Popular Springfield entertainment venue closes

Signs at the Shamrock Family Fun Center informed customer the business will be closed indefinitely. STAFF/MATT SANCTIS

Signs at the Shamrock Family Fun Center informed customer the business will be closed indefinitely. STAFF/MATT SANCTIS

The Shamrock Family Fun Center has served as a popular bowling alley and entertainment venue for years, but signs posted both on its storefront and online notified customers the business will close indefinitely.

The business’ owners did not return several calls seeking comment Friday, and few additional details were available. The business’ Facebook page also said the site’s content is not available. The business is located at 1051 E. Main St.

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“Due to unforeseen circumstances we are now closed indefinitely,” the business’ website says.

The longtime bowling center had shifted its focus to offer other entertainment options in recent years. The arcade featured games for kids and allowed them to earn tickets to exchange for prizes. One of the more popular features was an inflatable land that included slides and houses for children to play on. The center also offered a party room and inflatable rentals.

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About a decade ago in 2009, Shamrock’s owners told the News-Sun they had spent approximately $600,000 to remodel the entertainment venue. The economy was still struggling at that time, but owner Sean Ison told the newspaper he was optimistic about the business’ future. He said bowling was an affordable entertainment option for middle-class families.

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“I’m not a negative person,” Ison told the paper at that time. “I don’t look at the glass half-empty, but half-full. I don’t see the economy as hurting me, I think it is going to help.”

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The latest inspection report from the Clark County Combined Health District, dated July 27 this year, showed the business was cited for having food products including cold cuts that were more than a week old, but the report showed that issue was corrected during the inspection. Larry Shaffer, director of environmental health for the district, said there was nothing in that inspection that would have led to the business’ closure.

Other violations listed were considered minor, including a build-up of grease found in the kitchen’s fryer, a hose in the draft beer cooler that was leaking water and a seal on a chest freezer that had been damaged.

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