Dart Bowl's Final Day

Hundreds of Austinites flocked to Dart Bowl – which opened at 5700 Grover in 1958 and remained under the Donovan family’s ownership for three generations – on Friday, July 17, for the bowling alley’s final day of operations. A July 14 announcement confirmed the business had succumbed to the financial devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. With tears in her eyes, Jacy Donovan, wife of co-owner John Donovan, described the day as “a funeral," but most patrons seemed determined to celebrate the life of the local institution joyfully. Between bowling and chowing on signature dishes from the Dart Bowl Café (where a line stretching nearly out the door has persisted since the closure notice on Tuesday), patrons purchased old bowling pins and souvenirs, and could be overheard reminiscing about visiting, working there or going on first dates throughout the business’ 62-year history.