Opening the Gate
...On a Fun Evening in Town
In short – it’s got everything you could possibly want, under one roof.
The business, formerly known as Eastgate Lanes on the east side of the city, moved to Perry Street and houses an 18-lane bowling alley, a bar, full-service restaurant, a TV area, a pool table area and an arcade all in one building .
“We had to hire 50 people because we’ve expanded our services from before and added some other items,” said owner Steve Leggett. “We’ve also hired additional wait, janitorial and maintenance staff.”
Leggett said he hasn’t had much time to relax since opening the new facility as he continues to make sure the new Gate offers its customers great food, lots of fun and a great evening for the whole family.
“We expanded so much from what we did have at Eastgate Lanes,” he said. “Everything so far is going well.”
Leggett said that the new facility has earned raves from patrons who have stopped by to check out The Gate.
“All of the comments have been very positive from all age groups,” he said. “They love the new look, the colors and all that we have done. The arcade area is really popular.”
The smiling faces of customers as they walk through The Gate also caught Leggett’s attention.
“You walk by people and see their jaws dropped,” he said. “They can’t believe what a beautiful place we have. I can’t count how many times I’ve been thanked for bringing this to Big Rapids.”
Customers love the change!
“It’s really nice, and it’s laid out really well,” said Keifer Morse of Big Rapids. “It’s just a good place to hang out.”
Morse said the arcade area is his favorite spot.
Sherri Little of Big Rapids said The Gate provided more activities for kids to enjoy than there were at Eastgate Lanes.
“The kids really didn’t have a lot of opportunity to bowl with the leagues going, so the additional lanes are really nice,” she said. “This has bowling, dinner and an arcade all in one stop. You don’t have to go all over Big Rapids to enjoy a night out.”
Mike Litrenta of Hawkins was impressed to see the new layout and building.
“Big Rapids never had anything like this before and I’ve been to a lot of spots just to play pool,” he said. “These are brand new tables and this would be a great spot to shoot some tournaments.”
Chris Pledger said that The Gate provides teenagers a spot to have fun hanging out.
“This is amazing,” Pledger said. “It’s such an improvement. They have really good food. This is the best spot to hang out.”
Brandon Roussell said the additional lanes, bigger arcade and great food will continue to draw more and more people. “The atmosphere here is great,” he said. “It’s fun to play the arcade games, pool or just hang out with your friends. There’s nothing like this where I am from and I’m from a big city.”
The Gate is open 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., Sunday through Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The Gate also has a room for small reunions and parties, and can accommodate birthday large and small parties.
For more information or to reserve room for a party, call The Gate at (231) 796-3808.