QubicaAMF Worldwide has signed a contract to be the bowling equipment provider for River City Roll, the new upscale bowling facility to be built in the trendy Scott’s Addition area of Richmond, Va.

Former investment banker and Richmond local, Rob Long, is leading a team that includes former Jefferson Hotel restaurant director, Ben Eubanks. The developers plan to break ground on the $5 million facility in May, and it’s expected to open in early 2018.

“Given the renewed activity in the city of Richmond, and entertainment spending on the rise, it all just made sense,” said Long. “We think bowling is the perfect fit, and will be the anchor for a very successful entertainment option in central Virginia.”

River City Roll will house 20 lanes of bowling, featuring the most innovative line of equipment from QubicaAMF, including the BES X Bowler Entertainment System, XLi EDGE Pinspotters and SPL Select Lanes.

Long and his team plan to theme each lane around well-known Richmond streets, offer high-end food and drinks combined with outside seating options, and feature live music and bar space equipped with televisions and stocked with beer from local breweries. River City Roll also will include private event spaces and lanes that can be sectioned off for large parties and corporate events.

“I would like to congratulate Rob and his investors,” said Jay Buhl, Senior Vice President and General Manager of QubicaAMF Worldwide. “This is an exciting project. We ship products around the world every year. We are thrilled to be able to showcase our latest products in a local venue, and work with a local investor to help them bring their project to life.

“Boutique bowling centers are being built across the country, and Scott’s Addition is the perfect location for Richmond’s first. We are proud to be involved with this venture.”

QubicaAMF has been manufacturing bowling equipment for more than 75 years, with its headquarters in the Richmond area since 1988. Employing more than 500 people globally, the company maintains a large R&D team, a 300,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Richmond, a 100,000-sq.-ft. bowling pin manufacturing facility in Lowville, N.Y., and its European headquarters and manufacturing and software development facility in Bologna, Italy.

This fall, the season finale of the PWBA Tour will take place at Richmond International Raceway during NASCAR Race Week, Sept 3-6, and QubicaAMF will build four state-of-the-art lanes at the Richmond Raceway Complex for the event. The finals will be televised live on CBS Sports Network on Sept. 6.

The company also is the organizer of the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, the largest annual sporting event in terms of the number of participating countries, which promotes bowling on a global level. Last year, the 52nd World Cup was held in Shanghai, China. This November, the 53rd World Cup will be held Hermosillo, Mexico.