TEMPLE, Texas — Texas is currently in the midst of phase two regarding reopening the state because of the COVID-19 pandemic that completely shut it down weeks ago. Governor Abbott's phase two plan to reopen Texas includes bowling alleys, bingo halls, simulcast racing, and skating rinks.
Spare Time Texas in Temple, which houses bowling and games, was able to open up on Friday with the addition of new safety guidelines which includes continued closure of some on-site activities.
"We have only every other lane open at this time not just to limit capacity, but also to keep people socially distant," said Spare Time general manager Daniel Mueller. "We also increased lane turnover time so when a lane is finished we take extra time to sanitize each ball and the area to make sure everything is all good."
They also distanced all of their dining tables to 6-feet apart and have stopped passing out communal menus.
"We want everyone to know it is safe to be here. We've spend a lot of time doing tests and speaking to other centers across the country to come up with the best practices," said Mueller.
Spare Time, aside from bowling, also offers laser tag and an arcade which they still have closed at this time.
Xtreme Jump Adventure Park, located inside the Temple Mall, has also reopened for business.
Unlike Spare Time, Xtreme Jump has all of their interactive play areas open aside from the foam pit.
"We have a ball pit cleaning machine that sucks the balls sanitizes and spits them back out," said general manager Heather Basinger. "We wash every vest after each laser tag game and we clean every steering wheel and seat of the go-carts after each use."
They are still offering birthday parties at this time but it is limited to six kids per table, and they are cleaning every 30 minutes. "It's hard to clean after each kid because they are all over the place," said Basinger. "But we have timers set for every 30 minutes they get off and we clean."
While many interactive entertainment venues are still closed at this time Basinger made sure her venue was cleared to open. "I called Bell County Health District to verify I was allowed to open, I called El Paso and I even called the Governor just to be sure."
All entertainment venues that were approved to open under phase two are only cleared to welcome 25 percent capacity into their facilities.
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