New owners ready to bowl a strike at Cardinal Lanes

Newton’s Cardinal Lanes is under new ownership and the couple running the show have a long history with the local bowling alley. Rob and Christie Hughes, both Newton natives, officially took ownership July 23 and the purchase felt like a “natural transition” for them.

“We have always enjoyed spending time at Cardinal Lanes and getting to know the bowlers and decided that we were ready to make it a larger part of our lives,” Christie Hughes said.

Cardinal Lanes is currently open for bowling, doing a soft open while they get all the proper permits to serve food and beverages. They are allowing people to bowl while making improvements to the building.

“We were surprised by how many people wanted to come,” Christie Hughes said.

Proper safety measures are being practiced through the continuing pandemic. Only every other lane is opening and extra sanitization is being done of the bowling balls and shoes. They are asking bowlers to leave all of the items at the lane and they clean all used items and surfaces before the next use. Masks are not required at this time, but they want to be sure people feel safe and comfortable while they enjoy the sport.

“Health safety is a priority for us,” Christie Hughes said.

Both Rob and Christie have a long history in bowling. Christie bowled in youth leagues at Cardinal Lanes while she was growing up. Then, the couple both bowled in adult leagues at the alley for more than 20 years. They also passed their love of bowling onto their children who have participated on the Newton High School Bowling Team. Christie has been involved with the team as its coach for the past five years and the past four seasons as the head coach.

Now as they make bowling an even bigger part of their lives, they hope they can continue to provide a place of entertainment for all ages in Newton.

“We plan to focus on building our current leagues and add leagues that will be a good fit for our new bowlers. We are currently planning to offer a small tournament each month for bowlers to participate in,” Christie Hughes said.

The Hughes’ plan to host a grand opening event in the future. Until that time, people are invited to come enjoy bowling. Follow Cardinal Lanes on Facebook for any upcoming events.

Contact Pam Pratt at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 or pampratt@newtondailynews.com