At 775 Cobb Place Blvd NW in Kennesaw, Georgia, one building has hosted more rounds of laser tag, more birthday parties, and more corporate rebrands than most local strip malls combined. Open since the late 1990s, the location has changed names and decor but the lanes have stayed mostly the same.
What looks like a standard entertainment complex from the outside has, over the decades, been shaped by changes in ownership, shifts in strategy, and the occasional overhaul in signage. The result is a steady evolution that has mirrored the larger story of bowling in America: from bowling leagues to fun family excursions to neon-lit nightlife destinations.
US Play (1997 to 2007)
Before anyone rolled a strike under neon lights or Instagrammed their friends under a glowing bowling pin, there was US Play. The first major tenant at the site was a family entertainment center launched by Brunswick Bowling & Billiards in 1997. It offered bowling, lazer tag, arcade games, and billiards all packaged into an all-ages experience that leaned more toward fun zones than competitive sports.
Tucked inside US Play was a brewery, something you wouldn’t expect from your typical bowling alley. Water Tower Brewery operated onsite from 1998 to 2003, brewing beer in-house for guests while their kids ran wild in the arcade. It was one of several attempts across the country by Brunswick to bring the brewpub trend into its venues. Water Tower eventually shut down, but the lanes kept rolling.
US Play stayed open through February of 2007, when Brunswick decided it was time for a name change.
Brunswick Zone (2007 to 2011)
Starting in 2007, the center was renamed Brunswick Zone, part of a national push by Brunswick to unify its entertainment centers under a single identity. It wasn’t a huge operational shift because lazer tag was still buzzing and pizza was still being delivered to the lanes, but the rebrand brought updated signage and a more recognizable brand umbrella.
This version lasted through the summer of 2011.
Brunswick Zone XL (2011 to 2017)
On August 31, 2011, the Kennesaw location was upgraded again, this time to Brunswick Zone XL Kennesaw. The “XL” branding was Brunswick’s way of signaling larger venues with expanded offerings. Think more arcade games, party rooms, and food service. This wasn’t your league-night bowling alley, it was a one-stop entertainment destination.
The XL phase marked the final chapter under Brunswick’s ownership. In 2014, the entire bowling center business, included hundreds of bowling centers across the country, was sold off.
Bowlero (2017–2025)
After Brunswick sold its bowling division to Bowlmor AMF in 2014, the new owners began to modernize and reimagine former Brunswick properties. That eventually included the Kennesaw location, which underwent a major renovation and rebranding three years later.
Bowlero Kennesaw officially opened on January 28, 2017, introducing glow-in-the-dark lanes, upscale bar food, ambient lighting, and DJ-friendly aesthetics. It was bowling with a nightclub twist and it caught on fast.
The Bowlero era marked a clear shift in how the space was marketed: a bit less about kids’ parties, and more about adult outings, team-building nights, and weekend hangouts. It was part of a larger strategy to replace the aging image of bowling alleys with something more Instagrammable. You could still throw gutter balls, but now you could do it with better lighting and a craft cocktail in hand.
Lucky Strike (2025 to Present)
In 2023, Bowlero Corp acquired Lucky Strike Entertainment, a 14 location bowling chain known for its high-end atmosphere and trend-focused branding. After a corporate shuffle, Bowlero locations began to be converted to the Lucky Strike name, including the Kennesaw location two years later.
Lucky Strike Kennesaw officially opened on July 11, 2025. The core features remain the same (including bowling, laser tag, arcade, sports bar), however the shift brought in some subtle changes to design, trendy new menus, and event programming. The vibe moved slightly more upscale, aligning with Lucky Strike’s branding in other cities.
Why all the Name Changes?
None of these name changes stemmed from failure. The venue has stayed open, successful and consistently busy for nearly three decades. The updates were the result of broader corporate-level decisions including Brunswick consolidating its entertainment concepts, Bowlmor AMF modernizing the customer experience, and Bowlero acquiring new brands and repositioning its properties. Each rebrand reflected a shift in business strategy, and it’s been steadily evolving within a chain of ownership that kept finding ways to keep the bowling alley relevant and successful.
In an industry where beer signs, league nights, and simple snack bars once ruled, 775 Cobb Place Blvd has set the pace. It’s gone from local family fun venue and brewpub to glow bowling hotspot to polished nightlife venue. The address hasn’t changed, and neither has the sound of crashing pins echoing through the lanes. The logos out front may keep evolving, but the experience inside, and the games, noise, and fun has remained surprisingly consistent.
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