Don't be fooled by the name: Bowling De Kegel. In this Family Entertainment Center (FEC) you will find a kart track, laser games, mini golf, an outdoor climbing park and of course; bowling. Now, by KCC Entertainment Design, a spectacular new zone of 600m2 is being added: Experimental Park, where you can find puzzles, tasks, quizzes and physical challenges in 27 themed rooms.
In the header it says 100 m2, right? That's right. Because a tag arena (Hit-it) of 200 m2 and a relaxation area are being added. In addition, KCC is also taking the other facilities in hand with a new theming.
A family business that continues to develop
De Kegel is a regionally known entertainment center that has been entertaining people in the Flemish coastal town of Middelkerke since 1996. Jeffy Boudaer and her husband are the entrepreneurs who run the center. She took over the company from her parents. So it has been a real and close family business for a long time.
The fact that the procedures in Flanders do not always run smoothly is evident from the story about the expansion plans. Boudaer: “In 2010 we were given the opportunity to buy a large piece of recreational land. This is where we started with De kegel X-treme. The intention was to move the bowling alley and expand it with a karting. But a lot of problems with the building permit meant that our lanes had to be stored in a warehouse for a while. Eventually, after much perseverance, we did get a building permit and were able to merge everything into one location. Later, mini golf, laser shooting, an outdoor climbing course and VR escape rooms were also added.”
How did you come to the decision for this new concept?
Boudaer: “Since we still had a few square meters left to build on, we decided last year that it was time to take another leap. We have known KCC for some time and have always been impressed by their work. They are supporting us not only in the development of Experimental Park but also in a makeover of our existing information desk and the interior of the bowling alley. In addition to Experimental Park, there will also be a HitIt arena in the new section. This is an obstacle course in which all participants have to scan certain targets to score as many points as possible.”
What can visitors expect in the new Experimental Park?
Boudaer: “Experimental Park will be the largest new activity. These are 27 different rooms in which participants have to perform both physical and mental tasks. For example, there is a room with a music quiz, a room with monkey bars, etc. The players are given an hour to successfully complete as many rooms as possible. There are already a number of locations in France, but we will be the first on Belgian soil. We are mainly focusing on families and companies. It is actually an activity that can be played from about 7 years old.”
What are your main target groups?
Boudaer: “Our business is located in the coastal town of Middelkerke. This ensures that we are visited by many tourists during the high season. But we certainly also have our visitors outside this season. Teambuildings, school trips are certainly also an important group of customers. There is also a lot of advertising for the coast, which makes this a much-visited place all year round. A major asset is that we are located on a sports park with a hotel next door, also a swimming pool, paddle tennis and BMX track. Swimming pool, paddle tennis and BMX track are owned by the municipality.”
Where bowling alleys are known for getting a large part of their turnover from catering, De Kegel is primarily a recreational company. Boudaer: “Food service is a nice extra, but certainly not the most important source of income for us. It is always nice that a snack and drink can be offered, but not everyone makes use of this.”
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