The Ten Pin Fun Center has had Turlock talking for quite some time — both before and after the bowling alley’s opening — so it’s no surprise that the effort to get the space visitor-ready was a local endeavor, utilizing the tools and talents of businesses right here in town.

With bowling pins, arcade games, bars and televisions filling up plenty of space in the new, 62,000 square foot family entertainment center, it’s a wonder there was any room for the likes of local favorites like Rustic Roots, Yonan’s Floral, Steel Works, Rustic Metal Designs, Paul’s Glass Company and Divine Doors to work their magic on the location. From centerpieces and lighting to signage and tinting, the bowling alley is truly Turlock-made.

It all began with metal fabricator Steel Works, who in May 2018 designed and fabricated the enormous silhouettes of bowlers and bowling balls perched on either side of the building. Steel Works owner Ed Padlo said he was “thrilled” at the time to be working on something so exciting for the town.

When one of Padlo’s sons saw that the Ten Pin Fun Center walls had been constructed, he contacted the developers to see if there was any metal work that the bowling alley needed. The rest was history, with Steel Works creating the metal figures in several large pieces, then putting them back together on the building’s walls.

Fast forward to just under a year later, and another local business came through for Ten Pin via, once again, metal work. Rustic Metal Designs, owned by Turlock residents Matt and Candace Gonsalves (also of downtown shop Farm House), handcrafted each and every metal sign that tells visitors to the bowling alley what section of the space they’re in. From the Sky Lounge, which is home to a massive sign complete with a martini as the “Y,” to the Back Eight, which has a bowling pin for an “I,” the entire array of signage was put together in about six days, said Matt Gonsalves. Candace designed each piece on the computer, which Matt then crafted in the shop. The final touches were hung on the bowling alley’s blank walls right before the opening.

“We wanted to add a little moderness to it, but keep the fun, bowling alley vibe of the place,” Matt said. “It was exciting to be part of such a big deal for Turlock, and we definitely pride ourselves in our work. I think the bowling alley is going to be a big success.”

Accentuated by Rustic Metal Designs’ work is the interior design of the bowling alley’s different locations, like the Back Eight and the Sky Lounge. Rustic Roots owner Jenny Roots-Sousa said she was able to put some “finishing touches” on the spaces’ decor after Design Studio 120 worked some magic with the furniture, which includes pieces like leather chairs and couches in addition to artwork.

Roots-Sousa wanted to keep Ten Pin “modern country,” she said, which is what Turlock is all about.

“I wanted that feeling of what makes Turlock, Turlock,” she said. “We have a classy town; we’re country, we’re a lot of dairymen and farmer and that’s our culture. It’s modern, yet it’s old school.”

Roots-Sousa added pieces that would warm the space, she said, like lights that resemble flickering candles and artwork, such as the horse painting with rust accents hanging in the Back Eight. She incorporated different textures as well thanks to cowhide rugs and furry pillows.

While adding these small details, Roots-Sousa said she noticed the spaces could use a bit of greenery. So, she connected Ten Pin with her friend Melissa Vierra of Divine Doors to provide succulents that now sit atop almost any space that was bare before. Yonan’s Floral also provided live centerpieces for tables during the Grand Opening weekend.

To have had a hand in creating spaces that families will enjoy for years to come was unforgettable, Roots-Sousa said.

“It was an honor,” she said. “They could have asked anybody, and I thought it was really sweet. I don’t take that for granted.”

A crew that was working right up until the bowling alley’s opening night was that of Paul’s Glass Company, which provided 1,500 square feet of tinting film for the windows throughout the space, as well as decals for arcade games and a backdrop for the virtual roller coaster.

Paul’s Glass owner Patrick Jensen said Ten Pin “did a good job of keeping it local.”

“It’s huge for us to play a small part,” Jensen said. “We will be going there quite a bit with my grandkids, and it’s nice to see the work that we did and to be able to see it for the entire future.”