THE RETURN OF FREDERICK LANES

For Kassandra Ahlin and Mason Tikl, the new owners of Frederick Lanes, the bowling alley was more than a casual date night spot. 

“It’s such a diverse community of so many different types of people,” Tikl, a musician and film composer, said. “Everyone comes in and just feels like part of the club.” 

For Ahlin, a registered nurse who moved to Kitchener five years ago, Frederick Lanes has been a go-to spot to meet new people.  

“This has been the place that I’ve made the most friends, and what hopefully will be long-term friendships, because people show up week after week after week, and all those […] frequent encounters [are] what build those deep relationships,” Ahlin said. 

The bowling alley was previously owned by U.S.-based Lucky Strike Entertainment and run by AMF Bowling Co., who announced the decision to close the iconic local institution in May 2026. When the KW couple got the news that the bowling alley would be closing, they scrambled to try and find a way to save their beloved home away from home. 

“If something feels like an injustice, we want to prevent it from happening or undo it in some way or another,” Tikl said.  

Initially, the duo started a petition to try to fight back against the decision. They assumed the petition would not make much of an impact but aimed to muster local support and go from there. 

“We got quite a bit of support,” Tikl said.  

After the success of the petition, Tikl could see a way forward. It was clear that the community was there to support Frederick Lanes.  

Tikl decided to take matters into his own hands and headed directly to the establishment with an offer to buy assets. 

“They had already begun tearing stuff out—luckily, not the lanes yet, but that was supposed to be done within days,” Tikl said. 

“I found the one head corporate guy who was here, and he passed along the message. Within a couple hours, I got a phone call, and … then we realized something is possible here.”  

Tikl and Ahlin succeeded in preserving their home away from home.  

Tikl views this business venture as a problem that had to be solved and partly blames his own impulse control.  

“Somebody commented and said, ‘you are the savior of bowling in Kitchener,’ and I was like, ‘I’m more just a guy with poor impulse control, [and] that could just happen to work out well for people this time’.” 

For Lisa Jansen, the general manager of Frederick Lanes, having Ahlin and Tikl take over the has been nothing short of a godsend. When she first learned the bowling alley might be closing, she was devastated. 

“I’m 47, so I have been working here for 25 years. I spent over half of my life in this bowling alley. It was such an emotional hit,” Jansen said. “I didn’t want to see this end.” 

Jansen jumped at the opportunity to come back as the general manager, and she could immediately tell that things were on the right track. 

The new Frederick Lanes has been open since July and continues to run. The team described their last weekend as the busiest summer weekend ever, and they have no plans to slow down. 

A brand-new pro shop will also be opening at Frederick Lanes, alongside a new bar menu with weekly specials and student discounts.  

Vegetarian options and a craft beer menu are also available at the newly opened Frederick Lanes.