New bowling alley with games arcade and crazy golf to open at St Enoch Centre

Gutterball — from the company behind bowling alley chain Lane7 — is set to open in the St Enoch Centre, taking over a space previously used by toy store Hamleys.

Around £3million is being invested in the new venue, which has been described as “multi-purpose” and, as well as bowling and crazy golf, will give visitors the opportunity to play modern and retro arcade games, ping-pong and pool.

“This is seen as the future of entertainment, including late night entertainment,” said Archie MacIver, who represented the firm at a Licensing Board hearing earlier this month.

“What has been experienced over the past number of years, like many things started off in London, is a move away from the traditional night club scene to an extent.

“People were looking to go out for late night entertainment away from the dance scene, they were looking for something different. This trend has been exacerbated as a result of the pandemic.”

He added the nightclub industry has been “struggling” and people have “developed a degree of hesitation” towards visiting clubs.

Glasgow’s Licensing Board decided to award a provisional premises licence to Gutterball, which will open until 2am on Friday and Saturday and shut “slightly earlier” during the rest of the week.

Mr MacIver said: “It is located within the site of the former Hamleys toy store in the St Enoch Centre, and is part of the general overall redevelopment of the St Enoch Centre.

“The applicant company has been involved in the bowling alley industry for a good number of years, but if this particular application is granted, it will be the first Gutterball in Scotland.

“They have a sister operation, known as Lane 7, which has sites all over the United Kingdom, including in Aberdeen, and it is operated very successfully. They are very much a company on the up and up.”

He said 60 to 70 jobs would be created in the venue, which he believes will be “warmly welcomed by the people in the city”.

In February last year, it was revealed that the city’s Hamleys store, which opened in 2009, would move “to smaller premises within the same centre”.