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Midwest report
March 21 , 2007

Jeff Crowley

Sharon File

I’m always looking for a new angle to write about bowling. This week, I look at bowling from behind the bar window, of the Eleventh Frame Lounge, at Franklin Lanes, with Sharon File.

Sharon File has been tending bar at the Eleventh Frame Lounge for 30 years. Sharon said, “I’ve seen bowlers grow up, get married, have kids, and even grandkids. I’ve worked with young men at the snack bar like: Jeff Lyons, Joe and Jason Kellems, Mark Head, Gene and Scott Flick, and Jim Koewler. All of these young men have gone on to be very successful.”

Sharon said, “I started tending bar as a receptionist at the Petroleum Club, on top of the old, Old National Bank building in the 60’s. The lunch time bartender would leave me the keys to the bar and I would pass them on to the evening bartender. Often times, bankers would come up and ask me to make them a drink. I would open the bar and they would tell me how to mix their drinks.”

“I earned my liquor license to tend bar in 1967, and was one of the first ten women in Indiana to have a liquor license. I managed the “Time Out Lounge,” at the Executive INN, which is where I met Ray Clark. He was in charge of purchasing.”

“In 1977 Ray and his wife, Barb, leased the Eleventh Frame Lounge and Snack Bar from Russ Neathery and ask me to tend bar. Russ had already started the remodeling to add a bar window. During most of the first summer league season, I iced beer in coolers and sold them out the bar window, and kept the money in a cigar box.”

“From the beginning through the 80’s, we served 400 people a day, and had a server in the bar. At that time, women were the only ones drinking Miller Lite. The men favored Budweiser, and Busch beer. There were very few mixed drinks served. Today, men drink Bud Lite, Miller Lite, Busch Lite, and Bud Select. Beer drinkers are about 75% of our business versus 25% mix drinks. Bowlers on average are much better tippers than nonbowlers, 90% of bowlers are great tippers, with men being a little better than women at tipping.”

“When Ray opened the Eleventh Frame, he started giving away a bottle of Champaign for every 300 game bowled. Dave King has carried on that tradition today, even though there are a lot more 300’s then there used to be. If I’m not busy, you’ll find me watching the bowlers and laughing at their reactions. Even though bowlers are bowling more 300 games today, they still get mad. I’ve seen them kick the walls, the ball returns, and I’ve seen three or four break their hands punching the wall.”

“In the 80’s we started selling plate lunches. Jeff Lyons, Meteorologist, for WFIE, served many a platter on roller skates. He was learning to roller skate for a film he was making with Scott Flick. Jeff also brought in a blue flashing light and ran blue light specials in the snack bar.” Jeff Lyons said, “We all called Sharon, “Mom.” You wouldn’t know it to look at Sharon, but she ran a tight ship, although she always looked after us in the snack bar and made it a neat place to work.”

Sharon said, “We had a lot of great young people working in the snack bar, who are successful today. Jim Koewler is an environmental attorney in Ohio, Gene Flick is a Psychologist in Evansville, Scott Flick is an attorney in Washington, DC, and Jason Kellems is a general manager of a tire company, to name a few.

“I call myself a ‘Bar Defender,’ because it is my way or the highway. In 30 years, I have never had a fight at the Eleventh Frame Lounge. I have always kicked people out before things escalated to a fight.”

“I am noted for two things, my Bloody Marys and butterfly collection. I have had people drive in from Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and northern Indiana for my Bloody Marys. I will sell people my mix without the vodka if they are interested. The butterflies started when my boyfriend gave me one and I put it up in the lounge. Our customers started bringing in more butterflies. We had so many that people bring brought in, that people started calling the lounge ‘Butterfly Bar’ or ‘Flutterbye.’”

“Thanks to the Rosanne Show, we got national exposure when Rosanne went bowling. The production staff came in and took pictures of the Eleventh Frame Lounge. They used our name and doors for the bowling lanes bar in the hit TV series.”

My 30 years at the Eleventh Frame Lounge working for Ray & Barb Clark, Walt Hatcher and Dave King has been truly enjoyable. I have made many great friends, worked with super people, and I would not trade those memories for anything!”

This week’s limerick comes from Ken Hurm.

There was a young woman from Pike
Who rode to the lanes on her bike.
Her opponent got trounced
When her gutter ball bounced
Back into play for a strike.

Jeff Crowley covers bowling for the Evansville (IN) Courier Press. He has graciously allowed AlabamaBowling.Com to republish his articles. Jeff can be reached by e-mail at CrowleyJA@thegleaner.com

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