Twisted Pin in Plainfield rolls out ‘sophisticated’ bowling, gaming experience

An iconic American game is getting a whole new twist.

Thanks to a more than yearlong “seven-figure-plus” renovation and rebranding effort, Twisted Pin, 15610 Joliet Road in Plainfield, now offers an upscale bowling, arcade and entertainment experience.

Jon Dow and his brother Chris bought the facility, which was built in 1996 and previously called Pioneer Lanes.

Unable to leave the name the same based on the sale, the two quickly renamed the bowling center as Plainfield Lanes.

Now the two brothers have completely transformed the space with a modern and sophisticated look in the hopes of appealing to a broader demographic. Twisted Pin offers an entertainment-based experience that also includes bowling.

The renovation, completed in September, was broken up into two phases that both were pretty seamless, said Jon Dow, who talked with The Herald-News about the business.

Some of the major changes included dividing the 24 lanes up into 17 more traditional lanes followed by a wall that includes the addition of a six-lane VIP suite.

The VIP area will be used for group events, corporate gatherings and birthday parties that will allow for a more private experience.

“We really changed the ambiance in the area to include couch seating,” Dow said. “We also changed how that space interacts with the bar area. Both areas are super nice and completely remodeled.”

The bar area was completed remodeled to include a self-service beer wall that is managed by a bartender.

Customers who wish to use the beer wall are given a card that can be used to choose different types of beer and four wines on the wall.

“The customer pays based on how much they pour,” Dow said. “We have flight boards and pint glasses that customers can choose from.”

In terms of bowling itself, the scoring and game-play system previously were upgraded to include different game options.

Still, Dow said, “most customers choose the traditional bowling game.”

Twisted Pin also has leagues during the week.

Space is available during the week for family and friends to book a lane in advance through Twisted Pin’s online reservation system.

The renovation also included expanding the arcade space to add a virtual reality game and removing an escape room that previously was part of the facility.

Bowling in their background

Before owning Plainfield Lanes, Jon Dow had been running a 36-lane bowling center on a military base in Fort Stewart, Georgia.

“We always had been looking at an opportunity to acquire our own facility,” he said. “We looked at quite a few, and the one that ended up working was the property in Plainfield.”

“Bowling has been part of my whole life,” said Dow, who first began bowling in high school, joining a youth league with a friend. “I became really interested in it.”

Originally from Maine, Dow participated in two college bowling teams, first at Vincennes University in Indiana, which at the time offered a degree in bowling industry and management.

“They also had a very competitive collegiate bowling team,” he said.

Later, Dow attended Newman University in Wichita, Kansas, to finish his collegiate bowling career before completing a business degree at the University of Maine.

In relocating with his family to Plainfield after the purchase of the bowling facility, Dow said: “The community has been very responsive to the changes. It is very different on the inside from Pioneer or Plainfield Lanes.”

Twisted Pin is open from 2 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call 815-782-7790.