowfish restaurant.
Menchie’s, a self-serve frozen yogurt franchise, has opened in Garner.
The place offers rotating yogurt flavors with toppings that include fruit, nuts, cereal, chocolate sunflower seeds, candy bars, cookies, gummi bears, fudge, caramel, marshmallows and whipped cream.
The new store is hosting a seven-day grand opening that starts Saturday and runs through May 9. Menchie’s will offer discounts or giveaways each day during the event. Saturday’s celebration begins at 11 a.m. and will include a ribbon cutting, free T-shirts for the first 25 guests and free frozen yogurt.
Menchie’s is at 2636 Timber Drive, next to Lane Bryant in the Garner Towne Square.
Fine Feathers, a Chapel Hill boutique that sells women’s clothes, jewelry, accessories and skin care products, has moved to 201 S. Estes Drive in University Mall. ... Discount chain Roses Express has opened at 3924 Western Blvd., near the N.C. State University campus. ... Art store Southern Home Crafts, which sells handmade items such as jewelry, paintings and pottery made by local artists, has opened at 111 N. Salem St. in Apex. ... AT&T Store of the Future, a mobile solutions retail shop that allows customers to interact with the company’s products, is having its grand opening Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. at 5100 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh.
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