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Went to a bowling alley for the first time in a decade or so with some friends. (Green Acres Bowling in Tyler, tx)
On the front door they had a sign that said " The licesned or unlicensed possession of a weapon...blah blah blah--10,000 dollar fine, etc" The letters were overlying a large 51% symbol in red.
I have a few questions:
1) Is this a legal sign?
2) Is there a way to confirm whether a business is truly receiving 51% of its revenue from on premise alcohol consumption?
3) Do they require some type of approval from ATF or other authority to post this sign?
4) Anyone think a bowling alley has 51% of its revenue from alcohol?--seems a bit feasible.

sar wrote:Went to a bowling alley for the first time in a decade or so with some friends. (Green Acres Bowling in Tyler, tx)
On the front door they had a sign that said " The licesned or unlicensed possession of a weapon...blah blah blah--10,000 dollar fine, etc" The letters were overlying a large 51% symbol in red.
I have a few questions:
1) Is this a legal sign?
2) Is there a way to confirm whether a business is truly receiving 51% of its revenue from on premise alcohol consumption?
3) Do they require some type of approval from ATF or other authority to post this sign?
4) Anyone think a bowling alley has 51% of its revenue from alcohol?--seems a bit feasible.

1. Sounds like a legal TABC 51% sign
2. Contact the TABC at (888) THE-TABC or the local Tyler outpost office at (903) 597-7388 and they can tell you
3. They are supposed to be registered as a 51% establishment. The call should tell you
4. From my days on the bowling leaugue with the amount of alcohol that was consumed not only on the lanes, but in the bar itself, it is VERY feasable that they are a 51% establishment

We have a TABC expert on the forum and he may be along soon to correct anything I may have gotten wrong.

Regards,

Keith got it right, so nothing to correct there.

I will add that it is possible that the bar receipts were reported to TABC as different from the overall lane receipts, thus leading to a 51 decision that is incorrect. Many lanes set up the bar, snack bar, and pro shop as separate businesses at the same location. If they have done this, the bar may be properly 51%, and it applies to the whole building since the bar was not marked off on the license.

One of the questions to ask when you call to check is if the bar is marked off or if the whole building is part of the license. When they go to renew, you can protest if the bar is reported separately but not marked off.

EDIT: Checking our public information system shows that the name of the license is the Eleventh Frame Club. Since it is different from the lanes, it is probably set up as a separate business. Make sure you check what is exactly the licensed premises. It may get confusing if they want to sell drinks for use in the lanes.

I haven't bowled in years.

But I recall that at some bowling alleys I have been to, you could get a beer at the bar and bring it out to the lanes. So, effectively, the whole building would need to be covered by the license that allows for drinking on the premesis.

But it would seem to me that even if the bar was a separate business, if it extended throughout the building, wouldn't (or shouldn't) it's revenue have to be added in with that of the other businesses that also extended throughout the building, such as "the bowling business" when determining 51% status?

Otherwise, it would seem that any place with a bar could have the entire premesis posted 51% even if it were a Lamborghini dealership that sold one drink a month. I'm sure that the legislature didn't have that in mind when they wrote the law.

Notice my screen name, striker. Anyway what you gonna do with your gun while bowling, put it in your bag or wear it?

striker55 wrote:Notice my screen name, striker. Anyway what you gonna do with your gun while bowling, put it in your bag or wear it?

I'm gonna wear the right kind of shirt, like I did the last time I bowled 4 or 5 years ago. It worked OK then.

frankie_the_yankee wrote:

striker55 wrote:Notice my screen name, striker. Anyway what you gonna do with your gun while bowling, put it in your bag or wear it?

I'm gonna wear the right kind of shirt, like I did the last time I bowled 4 or 5 years ago. It worked OK then.

A Split!?.. *bang*.. Hey, where did the other pin go?

I used to shoot bowling pin matches years ago with my Gold Cup Match. That was FUN! And I did much better with a .45 than a 16 lb bowling ball. LOL

I heard that the price of pins is getting so high that these matches may be a thing of the past soon.