‘Boutique bowling’ operation Lane7 is pushing ahead with plans to open new bowling and entertainment venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Leeds in 2026.
Development work on all three sites will start before the end of March – which for Glasgow will involve the reworking of the former Platform space under Central Station, best remembered for its era as dance music mecca The Arches.
Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, the Lane7 group will start work on a new site for its family-friendly ‘Gutterball’ brand at the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre in Leith.
As it prepares for this simultaneous springtime venue development, Lane7 has also confirmed a restructuring of its operations to bring all its brands under one administrative umbrella.
Uniting the admin for the Level X, ML7, Gutterball and original Lane7 brands will, said the group, enable a ‘simplified structure and streamlined operational processes’.
The group already has a successful Level X operation in St Enoch’s Centre in Glasgow, while in Edinburgh it has been operating that brand in the St James Quarter since late 2020.
Group managing director Gavin Hughes said: “We know 2026 is going to be another transformational year for the group. We’ll be starting development of three new sites by the close of the first quarter, taking in some new locations and expanding further in others.
“Equally, the administrative restructuring of the brands that form the group means we’ll enter 2026 with a much stronger financial model for our busy investment and growth plans.
“This will turbocharge our ability to better resource both the identification and subsequent acceleration of new site plans, work with even more ambitious suppliers and partners, and maintain our position as the industry’s front-runners in developing new, competitive experiences in the social space.”
Group founder Tim Wilks launched Lane7’s first site in Newcastle in 2013, and has since gained a reputation for proividing ‘ground-breaking gaming and social competition’ in high-footfall, city centre sites.
