Grit and community support helps brighten outlook for 71-year-old Vancouver bowling alley

Rachael Allen says business is booming these days at Allen’s Crosley Lanes, a Vancouver bowling alley that her family has owned for nearly four decades. The Columbian’s recent profile of Allen and Crosley Lanes helped remind readers that the 71-year-old bowling alley is not only still around, but today thriving. That’s despite a couple of close but ultimately failed attempts Allen and her husband, Don, had made since 2018 to sell the business due to his declining health.

Don died last May, and a few months later, Allen decided to throw a party at Crosley Lanes to honor his memory and celebrate the bowling alley’s 70th anniversary. She credits the community’s turnout and its continued show of support for renewing her faith in the business as an investment worth keeping and handing over to her son and daughter someday.

Allen joins us to talk about Crosley Lanes, its history and the loyal patrons who are helping it endure.

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