Henry Dorrbaker’s, 605 Third St. in Beloit, Wisconsin, plans to open on Nov. 18, 2024. It’s shown on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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BELOIT, Wis. — Downtown’s next entertainment venue, which blends duckpin bowling with retro arcade games and other activities, is set to debut in less than a month.

Geronimo Hospitality Group is targeting a Nov. 18 opening for Henry Dorrbaker’s, 605 Third St. on the riverfront Ironworks campus.

“As we try to revitalize this downtown area and round out what we do as a hospitality company — we have lots of restaurants in the area — this gives us another option of what to do after dinner,” said Julio Pitre, general manager of Henry Dorrbaker’s. “This is somewhere you and your friends can gather. Your family can come and have something to do aside from just sit down and eat.”

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The heavy construction portion of the work to remodel 20,000 square feet of industrial space is complete. Right now, workers are busy installing the games, bar, furniture and fixtures.

The venue is centered around duckpin bowling lanes and arcade games such as pinball and a race car simulator. There’s also an indoor mini-golf course, Skee-Ball and a 5,400-square-foot outdoor patio with a stage, walk-up bar, fire pits and space for yard games such as bags.

All ages are welcome at the venue until 8 p.m., at which point it is for ages 21 and older.

Pitre said it’s a one-stop shop entertainment venue because of the variety of things to do and games to play.

“It gives you an option to go out and do something that is at an elevated level and do a lot of different things at one location,” he said. “You don’t have to go hopping from here to here and here to do all these different things.”

Colton Stewart of Infinity Bol installs duckpin bowling lanes on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Henry Dorrbaker’s in downtown Beloit. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

Duckpin bowling is similar to the larger-sized version of the sport. However, in this version you compete with smaller pins, a mini-sized ball with no finger holes and a shorter alley. You also get three rolls of the ball per frame instead of two because the duckpins are shorter and lighter, making strikes more difficult.

Aside from the games, Henry Dorrbaker’s will feature a full kitchen and bar that serves beer and cocktails. You’ll also find touches that make the decor unique, such vintage doors hung along the rafters that were salvaged from other industrial buildings.

The venue is named after Henry Dorrbaker, who owned the city’s first bowling alley and was a prominent local bowler.

That alley, where Dorrbaker also lived, opened in 1899 in conjunction with a buffet at 426-428 State St., according to the Greater Beloit USBC Bowling Association.

A miniature golf feature at Henry Dorrbaker’s lets off steam on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Beloit, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas