The Italian Bowling Bistro That Once Rivaled Dave & Buster's Before Bankruptcy

Ah, bowling alleys! They're a great opportunity to throw gutterballs, wear colorful shoes, and quote "The Big Lebowski." But have you ever wished you could get something better to eat than stale pizza while you're there? If you're near a Pinstripes location, you're in luck. You can enjoy an Italian bistro experience and a game of bowling at the same time — provided you manage to get there before it closes, since Pinstripes filed for bankruptcy this year.

Pinstripes was founded in 2006 by Dale Schwartz in an attempt to enter the same food-and-entertainment market as the newly reinvented Dave & Buster's. There can only be one Dave & Buster's, of course, so Pinstripes has a very different specialty. Not only can diners bowl and play bocce (an Italian lawn game that's a little like bowling mixed with horseshoes), they can eat Italian food made from scratch on the premises. Its menu prices are on par with the continually delightful Olive Garden's, but you can also get pizza and a few miscellaneous options like steak or burgers. Sounds pretty good, right?

So why did Pinstripes go bankrupt? Well, for much the same reason why so many other chain restaurants have gone bankrupt recently: Inflation continues to be a major problem in this post-COVID world we live in, and economic anxiety has reached the point where consumers aren't willing to part with their money as readily as they were in the past. But unlike some other chains that have filed for bankruptcy recently, such as TGI Friday's, Hooters, and On the Border, Pinstripes must maintain a whole bowling alley on top of its restaurant.

This doesn't mean that Pinstripes has been completely wiped off the map — there are still seven locations open. But that's a downgrade from the 18 locations it had been operating earlier this year, and nowhere near the 50 locations Schwartz stated it was targeting during a January 2020 Forbes interview. 

While Pinstripes is struggling, Dave & Buster's is making plans to expand internationally, incorporating private gaming areas to attract customers who want a personalized experience, and reintroducing combo deals to improve sales. Pinstripes perhaps got stuck a little too firmly in its bowling lane.