XLanes celebrates soft opening; First HyperBowling experience comes to Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new hot spot is now open in town. XLanes, a Los Angeles-based company, is hosting a soft opening at its new Fresno location this weekend.

Those behind the project say it's more than just a bowling alley and hope residents will look to it as their new entertainment destination.

"I think it's great -- this is the first entertainment in Fashion Fair for families and children. You don't do this online, you get to do this in person," said Kimberly Vang, Fresno State College Student.

To complement its entertainment venue vibe, XLanes is located on the basement level of the Fashion Fair Mall, which hasn't been occupied in quite some time.

"XLanes is about modern fun. We do have HyperBowling here and that's nowhere else in Fresno," said Dena Evans, Food and Beverage Manager at XLanes.

"I couldn't believe it because I was like 'Wow, it's underground.' but when I first heard of it, I was like 'Is it really underground?'" said Destiny Lo, Fresno Resident.

Yes, it really is underground! The attraction has been years in the making and aims to be much more than your old fashion bowling alley, along with 16 general lanes.

XLanes will also provide eight VIP lanes, billiards, darts, plus an arcade that is still to come.

"Before this, it was just storage. I think there were restrooms down here, everything else was just mall storage," explained Evans.

If you are looking for a fun spot for the Super Bowl, they have you covered too. XLanes offers a bar that includes nearly a dozen flat screens for sporting events.

"We would love people to come in for the Super bowl, first come first serve, so I'm sure it's going to be pretty busy. Also, Valentine's day is coming up, you know, it would be great for a date night," added Evans.

Beyond the endless entertainment, XLanes will feature an upscale menu, available for those with a more acquired taste.

"So when you think of bowling or you think of an entertainment place, you think of finger food, right. So we do have some of those, nachos, mozzarella sticks. But we also have shrimp Pacifica and we have great pasta dishes," said Evans.

"I didn't actually think it would be underground, I was kind of confused. I came down here, it looks really nice, the atmosphere is great, it looks really modern and it's good for a place like this to have something like this," explained Harold Kalinian, Fresno resident.

Owners at Xlanes tell Action News that they are not quite done with the set-up just yet, they are still waiting for arcade games and more gear to arrive.

The grand opening is expected in the coming months.