Rab's Country Lanes

1600 Hylan Boulevard Staten Island, NY 10305   |   Phone: 718-979-1600    

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Rab’s Country Lanes picked ‘Best of NYC’ for Staten Island

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By Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com
Staten Island Advance | Click here for the full story on SILive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Congrats are in order for Rab’s Country Lanes, Dongan Hills.

The .NYC registry team, which is managed by Neustar, held its Best of Boroughs 2020 Virtual Awards Celebration to honor five organizations that use .NYC domain name in each borough of New York City. Among the five winners representing each borough, Rab’s Country Lanes was named Best of Staten Island.

Each of the five winners received a cash prize of $5,000. Over 50,000 votes were cast to select the winning groups. Rounding out the other 2020 Winners: Catchy Pest Control (Bronx), Field Form (Brooklyn), Chinatown Soup (Manhattan) and SchizophrenicNYC (Queens).

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For Frank Wilkinson of Rab’s Staten Island, Bowling is More Than Just Business

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For Frank Wilkinson, proprietor of Rab’s Country Lanes in Staten Island, bowling isn’t just a business, but something that runs in his blood. The all-American pastime has been part of his family for more than 60 years. According to SILive, “Frank’s father, Rab, was a professional bowler and regarded as one of Staten Island’s all-time best.”

Say Wilkinson, “Our family roots run deep in bowling and small business here in Staten Island.” His customers include bowling leagues, local fundraisers and patrons from across the borough of Staten Island.

So when the pandemic hit in March, the mandated closures weighed heavily on not just his conscience but community as well.

“Rab’s provides an outlet for our community to get away from everyday life for social recreation,” says Wilkinson, “and being closed was not just a burden on the business, it was a burden on our community and those who depend on us for work and their outlet.”

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SI Advance: Comeback From Quarantine: MSIT bowler Colin Smith wonders when (or if) there will be a season

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Colin Smith (fifth from right) awaits the day he can rejoin his MSIT teammates on the lanes.

By Nick Regina | nregina@siadvance.com
Staten Island Advance | Click here for the full story on silive.com

Keep bowlin’, bowlin’, bowlin’…

That’s all 16-year-old New Dorp native Colin Smith wants to do.

After averaging 193 per game last season in the PSAL, he was poised to build on a promising sophomore campaign and take over the reigns as McKee/Staten Island Tech’s top bowler in 2020.

Nevertheless, Smith’s chances of once again anchoring his team on the lanes seem to dwindle by the day.

“It’s tough, they’re not telling us anything right now,” said a disappointed Smith.

While there has been speculation that the season could take place in the spring, nothing has been confirmed.

“Nothing has changed. We haven’t heard anything,” said Smith.

In last year’s playoffs, Smith’s game average rose to 204 before the Seagulls fell to Tottenville in the semifinals — hinting at a breakout campaign in 2020.

“I was focused. It kind of sucks because last year we were so close,” laments Smith. “We wanted a rematch.”

LOST SEASON

The cancelled season didn’t come as a total surprise to Smith, who was left scrambling for open alleys when the pandemic struck in March and shuddered the doors of Staten Island’s bowling establishments.

“That was my first thought: where am I going to practice?” remembers Smith, who traveled to New Jersey on a weekly basis in search of open lanes.

“It was just that and playing video games…not much else to do,” he added. “[Bowling] always gave me something to do after school, and brought attention in school.”

Smith has been able to bowl in two weekly leagues at Rab’s Country Lanes since the summer, which provides a sense of normalcy, as well as the opportunity to link up with friends.

“It’s been fun, a relief…it’s like getting back to normal,” said Smith. “I get to be at my home alley with friends.

“I’m used to it, I know everyone there, and the lane conditions,” he pointed out.

But as numerous establishments begin to once again close their doors on Staten Island, Smith fears bowling alleys could be next.

“It’s scary because I’ve been practicing for so long and I feel even better than before the pandemic,” said Smith.

“I don’t want to lose that,” he added. “That was probably the worst part, having to bowl somewhere else.”

In the meanwhile, Smith awaits word on a potentially lost HS season, and the opportunity to bowl with his schoolmates once again.

“I hope to make sure the team is properly acquainted,” he said. “We all really want a season.”

Bowling notebook: What’s Country Lanes’ pandemic status? A perfect game, New Year Singles Classic is off and more

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By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com
Staten Island Advance | Click here for the full story on silive.com

Rab’s Country Lanes’ proprietor Frank Wilkinson says it’s business as usual — for now — even with the threat of new pandemic restrictions being talked about by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“We’re getting a lot of inquiries about the status of our opening,” said Wilkinson. “It’s amazing, many consumers have assumed we, along with restaurants, are already closed and there is no indoor dining due to the zone change, which as we know has not happened yet.”

That, of course, may change over the coming days or weeks. Most of Staten Island is currently classified as a yellow zone, although some South Shore communities were elevated to orange by the state earlier today. If the Island’s pandemic infection rate worsens, other Island communities could be elevated to orange status and then red.

“IF, we are to move into the Orange Zone, and IF all the requirements remain, bowling centers remain open without indoor dining (just as we started the season.),” explained Wilkinson. “When we got the go to open back in August, bowling centers were moved to the low-risk business category. However, anything can change when the governor makes an announcement, which seems to be anticipated after the holiday. In the meantime, we are now closing at 10 p.m., which has altered our schedules in many ways.”

Victor Guastella, 17, rolled his first perfect game last month at Rab’s Country Lanes.

Youth bowler Victor Guastella rolls first perfect game

Seventeen-year-old Victor Guastella rolled a perfect game in the Country Pro Shop Juniors on Friday, Oct. 23. The perfecto came in the final game of a three-game set. He finished with a 678 series. His first two games were 197 and 181, propelling.

Avilez, Brod advance to Junior Gold Championships as Rab’s Gold Shootout champs

Youth bowlers took to the lanes on Sunday, Nov. 22 to compete for titles in the Rab’s Gold Shootout and their shot at advancing to the 2021 Junior Gold Championships to be held in Indianapolis, next summer.

When all was said and done, Maya Avilez and Gavin Brod were the big winners and punched their tickets to Indy.

Avilez rolled a 903 five-game series to claim the U18 division. Her games were 178, 155, 205, 164, and 201.

Meanwhile, Brod paced the 15U division with games of 159, 184, 184, 171, and 203, good enough for a 901 series.

Complete results can be found at bowlatrabs.com/tournaments.

The next opportunity for youth bowlers to compete and earn spots for the Junior Gold Championships will be the Rab’s Gold Challenge on Jan. 5, 2021.

Staten Island USBC Masters Championship set

The 12th Annual Staten Island USBC Masters Championship will take place on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Rab’s Country Lanes, where the Island’s top bowlers will compete for the elusive title. $100 entry fee, register online, siusbc.org to reserve your spot.

The reigning champion is Tony Everts.

46th Annual New Year Singles Classic Postponed

For the first time in the tournament’s history, tournament director Jim Elliott has decided to postpone the 46th Annual New Year Singles Classic due to the pandemic. Contact Jim for details. The event will return in 2022.

Catholic School bowling loop forging ahead

Wilkinson reports that the Catholic High School Bowling League will start on Dec.15 at Country Lanes.

This has been pushed from a projected start of the Nov. 24.

“A sign of normalcy in youth sports after a non-existent PSAL season,” said Wilkinson.

Update: Rab’s remains open while in YELLOW Zone

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Good news! As of 11/23, Rab’s remains in the YELLOW ZONE as you can see in the map above, but not by much. We will remain open and operating as we have under the latest restrictions with Bowling and Indoor Dining.  Please help be the solution and continue to do your part… Be safe and wear your masks. Following the guidelines is what allows us to remain open, and for you to enjoy the sport that you love!

Avilez & Brod advance to Junior Gold Championships as Rab’s Gold Shootout Champions

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Youth bowlers took to the lanes on Sunday November 22 to compete for titles in Rab’s Gold Shootout and their shot at advancing to the 2021 Junior Gold Championships to be held in Indy, next summer.

Maya Avilez rolled a 903 5-game series to take the win in the U18 Division, complete with the games of 178, 155, 205, 164, & 201!

Gavin Brod lead the U15 Division with games of 159, 184, 184, 171, & 203, 901 series.

Click here for complete results!

The next opportunity for youth bowlers to compete and earn their spots to the Junior Gold Championships will be Rab’s Gold Challenge on January 5, 2021!

New Restrictions: Rab’s to close at 10:00 PM Nightly | Revised League Schedule

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Effective November 13, 2020, (through December 12) as per the Office of the NYS Governor, any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, including Bowling Alleys, will be required to close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

This new restriction impacts regular business of Rab’s Country Lanes in many different ways.

  • Open Bowling will still be available 7 days a week.  For the latest availability, please visit the UP-COMING EVENTS Page of our website.  Online Reservations are suggested.
  • Cosmic Bowling will be available on some* Saturday Evenings at an earlier time, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
  • Our evening league bowling schedule has been adjusted.  In order to accommodate all leagues a temporary schedule has been implemented.  This includes some leagues bowling on alternating weeks.

League Schedule may change.  Please review your league standings for the latest details.

Times listed only if different than regularly scheduled time.

Saturday November 14

  • Saturday Nite Out Once-a-Month – 7:30 PM

Monday November 16

  • Colonial Funeral Home Ladies
  • Holy Spirit Men’s League

Tuesday November 17

  • Rab Wilkinson Memorial / F.E.M.C.O. Men’s League – SHIFT #1
  • Rab’s Girls

Wednesday November 18

  • All Pro Electric of NY Men’s League
  • Boys Nite Out Once-a-Month League – 6:20 PM

Thursday November 19

  • Thursday Night Mixed (Formerly Transplant Support Org. of S.I. Mixed) – WHOLE LEAGUE at 6:20 PM
  • Splitz Co-Ed Mixed League – 8:00 PM

Sunday & Friday Evening Leagues – No Change

Monday November 23

  • Rab’s Scratch Draft League – 8:00 PM

Tuesday November 24

  • Rab Wilkinson Memorial / F.E.M.C.O. Men’s League – SHIFT #2
  • Mike Massaroli Memorial Triples League – 8:00 PM

Wednesday November 25

  • MisMates Mixed – WHOLE LEAGUE

Thursday November 26 – Thanksgiving – No League Bowling

Saturday November 28

  • Soave Bowlers Once-A-Month League – 7:30 PM

Monday November 30

  • Colonial Funeral Home Ladies
  • Holy Spirit Men’s League

Tuesday December 1

  • Rab Wilkinson Memorial / F.E.M.C.O. Men’s League – SHIFT #1
  • Rab’s Girls

Wednesday December 2

  • All Pro Electric of NY Men’s League

Thursday December 3

  • Thursday Night Mixed – Shift #1: 6:20 PM / Shift #2: 8:00 PM
  • Richmond County American Legion / McGuire Men’s League – WHOLE LEAGUE

Monday December 7

  • Rab’s Scratch Draft League – 8:00 PM

Tuesday December 8

  • Rab Wilkinson Memorial / F.E.M.C.O. Men’s League – SHIFT #2
  • Mike Massaroli Memorial Triples League – 8:00 PM

Wednesday December 9

  • MisMates Mixed – WHOLE LEAGUE

Thursday December 10

  • Thursday Night Mixed– WHOLE LEAGUE at 6:20 PM
  • Splitz Co-Ed Mixed League – 8:00 PM

Saturday December 12

  • Saturday Nite Out Once-a-Month – 7:30 PM

 

Rab’s Frank Wilkinson goes pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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By Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com
Click Here for the Full Article on SILIVE.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Islander Frank Wilkinson likes to ‘pink’ outside the box. The owner of Rab’s Country Lanes has gone pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And even though Saturday is the last day of October, he is still raising funds for a cure through the Rab Wilkinson Foundation.

“As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and if you know anything about my family, our team here at Rab’s, and me, this means so much to us,” said Wilkinson. Things are a little different around here this year.”

Wilkinson’s popular ‘Our Flockers and Flamingos’ campaign, where friends displayed pink flamingoes on their lawns and ‘tagged’ their friends to do the same — along with donations to cancer research — is on pause this year because of the pandemic.

“We are staying safe and sadly we did not host our annual Bowl-a-Thon, which would have been held this past Sunday, October 25. The Bowl-a-Thon is the pinnacle event of our month long campaign,” he added.

“In the past 18 years, through the Rab Wilkinson Foundation and our Staten Island Bowling Community we have raised over $670,000 to fund local breast health projects including the Breast Health Navigation Program at SIUH. Last year, our staff challenged me.”

Wilkinson’s staff dared him to dye his hair pink last October for the good cause, but the dare came too late.

“They said they would raise money for me to dye my hair pink for the Bowl-a-Thon,” he said. “So, I said of course and committed to it. However, last year was a bit too close to the event for them to raise enough money to get me to do it.

“So, here we are, 2020, and no plans to host our annual event, and the challenge came back up. After a little hesitance, I recommitted to the challenge.”

Two weeks later, Wilkinson and his team have surpassed the $5,000 goal and is on the way to the $10,000 stretch goal, with his hair dyed pink. “I’ve now been joking that in order to see me in the bowling center, you’ll have to make a donation” he added. “A donation bucket will be outside our office.”

Donations are still being accepted, and could be made by visiting Frank at Rab’s or online: https://rabsway.eventgroovefundraising.com/pinkhairfrank

Said Wilkinson, “We live streamed the whole process as Nazareth and I hosted our Weekly Show “Live from Rab’s.” The show can be seen here: https://youtu.be/7p7rE7n964w.

And here’s a time lapse video of the whole hair production, which took almost two hours:

Rab’s Nominated in 2020 .NYC Best Of The Boroughs! Support by Voting!

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We’re honored to be nominated for the fourth consecutive year for a Best of the Boroughs Recognition by DotNYC!  Show your love for us by showing your support with a VOTE for Rab’s, your favorite entertainment destination on #StatenIsland! NYC Best of the Boroughs celebrates the local businesses, organizations and community individuals that make our city, and each borough, a unique place to live!

Click Here to Vote for Rab’s!

SI Advance: League bowling returns to Rab’s Country Lanes: Proprietor Frank Wilkinson discusses details in Q&A

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By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com
Staten Island Advance | Click Here for the Full Story

The doors at Rab’s Country Lanes remind customers to Mask Up also provide the option to open the doors without having to touch the handles.

League bowling returned to Staten Island’s two bowling centers this past week and things looked a little different thanks to the pandemic.

Plastic partitions in between pairs of alleys are in place at Showplace Entertainment Center, while all bowlers must wear face masks in both centers, among other pandemic protocols mandated by the state during these uncertain times.

At Rab’s Country Lanes, proprietor Frank Wilkinson was excited to welcome his league bowlers back after an almost six-month hiatus because of the pandemic.

Here is a question-and-answer session with Wilkinson, son of former late Island bowling great and proprietor Rab Wilkinson.

How has it been going so with league bowlers returning last week?

“Our season officially started this past Tuesday (Sept. 8), so we’re still in the swing of getting the new season up and running. The start of the season is always an exciting time for us, as we get to welcome our bowlers back after not seeing them all summer long, with this season having much more significance, being off after a shortened season on top of the summer. While the season looks and feels very different in the start, it has provided our family and team some normalcy, seeing familiar faces, as well as new faces, back on the lanes with us. Bowlers are overwhelmingly happy to be back to their regular habits, seeing their friends and family while sharing the experience of bowling. The season looks very different, because we are operating at 50% and utilizing every other lane, many of our leagues are bowling in shifts so we can accommodate as many bowlers as possible. Historically, our league business uses most if not all 48 lanes at one time. On the business side, operating at 50% with no indoor dining (for now) is very challenging. We have many league bowlers who did not return, just yet, for understandable reasons.”

There are plenty of hand sanitizers at Rab’s Country Lanes.

Is everyone following protocol?

“For the most part, yes! Our regular customers certainly understand and appreciate that we need to follow the protocols in order to keep their favorite place to bowl open.”

Does Country Lanes have partitions in place in between lanes or pairs of lanes?

At this time we have not installed partitions between bowling lanes. We are operating to the guidelines utilizing every other, allowing for space for bowlers to physical distance between lanes. As always, our patrons come first and we want everyone to feel as comfortable and safe as possible being in our environment enjoying the sport we all love. There is 11 1/2 feet between each pair, so this allows our bowlers to utilize as much of the available space. The guidelines do not require partitions. However, the utilization of partitions potentially allows the use of additional lanes.

What about league bowling? How many bowlers are allowed on a pair of lanes?

“There is no restriction on the number of bowlers per lane/pair of lanes.”

Bowling is back at Country Lanes, but this sign covers all the new protocols patrons must follow during the pandemic.

Do patrons need to wear masks or when do they have to wear them?

“Yes, just like every other facility in the state, masks/face coverings must be worn at all times.”