Undercover Boss - Lucky Strike Lanes, 11142010

The featured Undercover Boss in this episode is the CEO and co-founder of Lucky Strike Lanes, a bowling entertainment center in the United States and Canada. He is 61 year old Steven Foster from Burbank,California, a graduate of Boston University Law School. This is one undercover boss that seems to cry a lot. A very emotional guy who seemed to be very attached to his late mother! His first venture was Jillian's, a pool parlor/ bowling alley that filed for bankruptcy in 2004. So, he already has a business experience that will make his second venture successful!!!

Lucky Strike Lanes opened its first location in 2003, and has spread to 20 locations across the United States and Canada. What is different with this bowling place?? It is an upscale club with gourmet food and luxurious lounges frequented by celebrities in Los Angeles and New York!

His first task was bartending with Devin, a young, energetic guy with roller skates on his shoes! He is like the kids rolling down the corridors!!! When I saw his shoes, I was really laughing!!! Whoa!!! What an enthusiastic guy!!! Foster puts on a giant bowling pin costume and went out on the street. He was having fun with his new role!!! As a result, he will be wearing the costume once a week for therapy!!! Was Foster good with his bartending?? Of course not!!! He was putting too much alcohol in the glasses!!! What is wrong with that?? Sigh!! Do I have to spell it out to you??? Yup!!! Okay, then! The customers will really be very happy, but the management will not be happy because it will cut down on their profit per bottle!!!! Got it??? Foster was so impressed with Devin that he will pick up the tab for Devin and father's vacation! Devin will also be in charge of a national campaign to include Mr.Pin and a bowling ball buddy for Mr.Pin!!!

His next adventure was with Angel, a machine technician, in West Nyack, New York. Wow!! That seems like hard work going through the machines of the bowling alley. And it seems that if you are not careful, your hands or even your body will have an accident!!! Foster found out that Angel have a daughter and a granddaughter. Foster gave Angel $10,000 for his daughter's education, gave him a raise and a new job - Head Mechanic! Angel also will be given extra pay for organizing a bowling league!!! How about that???

Next job was in the control room with Jermaine in Houston, Texas. Jermaine has only been with the company for 6 weeks, in charge of reservations and make sure the lanes are smoothly going on. Jermaine is also studying computer science, used to be a graphic designer and have a son born blind. What did Jermaine received from Foster?? He will work with the systems operator, and design a tee shirt, to which a portion of the sale will go to Jermaine's son!!! That is incredible!!!

His last stop was in Manhattan with Brianna,a waitress, at their most successful spot. Brianna has been very busy every night serving hundreds of people. Was Foster good as a waiter??? No!!! He dumped a tray of drinks in front of the customers!!! Ha!Ha! Ha! What a clumsy guy!!! He found out that the breakroom for staff is outside the kitchen on a window ledge!!! Wow!!! The staff nust be really good and have not complained!!! During Foster's talk with Brianna, he learned that she went back to her mother's house after her mother's divorce, and Brianna would like to open a day care center in the house! Foster gave $10,000 to Brianna to develop her day care center, a new breakroom and in charge of a new children's program called Bowling with Bri!!!

As usual, like in the other undercover boss program, only a few gets lucky!!! The CEO'S should also give rewards to all, not only to the chosen ones!! You will probably say, " Tough, these people were chosen to be with the big boss!" I wonder what was the criteria for selecting the employees that will train the CEO's??? That is good with the few lucky ones, but I think each and everyone of the staff should get something from the big boss!!! What do you think??? Any comments???