ARANSAS PASS, Texas — Any stroll through the recent past of Aransas Pass must include a pause to remember the old Sully’s Bowling Lanes.
It had been a popular hangout for decades.
However, the damage to the building caused by Hurricane Harvey in August of 2017 was just too great to overcome for the Sullinger family, and they eventually made the painful decision to let it go.
That’s when Chris Coulter entered the picture.
He and his wife and their daughters are avid bowlers – more than just a hobby. They bought the old building, demolished it, and have now opened CM Lanes in its place. But it was more than just a business opportunity.
Turns out, Coulter had bowled at the old Sully’s since he was a kid and has maintained close ties to the Sullinger family. Aransas Pass also happens to be his hometown and he just didn’t want to see the venue go away.
Coulter worked with the city to design the new facility and the result is something the folks of Aransas Pass can be proud of.
“It is a full restaurant and we serve breakfast, lunch and supper,” says Coulter. We have 16 brand new lanes, state of the art — the only place in Texas right now that has these machines in it. We have a full 40-foot bar that I built out of the lanes that were in here originally, the wood part. I used that for our tables, our bar, our restaurant.”
If you’ll let him, Coulter will brag about their menu.
CM Lanes also features a video wall to watch sporting events, as well as a covered outdoor pavilion with a stage where they plan to do crawfish boils and host live concerts.
Coulter says they are starting a Saturday league for kids from 6 to 12 years of age, which will include a coach to teach them. He also plans to get with the high schools on that side of the bridge to see about starting a league for those students.
“If we can get the kids involved,” he says, “it keeps them out of trouble and gives them something to do.”
Seems like there will be plenty for families to do here for years to come.
Even though they’ve already been open for business, there is going to be an official Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting happening Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. It will include several-thousand-dollars in door prizes, live music and free BBQ while it lasts.
CM Lanes is located at 2285 W. Wheeler in Aransas Pass.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- Congressman Cloud shares thoughts regarding voter fraud allegations in Presidential Election
- Thanksgiving gatherings could increase risk of severe COVID-19 outbreak, TAMUCC expert says
- New TEA guidance says schools can mandate failing students to return to the classroom
- Alzheimer’s Awareness Month: Supporting the cause here in the Coastal Bend