Today we’d like to introduce you to Ken Frank.
Hi Ken, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My wife, Shelly, and I have been in Ottawa since 1996, and I have practiced medicine there since then. Around 2018, we felt called to do something for our community in the way of opening a bowling alley/restaurant. Ottawa has traditionally been a good bowling town, but had been without a bowling alley for 18 years, and had also had a paucity of quality restaurants. Led by the Holy Spirit, we gathered a group of local investors who shared our vision. We opened the bowling side of our business – Fusion Alley – in August 2019, and the restaurant side of our business – PrimeTime Grille – in January 2020. While we’ve faced many obstacles, beginning with the COVID pandemic, we have persevered and have been blessed to create a venue for all in our region to come and enjoy our version of Kansas cuisine and good, clean, fun in a family-oriented entertainment facility.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The timing of our opening, particularly our restaurant (PrimeTime Grille), was unfortunate, in that COVID shut us down 6 weeks after we opened. The restaurant business has never fully recovered due to changes in workforce availability, cost of goods, and other inflationary pressures. However, through the now six and a half years of operations, we have steadily accumulated a quality team of managers and other employees, and we continue to trend in a positive direction since our opening.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
All of our owners/investors are from business backgrounds outside of the restaurant/entertainment industries, with most of us being in other service industries such as medicine and retail. We have strived to make PrimeTime Grille/Fusion Alley a family-oriented restaurant and entertainment facility. We are known for a diverse menu for lunch and dinner seven days a week, a Sunday brunch and buffet, live music, and local trivia. Our entertainment options include 12 lanes of bowling with very popular leagues for youth, adults, and seniors; an arcade room and redemption center; indoor cosmic mini golf; and party/banquet space that can serve up to 110 patrons at a time. Our full spectrum of entertainment surpasses anything else available in our region. We focus our brand on the unique and wholesome offerings of our great state of Kansas. By bringing bowling back to the east-central Kansas region, we have served as a home for the Ottawa University bowling teams (which are often ranked nationally) and the Ottawa High School bowling teams, created since the opening of our facility (which are now the reigning state champions for both the girls’ and boys’ teams). We also host numerous field trips, birthday parties, youth groups, and other events for local children and families. We are pleased to have played a role in this enhancement of the experience of our local students and other citizens.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Our next goal is to decorate our dining area with historical photos and accounts of the unique and special role our region and state have played in the unfolding of history. There are many local and regional stories of great interest to tell. We believe combining our facility’s focus on Kansas with the wealth of information about our region can only serve to enhance the dining and entertainment experience for our patrons.
We love to serve people from outside our area who are looking for a taste of Kansas cuisine. Some of our happiest patrons are those who happen to find us while passing through and love what they see, taste, and experience.
Pricing:
- Burgers and Sandwiches – $11+
- Appetizers – $7+
- Salads – $12+
- Entrées – $8+
- Pizzas – $11+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.primetimegrille.com
- Instagram: @primetimegrille
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/primetimegrille
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/primetime-grille-ottawa
