The Strike Zone provides entertainment and competition for communities

Opening in the early 80s, Strike Zone of Northwood has seen multiple owners before falling onto the lap of current owner Matt Grunzke in June of 2019.

Grunzke started working at his first bowling alley at the age of 14 and has worked at several others throughout his life. After working at Strike Zone for about a year, he decided to take ownership.

“I’m just very grateful for how the community accepted me and helped us get through everything [COVID-19],” said Grunzke. “It’s a great community to be in.”

Grunzke’s number one priority is the customers, encouraging his employees to follow suit by acknowledging and communicating with customers.

To maintain the family atmosphere, Grunzke also prioritizes his employees. He has an open-door policy and lets them know they can always come to him with suggestions and when they need someone to talk to.

Strike Zone has roughly 13 employees, some are adults and others are in high school, working their first jobs. Grunzke believes each of his employees helps him by reminding him to take a step back and slow things down.

Strike Zone also has a restaurant, making the business a common place for parties. The bowling alley accommodates roughly one or two parties a week, including birthdays and retirements. It also gets involved in the community through hosting benefits.

“It’s a family-gathering type of place,” Grunzke said. “I really strive for the family environment.”

Along with various bowling and dart leagues, the bowling alley holds moonlight/cosmic bowling every Friday night and occasionally on Saturdays. On these days, the lights are dimmed, music is turned up and glow in the dark lights dance around the alley.

In the future, Grunzke hopes to expand the bowling alley and open it up to be more of an entertainment type of business. He plans to add an arcade area, golf simulator and batting cage.