Jim Crowley still throwing strikes at Creole Lanes

For the past 14 years, Jim Crowley has helped turn Creole Lanes into Houma’s premier bowling center.

While that seems like a long time, it is nothing compared to the past 40 years that Crowley has spent in the bowling business. The 82-year old first got involved in the bowling business when he took over the now defunct Houma Bowl, near Gray.

From there, Crowley built a bowling alley in New Iberia, and in 1993, bought Creole Lanes. “It was in financial trouble,” he said of the alley. “We’ve grown a lot since then.”

The growth is evident on Friday and Saturday nights when bowlers are put on waiting lists because of the popularity of Creole Lanes. But the growth is not something that “just happens.”

Crowley says a lot of work has been put into turning Creole Lanes into what it is today. “Our business has increased since we’ve been here,” said Crowley. “But some of it has to do with what we’re doing … the way we’re promoting everything.”

He says the typical day starts at 7:30 a.m. “We open at 10 a.m., but we’ve got clean-up people, mechanics … then we come in and start doing our office work. Most bowling centers don’t open until noon. We run a different operation than most of them do.”

Part of the “different operation” that Crowley talks about is weekly tournaments on Saturday. However, most of those tournaments are fundraisers for various organizations—everything from recreation sports teams to carnival clubs; from fundraisers for ill residents to boy and girl scouts. “We run it for them,” explained Crowley. “We provide the person who runs the tournament for them. We give them a discount. They come from all over.”

And while bowling, if it feels like a first-class bowling experience that is because it is. Crowley says that Creole Lanes was the first bowling center in the state to modernize its equipment, everything from furniture to lanes. “We were the first bowling center in Louisiana to put all new synthetic lanes,” he says. “The lanes are not wooden. And we put a new scoring system by Brunswick. We put new furniture in, and glow in the dark carpet.”

For kids, Creole Lanes is the only center in the state that has automatic bumpers. “When the child’s up to bowl, the bumpers come up,” explains Crowley. “When it’s the next person’s turn, they go down.”

But it’s not just about the bowling.

On weekends, Creole Lanes hosts birthday parties. Available times are 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. At $10 a kid, Creole Lanes provides everything but the kids and the cake. “They get a game of bowling, the shoes and balls,” he said. “We set up the tables and utensils. They have a choice between pizza and a hot dog.”

While that is for the kids, the alley also has a conference room, free-of-charge for civic groups. Crowley says that three different car clubs and the post office union are just a few of the civic groups that currently use the conference rooms. “We will also rent out for certain events,” he said. “We wanted to give something back to the public.”

On top of all of that, another key to the business’ success has been stability. Crowley says he has four maintenance men that tend to the lanes. One has been working with Crowley for 40 years, one for the over 30 years and another for 26 years. The bowling center’s two bartenders have been working with Crowley for around 10 years, he said.

“We were busy when we took over,” he said, “But we’re a lot busier now.”

Chalk that up to countless leagues, a full-menu restaurant, a bar and some of the state’s highest quality lanes.

For a man that has been in the bowling business for 40 years, he has not lost his touch, and is still throwing strikes.

CREOLE LANES

Address: 1371 W. Tunnel Blvd.

Phone number: 985-872-1203

Hours: 10 a.m.- ’til, seven days a week

Number of lanes: 44

Number of employees: 22

Features: Restaurant, bar, birthday parties, conference rooms

Staff photo by MATT LeBLANC • Tri-Parish Times * Jaime Crowley (general manager), Jim Crowley (owner) and Shirley Crowley (secretary/treasurer) stand in front of lanes at Creole Lanes in Houma. Jim Crowley bought Creole Lanes in 1993 and has been in the bowling business for 40 years.