Gladstone Bowl

Gladstone Bowl opened on 15 April 1958, when Everett Smith threw the first ball down sixteen brand-new lanes and then went and served tacos at the snack counter. Both traditions survived. Smitty’s Diner still makes the tacos, the lanes are still there — Everett added eight more inside the first year, plus pool tables and a pro shop — and the house is now run by his son Les Smith, a former three-term mayor of Gladstone. It is one of the largest league houses in Missouri, and it is not owned by anybody’s roll-up.

Description

Gladstone Bowl is a bowling centre in Gladstone, in the Northland, operating continuously since 1958 and owned by the family that built it.¹² It presents itself as a full family-entertainment house rather than a bar with lanes attached: open bowling with bumpers, galactic (blacklight) bowling, birthday and group parties, a pro shop, a diner and a bar.¹

The league business is the centre of gravity. The house publishes league standings, honor scores and tournament schedules, runs leagues “for men, women, mixed, and seniors,” and was described by KCUR in 2024 as having one of the largest league bases in Missouri.¹³

The food operation has a name and a history of its own. Smitty’s Diner — named for founder Everett Smith, who served tacos at the counter on opening day in 1958 — still trades on the taco.¹ The bowl’s own copy makes the point plainly: “every frame comes with a side of tacos from Smitty’s.”¹

The pro shop is Drew’s Pro Shop, offering ball fitting, custom drilling and equipment, run by Drew Knudson.¹

Goods and services

• Open bowling, with bumpers available¹
• Galactic bowling — blacklight sessions¹
• League bowling — men’s, women’s, mixed and senior; league request, standings, honor scores¹
• Tournaments¹
• Birthday parties and group/corporate events¹
• Smitty’s Diner — tacos, burgers¹
• Full bar — last call 30 minutes before closing¹
• Drew’s Pro Shop — ball fitting, custom drilling, equipment sales¹
• Pool tables — present since the 1958 expansion; current availability not restated¹
• Lane reservations by telephone; online reservations described as “coming soon”¹

History

Gladstone Bowl opened to the public on 15 April 1958. The house’s own account: “For the opening on April 15, 1958, Everett Smith threw the first ball down the lanes and served his now-famous tacos at Smitty’s when the doors of Gladstone Bowl opened to the public.”¹ Sixteen lanes proved insufficient almost immediately — “Everett quickly learned that sixteen lanes simply wasn’t enough, and he added eight more lanes that first year as well as room for pool tables and a pro shop.”¹

The founder’s son, Les Smith, is now majority owner. His civic biography with the City of Gladstone records him as “majority owner of Gladstone Bowl, established by his father in 1958,” and as a Gladstone city councilman with fourteen years of prior service including three terms as mayor (2004, 2007 and 2010).² That an owner-operator of the bowling alley has repeatedly been the town’s mayor is itself a fair measure of how embedded the business is in Gladstone.

The lanes were re-surfaced with synthetics in a 1990s remodel.³ As of the copy written for the centre’s most recent site refresh, the house counted “67 years” of operation and closed its about page with “Here’s to the next 67 years!”¹

Sources

Links

• Website: https://gladstonebowl.net/
• About: https://gladstonebowl.net/about/
• Pro shop: https://gladstonebowl.net/pro-shop/
• Open bowling: https://gladstonebowl.net/open-bowling/
• City of Gladstone — Councilman Les Smith: https://www.gladstone.mo.us/CityGovernment/smith.php

Footnotes

1. Gladstone Bowl — official site, home page and About Us page and gladstonebowl.net — asserts: “Welcome to Gladstone Bowl — serving the Northland since 1958”; “For the opening on April 15, 1958, Everett Smith threw the first ball down the lanes and served his now-famous tacos at Smitty’s when the doors of Gladstone Bowl opened to the public. 67 years later, we are proud of our family-oriented recreational venue for the Northland. Everett quickly learned that sixteen lanes simply wasn’t enough, and he added eight more lanes that first year as well as room for pool tables and a pro shop.”; “Here’s to the next 67 years!”; phone 816.436.2695; site navigation covering Open Bowling, Specials, Galactic Bowling, Leagues, League Request, League Standings, Honor Scores, Tournaments, Pro Shop, Birthday Parties, Parties & Group Events, Smitty’s Diner and Hours & Info; open-bowling page states “Online reservations coming soon. For now you can call ahead to reserve” and “Last call for the bar and Smitty’s Diner is 30 minutes before closing”; pro-shop page states “At Drew’s Pro Shop, you’ll find expert ball fitting, custom drilling, top-of-the-line gear, and friendly advice from owner Drew Knudson”; footer copyright reads 2026. Primary currently-operating proof — read directly via curl. (Fetched 2026-08-14.) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

2. City of Gladstone, Missouri — official city government page, Councilman Les Smith — asserts: Les Smith is a Gladstone city councilman, appointed in August to fill an unexpired term, with fourteen years of prior council service including three terms as mayor (2004, 2007, 2010); he is “majority owner of Gladstone Bowl, established by his father in 1958”; he was born and raised in Gladstone; he is chairman of the Gladstone Economic Betterment Council and has served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, chaired the Planning Commission and twice chaired the Chamber of Commerce board; he spearheaded the 2010 public-safety sales-tax campaign; his business partners and staff support fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the Veterans Community Project, and the business is an NKC School District Business Partner. Government source — the strongest independent confirmation of current ownership on this page. (Fetched 2026-08-14.) ↩ ↩²

3. KCUR 89.3 — “Want to go bowling in Kansas City? These are some of the best lanes around the metro,” 12 October 2024 — asserts: Gladstone Bowl is at 300 NW 72nd St., Gladstone, MO 64118; it is over 60 years old; it is a locally operated community establishment described as “a must-visit community cornerstone”; it has a pro shop; its lanes were converted to synthetics in a 1990s remodel; it has one of the largest league bases in the state. The article also surveys Lunar Bowl (Blue Springs), Sterling Bowl (Sugar Creek, 1959, 24 lanes), Ward Parkway Lanes (1959), Park Lane Family Fun Center (Shawnee), Diamond Bowl & Billiards (Independence), No Other Pub, Main Event, Tiger Bowl, KC Bowl, Crown Lanes, Mission Bowl, Olathe Lanes and Premier Bowling. (Fetched 2026-08-14.) ↩ ↩²