For more than three decades, generations of Staten Island residents have gathered at Rab’s Country Lanes to bowl, celebrate milestones, and spend time with family and friends. But the second-generation family business hasn’t lasted by keeping everything the same.
Since opening in 1995, Rab’s has continually reinvested in its 48-lane bowling and entertainment center, adding new experiences and finding new ways to serve its community while preserving the traditions that keep longtime guests coming back. Today, its offerings extend beyond bowling to include dining, arcade entertainment, events, and community programming.
Rab’s Country Lanes was recognized as the Top Honoree in the Enduring Businesses category of the 2026 CO—100, an awards program for small businesses hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Here’s how Rab’s has evolved across generations and how owner Frank Wilkinson is preparing the business for the next one.
[Read more: Meet the 2026 CO—100 Honorees]
Evolving without losing sight of tradition
The Wilkinson family’s roots in the bowling industry stretch back more than 50 years, giving Rab’s a deep connection to both the sport and its local community. Wilkinson credits the business’s longevity to one key principle: never becoming complacent.
“Every generation of guests brings different expectations,” Wilkinson explained. “Our strategy has always been to honor the traditions that have made Rab's a community gathering place while continually reinvesting in our business to create new reasons for people to visit.”
Rab’s has put that approach into practice by continually updating the experience around its core bowling business. That has included modernizing the facility, adopting new technology, expanding entertainment options, and transforming its food and beverage offerings.
Even as the experience has evolved, however, bowling remains at the heart of the business. Some league bowlers have been customers for decades, while new families continue to discover Rab’s through parties, school events, fundraisers, and other experiences.
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Rebuilding for what customers needed next
Rab’s commitment to evolution became especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating in New York City meant the company faced lengthy restrictions and significantly reduced business for more than two years.
Instead of trying to recreate its pre-pandemic operation once restrictions eased, the Wilkinson family considered what customers would want from an entertainment venue moving forward.
“We recognized that people would be seeking places to reconnect with family, friends, and their community, and we committed to becoming more than a bowling center,” Wilkinson said.
In one of the business’s most significant transformations to date, Rab’s hired a professional chef and reinvented its menu around fresh ingredients and more distinctive offerings. It also added a redemption arcade, modernized guest areas, and created flexible event spaces that can accommodate up to 120 people.
Those investments in the customer experience contributed to approximately 6.5% revenue growth between 2024 and 2025 and a roughly 36% increase in ordinary business income.
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Spotlight On
Rab's Country Lanes
Rab's Country Lanes (Rab and Dee Bowling Inc.) is a family-owned bowling and entertainment center in Staten Island, New York, that has served the community for nearly 30 years by combining recreation, hospitality, and community engagement in one destination. Owned by the Wilkinson family, the facility features 48 bowling lanes, an arcade, restaurant, lounge, pro shop, event spaces, and year-round leagues, tournaments, parties, and corporate events designed for guests of all ages. Beyond entertainment, Rab's is deeply committed to giving back through one of the largest youth bowling programs in the United States, awarding more than $25,000 in annual scholarships and helping local organizations raise more than $500,000 each year through fundraising events and partnerships. Guided by a family-first philosophy and a commitment to creating a fun, safe, and welcoming environment, Rab's Country Lanes has become a longstanding community hub where families, friends, schools, and local organizations come together to celebrate, compete, and build lasting connections.
We recognized that people would be seeking places to reconnect with family, friends, and their community, and we committed to becoming more than a bowling center.Frank Wilkinson, Owner of Rab's Country Lanes
Investing in the next generation
Rab’s long-term strategy is shaped partly by a physical constraint: Its property is landlocked. Instead of relying on a larger footprint for future growth, the business focuses on making better use of the space it already has and creating additional reasons for customers to visit.
“As a second-generation family business, we make decisions with the next generation in mind,” shared Wilkinson. “Our approach to long-term sustainability is built on disciplined financial planning, responsible reinvestment, and thoughtful diversification.”
That includes plans to upgrade its scoring and management systems, refresh the lounge and event spaces, and develop an outdoor event area. Rab’s evaluates each investment based on its potential to improve the guest experience, support employees, and diversify revenue.
That long-term thinking extends to Rab’s relationship with Staten Island itself. The business hosts dozens of fundraisers each year that collectively help local organizations raise more than $500,000, alongside youth programs, school events, and community partnerships.
As Rab’s looks to its next generation, Wilkinson plans to continue building on what’s worked while continuously developing new reasons for customers to return.
“Perhaps our greatest strength has been viewing change not as a threat, but as an opportunity to evolve,” Wilkinson said.
[View the full 2026 CO—100 list]
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