After much buzz about the North Austin bowling alley Highland Lanes closing by the end of this year to make way for new development, staff confirmed they are able to keep the lights on through December 2025.
The bowling alley has been open on Burnet Road for nearly 50 years. It’s a piece of “Old Austin” that many don’t want to lose. Austinite Everett Davis said it's also one of the few alleys that still host bowling leagues.
“I’ve been bowling here since probably 1995,” Davis said. “It wouldn’t be the same if they closed. This is home away from home.”
Highland Lanes was expected to close by the end of the year, but owner John Donovan got a lease extension, according to a report from the Austin Business Journal.
The lease renewal also means Lebowski’s Grill, which is located inside Highland Lanes, will stay open. The burger joint is named after The Big Lebowski, a 1998 dark comedy that is, among other things, about bowling. Some say Lebowski’s has the best burger in Austin, or at least a surprisingly solid meal for a bowling alley concessions window.
Andrew Alger has been bowling at Highland Lanes and eating at Lebowski’s Grill since his mom opened the restaurant 15 years ago.
“We were considering all options. Either closing altogether or seeing if another place could take us in or even a food truck. But we're really glad to stay here,” Alger said.
The lease renewal is a temporary sigh of relief for staff and regulars, but the long term future of the business is still unknown. Two permitting plans have been filed to rezone the property and turn it into a mixed-use development. The representatives listed under the plans did not respond to KUT's request for comment.
As one Highland Lanes employee put it: "What are people going to do for fun? Everything is going to turn into condos."
