Sometimes you have to take chances, even if you don’t know how those decisions will impact you down the road.

For Cypress Lanes owners Brian and Donna Steigerwalt, this was especially true upon their purchase of the bowling alley in Lehighton.

Despite little knowledge regarding how to operate a bowling alley at the time, the duo have grown to be successful small-business owners as of 2020.

The pair met in the late ’90s at Cypress Lanes.

The two of them took a chance and bought the establishment, fully taking over the business on Jan. 1, 2004.

Donna Steigerwalt described the reason behind the decision saying, “We had seen that it was for sale and (Brian) used to work at Slate Bowl so that’s the only reason why we said, ‘Well let’s maybe give it a try and see what comes of it.’?” Donna said.

Brian Steigerwalt had always been a fan of bowling, actively participating in the sport from a young age.

“I started when I was 10 or 12 in the Palmerton Association, but I was one of the first ones that were in the association under YBA (Youth Bowling Association) back in probably 1970 I would think. That’s when the association started with a kids’ league.”

Prior to owning the bowling alley, Donna Steigerwalt was a pharmacy technician. She didn’t take up bowling as a hobby until she was around 18, but she has been enjoying the sport ever since.

Unsurprisingly, running a small business comes with a lot of responsibilities. Donna explained some of the hardships that came up upon first taking ownership of the bowling alley regarding all of the new things she had to learn.

“I wasn’t familiar with running a bowling alley so I learned a lot. People say ‘Wow, you have a business,’ but there’s a lot you have to do. Accounting-wise I learned a lot. My accountant actually helped us. Basically, it was all new to me. I didn’t know anything when we took over. The accounting part of it and learning how the machines worked, it was a lot to learn.”

Brian explained some of the hardships.

“We put a lot of time into it that people don’t see. It’s not just open hours, it’s maintenance on the machines, it’s running for food and running here or there for different stuff.”

Despite the initial learning process and time commitments, the duo also experience a lot of joy from owning the bowling alley as well.

Brian said he enjoys helping the local youth with the sport regarding tournaments and scholarships.

“Some of it I really like, especially like running with the kids to the different tournaments. I try to make almost every tournament if I can,” he said.

“In the last few years I even took the kids who made it to high school regionals or districts. I really enjoy that. The kids that I took so far seem like they’ve really enjoyed it, too. They saw a whole different way of what bowling is because it’s very competitive stuff. Plus there’s a lot of scholarships for the kids in almost any tournament.”

Besides junior leagues, the bowling alley also offers senior, mixed and an adult-junior league.

Donna said her favorite part of the business was that it allowed her to meet all kinds of new people and make a lot of friends.

One of these friends is Trish Carpenter, a Lehighton resident who has participated in Cypress Lanes bowling leagues for the past 15 years with her husband. She has been bowling a majority of her life, originally belonging to a league in Palmerton before it ended. Now Carpenter and her family take part at Cypress Lanes.

Carpenter explained why she prefers Cypress Lanes as opposed to other bowling alleys, attributing it to the “friendly atmosphere and the small-knit community.”

Despite a back injury preventing her from bowling at the moment, her husband and 13-year-old son, Issac, still take part in the leagues.

Carpenter ended by saying, “I think Brian and Donna are really nice and I think they have a nice little establishment going. Hopefully, they can keep it up with all this COVID mess and I’m hoping that they stay afloat.”

In addition to regular bowling, Cypress Lanes also plans on hosting a New Year’s tournament on New Year’s Day and another Bowl and Sip event where participants can sip wine as they bowl.

They also host birthday parties or general parties as well.

Overall, Cypress Lanes is a nice, close-knit establishment offering a fun time for all ages.

Whether you’re seeking friendly competition or an intense game to show off your bowling skills, Cypress Lanes is great for friends and family alike.

The bowling alley is located at 140 N Fourth St. in Lehighton. For more information, call 610-377-4570.