Exciting plans have been revealed to transform an old music shop into a  bowling alley and family entertainment centre in Reading.

The company Bowl Central is set to take over the old Dawsons musical instruments shop at 65 Caversham Road, which closed last year, and convert it into a bowling alley and family entertainment complex.

Once the transformation is completed, the facility will not only have seven bowling lanes – it will also have three interactive dart boards, shuffleboards and a children’s ‘redemption’ games area.

Explaining the plans, Tracy Standish, the director of Bowl Central, said: “I call it pins and prizes. The pins side will be the bowling, darts and shuffleboards, which will be primarily for adults, teens and corporate events.

“Then the prizes section will be more family and children orientated, where children can play games to collect tickets, which can then be redeemed for prizes.

“So there will be two distinct areas in one location, with a cocktail bar and lounge anchoring the whole thing together.”

READ MORE: Blue Collar Corner opens in Reading with bar, street food and cocktails

Mr Standish added that the plan is to sell food as well, with staff serving up freshly made pizzas, paninis and salads.

The interactive darts involves having a dartboard with sensors on it.

Each of three boards will come with cameras that capture people’s reactions when they play.

Mr Standish has ‘lifelong experience’ in the bowling and entertainment industry, and is looking forward to bringing Bow Central to Reading.

He said: “I set up Bowlplex, which became a nationwide company.

“Bowl Central is more boutique and focused on town centre locations, whereas Bowlplex was usually located ‘out of town’.”

Mr Standish ended up selling Bowlplex.

The first Bowl Central was opened in Bournemouth, with a second location due to open in Fareham, near Portsmouth.

The Bowl Central in Reading will be the first with the interactive dartboards and shuffleboards.

Ahead of taking over the old Dawsons unit, Bowl Central’s owning company KTO Ltd has submitted a licensing application for the bar that will be located inside of it.

It has applied to sell alcohol on site from 10am to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and 10am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, sell food until midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

It has also applied to play music from 10am to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and 10am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

READ MORE: Mini golf operator signs up to replace part of House of Fraser at The Oracle

Reading has until recently had a lack of family and adult activities such a bowling.

That was until Spinners opened up in the Broad Street Mall at the end of June last year.

Spinners has bowling, crazy golf and interactive darts.

There are also approved plans which were approved in March 2020 to convert the House of Fraser in The Oracle into a bowling alley and food hall, but the department store remains in place with no closing date set.