Jobs lost as bowling alley shuts

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7: Southside bowling alley has closed with the loss of seven jobs after BELCO pulled the plug on the struggling business.

The popular family attraction was forced to shut down after racking up debts on its electricity bills.

Disappointed boss Dejuan Seymour, said yesterday that he had fallen behind on his payments and the power company had turned off the lights.

He accepted that they had been “very gracious” over the bills and that the action had been coming for some time.

He hopes someone will take over the business, which has been a fixture at Southside since it was part of the old military base.

He said: “We were just starting to turn it around so it is disappointing to have to close right now.

“We get a lot of people in, a lot of families. On a Saturday evening I would say we have about 100 people in.

“The electricity is the biggest expense apart from personnel. It takes so much power to run this place and we got in arrears with BELCO.

“We were doing better and we were trying to come up with a payment plan but with the fuel surcharge it has been very expensive.

“I have to say BELCO have been good, they have been very gracious. I knew this was coming.”

Mr Seymour, who took over the business from his uncle two years ago, said he employed three full-time and four part-time staff.

Venture

He believes the business — Southside Family Bowl — could be a profitable venture for someone who has money to invest.

But he said he had just got out of school when he took over the business and now has two children to feed.

“I didn’t have the capital to invest. It’s disappointing because I enjoy it. When you’re down here on a busy night, everyone’s having fun and it doesn’t feel like work at all.”

The bowling alley opened for the last time on Tuesday night and the power was cut off on Wednesday.

The building is owned by the Bermuda Land Development Corporation. The corporation did not respond to requests for information on what will happen to the property by press time yesterday.