Montreal Bowling: Reviving a relic in the downtown Forum

It’s not every day a relic gets brought back from the dead in Montreal.

Originally built in 1924, Le Forum de Montreal has been a lot of things to Montrealers—a claim to fame for being built in 159 days, a home to 24 Stanley Cup championships, an entertainment complex with a 22-screen movie theatre, arcades, and a comedy club.

So to hear that its bowling and sports bar is being revived under the plain and simple name of Montreal Bowling with modernized dine-in options, refurbished alleys, a pool table, sports on a dozen TVs and glizzys every day of the week?

In all its original Y2K aesthetic glory after going dark in 2020?

That ain’t nothing.

We made so many different models, but in the end, we decided to change nothing and make it a sports bar that’s bowling-friendly and as fun as possible. Nothing too serious and see where it takes us. It’s caught in the middle of the 2000’s at the moment.

Picking up a spare

“I’ve been going to meetings there every six months since 2018, going through a million variations of ways to revitalize it and make it a little different, to something on the same level that’s comparable to the ones coming up in the United States,” says Peter Mant, one of the project’s principles.

“The price of building a bowling alley (from scratch) is ridiculous, I don’t know if anyone in Montreal could do it in this day and age.”

“We made so many different models, but in the end, we decided to change nothing and make it a sports bar that’s bowling-friendly and as fun as possible. Nothing too serious and see where it takes us. It’s caught in the middle of the 2000’s at the moment.”

And he’s right: Those who remember all the old woodwork, the nigh-indestructible huge barstools, the neon signage? Those old Brunswick brand computers on the lanes, and goofy pixelated animations for spares, strikes, and gutter balls?

It’s all there, but it now has those touches of hospitality from a newer, arguably savvier generation of specialists.

Décor-wise, wall sconces along the lanes have brightened the space while the vintage booths for players on its 16 bowling alleys have been lightly touched up. A new arcade and bigger screens to catch games illuminate the huge, 100+ seat space, but not invasively so.

Then there’s tabletop QR code-based ordering for food—think anything from American pan pizzas and nachos named after the famous American bowler Peter Weber to smash burgers, proper Montreal hot dogs, poutines, game day platters—as well as some fun from the owners like a wheel of chance at the bar where $10 can get you a range of prizes.

Or there’s an option on a simplified drink menu to order 100 beers for $500 that gets rolled out in a huge bucket. You’ve got some bowling-themed cocktails, a Bulldog here and a range of boilermakers there, but Montreal Bowling will abide by those looking for a straight bottle of domestic to sip between rounds.

It’s a new space for people to enjoy one another’s company in the sense that, I think, people are getting a bit tired of clubbing and it seems like there aren’t a lot of event and activity-based outings as much, and we’re trying to bring that home.

The Forum getting a groove back

Basing a business, even an revived old school one like Montreal Bowling that locals can still remember, on the fourth floor of the Forum could seem dicey: Tucked all the way up and out of sight, it’s very much in-the-know, but that’s some of the charm of this place.

“Basically, as opposed to spots where we try to have the least amount of branding and the coolest kind of place, this is counter to that: Beer branding all over, drink specials, 50% off nights,” Mant says, when comparing Montreal Bowling to other projects he or his partners Philippe Allard-Riendeau, Renaud Lambert, Patrick Hetu, Alexandre Besner, and Vincent St-Pierre have worked on: Lou’s in Pointe-Claire, Name’s On The Way, or Le Cathcart.

It’s part of that counterculture where things are trending right now, taking over spaces with minimal amounts of investment, and this is a nice little diamond in the rough we found, and we want to keep it as laid-back and enjoyable as it can be.

They’re even considering old school styles of advertising to get the word out, like radio and billboards, as opposed to Instagram to reach everyone from here to Laval to be in the know.

“It’s part of that counterculture where things are trending right now, taking over spaces with minimal amounts of investment, and this is a nice little diamond in the rough we found, and we want to keep it as laid-back and enjoyable as it can be.”

“It’s a new space for people to enjoy one another’s company in the sense that, I think, people are getting a bit tired of clubbing and it seems like there aren’t a lot of event and activity-based outings as much, and we’re trying to bring that home.”

We’re moving in ways that reflect our desires around what we want to see in the city. Everywhere we’ve opened up in the past has had people dying to see something new that has a human touch to it and community-based aspect to it.

Tapping into cultural memory

On a personal note, Mant and his crew aren’t strangers to what Montreal Bowling once was. Most folks who’ve spent more than two hours shopping or eating on Sainte-Catherine probably have some memory of going out to the Forum before the pandemic hit.

Nothing’s easier than going to a bowling alley when looking for an easygoing way to get out of the house that doesn’t involve spending all night at a restaurant or bar, and few places in the city—when you think about it—do a good job at mixing food, drink, and activities in the same spot.

“The interest stems from when we started a bowling league with 12 of our friends and we did that every week at Rose Bowl. If you go there on a Saturday, it’s still slammed. There are still so many people—a variety of backgrounds, cultures, age groups—that can have a laugh doing this. Everyone can bowl,” Mant adds.

“We liked hanging out there, and there was a huge opportunity in that, but going with something different via better food, a nicer environment, and our touch of hospitality.”

(Re)opening up downtown, next to Dawson and Concordia, and reviving an old cultural touchstone for folks who hail from neighbourhoods like NDG, Montreal West or Saint-Henri—even the Plateau—can really mean something, even if someone's first gut reaction is to say it's 'just bowling'.

“We’re moving in ways that reflect our desires around what we want to see in the city,” Mant says. “Everywhere we’ve opened up in the past has had people dying to see something new that has a human touch to it and community-based aspect to it.”

“Having a fun and accessible bowling alley? A place to watch sports? These are the things that people enjoy whole-heartedly. It’s not about dipping into some up-and-coming market.”

Those who doubted that the places we once thought timeless couldn’t come back from a world-altering event?

Think again.

Montreal Bowling is located in the Forum, 2313 Rue Sainte-Catherine on the 4th floor; grand opening on March 24th, 2024.