Fowling Warehouse Detroit closing at end of June

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (FOX 2) - Fowling Warehouse Hamtramck, the go-to place for the trademarked game invented at the Indy 500, is closing its doors.

Owner and founder Chris Hutt — known by players as ‘Chutt'— shared a message on the business' social media pages on Tuesday, announcing the closure.

"The Fowling Warehouse Hamtramck will be closing its doors at the end of the month. After fighting very hard for the past few years, we have come to the point where it's just not sustainable to continue business at this location," Hutt said.

Citing the economy and changes in people's social behaviors, Hutt said the decision was made to close its doors on June 27th.

Fowling – a term that Hutt trademarked and owns – combines football and bowling. Teams take turns throwing at pins on the opponents lanes, the first to knock down all ten pins wins. However, there's a red pin in th middle — the Bonk pin — which triggers an automatic win if the bonk is hit on the player's first throw with all ten pins up. You also get your name on the board and a chance to pull the bonk horn - an hockey horn.

What they're saying:

However, Hutt promises Fowling is not going anywhere. Instead, Hutt promises regroup and work on the next chapter of the game.

"To our loyal Fowlers, our leaguers, our regulars, and to all the wonderful groups who have held their work outings, benefits, and events year after year, THANK YOU! The roaring sound of laughter and bursting cheers as you knocked down that final pin or throwing your first BONK, is what brings the smiles to our faces," he said.

Fowling Warehouse has locations across the country, including Omaha, Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Atlanta. 

Dig deeper:

Hutt and friends first created the game in 2001 at the Indianapolis 500 – a place that's still a pilgrimage of sorts. Each Indy 500, teams make the trek for a massive party. The winning location takes home a massive trophy – and proudly displays it until the next tournament. This past year, a team from the Detroit location won the trophy – a fitting end to the Hamtramck's location legacy as the trophy comes home.

The Hamtramck location was opened in 2014 and expansion coming in the last half of the past decade.

Despite expansion, some franchise locations have opened and shuttered in the past few years – including Ypsilanti and, most recently, Grand Rapids.

The home base of Fowling closes on Saturday, June 27th, during the annual Motor City Open Tournament. Anyone with a gift certificate can still book reservations before the end of June.

Hutt and the Fowling Warehouse has been involved with major events - including the Detroit Grand Prix, preseason with the Detroit Lions and with the New York Jets. It was also featured in an iconic moment in Detroiters, where Jim Harbaugh goes Fowling - poorly. 

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