Apr 11, 2023
In Part 2, we begin with the
decision to open MBC. Molly had known her friend Sommer Peterson
since high school, and Sommer had a long history in her family with
bowling. The idea was hatched in 2010, and on Jan. 1, 2011, the two
signed their lease. Molly acknowledges help they got from joints
like Albany Bowl and Serra Bowl and we pay homage to Sea Bowl in
Pacifica, which had announced its closing the day before we
recorded.
They had looked at a couple other
spots around The City before settling in the Mission. The location
was formerly Centennial Electrical Distribution, and it needed lots
of work right off the bat to get it ready to be a bowling alley.
Molly is quick to acknowledge that the vision was there from the
beginning, mostly from Sommer. From the outset, they paid special
attention to service and detail, wanting people to feel that they
didn't necessarily have to bowl to have a good time at
MBC.
The kitchen was another new aspect
of running a business for Molly, and they got Anthony Myint of
Mission Chinese Food as a food partner early on. They opened their
doors in March 2012, 14 months after signing the lease.
The conversation then touches on
folks who've worked at MBC then gone on to open places of their
own. The partial list includes: Victory Hall
and Parlor, Casements (S3E47), Brass Tacks, North
Light in Oakland, and Mothership.
Then we talk about the pandemic.
Molly's background in public health helped, and they used time when
they had to close to the public to clean and paint. Because MBC
needs all four elements—food, drink, bowling, and events—to
operate, they didn't fully reopen until March 2021. Molly credits
her crew, who she says were great through it all.
We end this episode with a tease of
something we're cooking up for late summer, and then Molly's
thoughts on what a rebirth of San Francisco could look
like.
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather