The owners of The Loft hope the antique tin ceiling tiles, reclaimed wood and exposed brick at their new downtown Frankfort business evoke a vintage touch with a modern flair.
Owners Joe Napoli and Mike Shideler have been renovating a historic second floor bowling alley to create a new experience for customers. It features a six-lane bowling alley with original machinery, pool table and shuffleboard table along with a dining room serving upscale bar food and a bar offering specialty cocktails and beer from local breweries.
The Loft, 15 Ash St., is expected to open Dec. 6 in Frankfort’s historic downtown.
Its concept fits in with the area, its leadership team said.
“This downtown is just a destination for people in the Chicagoland area because of its vintage charm, so we expect to draw people from all over,” said Jared Bell, the new general manager.
“People love nostalgia,” Bell said. “Everyone remembers going bowling when they are 12 years old and having good memories of that. To be able to come to a place as an adult and have entertainment that is both tailored towards you and tailored towards your children is an attractive entertainment experience.”
Bell said they wanted to keep the historical aspect but elevate the experience.
“There is something great about vintage character and charm that is timeless,” Bell said. “That’s what we are going for here. There is a comfort level to it. The future is unknown, can be scary. But the past is comfortable and nostalgic. I think people like to sit in places where they feel they’ve been before, even if they haven’t.”
The location at the corner of Ash and Kansas streets has a long and storied history in Frankfort.
From its start as a general store in 1877, the building historically sold not only groceries but hardware, furniture, appliances, clothing, rugs, linoleums and oilcloths, according to an article about the site. The Balchowsky’s department store was the main trading center in eastern Will County at the turn of the 20th century, according to the Frankfort Area Historical Society.
A fireplace in The Loft’s dining room harkens back to its 1877 roots.
According to the Historical Society, the six bowling lanes were installed in 1949 and they remain much the same now, with the exception of machine pinsetters installed in 1952, replacing the youngsters who worked as pinsetters in its early years.
Frankfort Bowl, a longtime occupier of the space, closed last year.
The Loft’s new owners are working to restore those decades-old machine pinsetters.
“The feedback from the community (has been) this was a beloved, charming local spot,” Bell said. “So when it closed down, people were upset. They had bowled here as kids. They had been going here for years and years and years. The excitement has been building around us reopening it and bringing it into the modern era but keeping a lot of that vintage charm. The excitement in the community is massive right now.”
Few bowling alleys today retain their early machine pinsetters, and the Frankfort facility is one of the few remaining upstairs bowling alleys in the United States, according to the Historical Society.
“It’s going to be a real experience here, not like anything else you would find at a standard bowling alley,” Bell said.
Napoli said the goal is for The Loft to become a destination venue. They plan to offer event space for about 200 people.
“There is a high demand for entertainment,” he said. “We have a couple weddings booked, large corporate events. I know the demand is here.”
Owners said the menu will feature food made with high-quality ingredients, and an extensive drink list will contain alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
“I envision moms sitting with a glass of wine in front of a fire and their kids are bowling on lane one right next door,” Napoli said.
Bell said they are supporting local breweries because they are a small business as well.
Shideler said he hopes patrons will enjoy a family atmosphere.
“At this point I’m super excited to open,” he said.
The Loft’s leadership team said they are looking forward to being a part of downtown Frankfort, which contains a mix of restaurants and boutique shops and hosts community events, including farmers’ markets, car shows and its ever-popular fall festival.
Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle said the village is protective of its historic district to ensure businesses complement one another.
“We are very proud of Frankfort, especially our downtown,” Ogle said. “It’s become a gathering space for all generations. We want it to be convenient to come downtown. We want people to feel welcome. … That is our gem.”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
