Duckpin bowling in Macon? New business will feature variation of the popular game
Those looking for some bowling fun in Macon may soon have a variation of the game available downtown.
The Social Duck will offer duckpin bowling, which is “coming soon,” according to the front of its future space at 476 2nd Street.
A walkway will connect the bowling alley with Bearfoot Tavern, the Irish gastropub on 2nd Street, which are both run by the same owner, Dr. Kris Ellis.
As you walk through each side, expect “totally different” vibes, Ellis told The Telegraph.
“It’s going to have a loungy feel so to speak,” Ellis said. “It’s going to be cozy.”
The Social Duck will have an affordable, family-friendly atmosphere, a bar and a food menu different from Bearfoot Tavern. Prices and menu items were not yet in place.
It’ll have the same operating hours as Bearfoot Tavern, but with a late night energy.
“We want to be attractive and appealing to family while at the same time being able to offer something for night life and a night crowd if they so desire,” Ellis said.
It’s not your ordinary bowling alley. It’s “much more fun,” Ellis previously said.
The space currently features a mural of a giant duck.
Duckpin bowling uses smaller pins and shorter, narrower lanes. Specific bowling shoes aren’t required.
This facility will have six lanes, and up to six players are recommended per game.
“A lot of other cities have this. Macon doesn’t,” Ellis said.
He previously planned to open the business in 2024, but ran into some construction hiccups.
“Those buildings are so old you start tearing down walls and get problems,” he said.
He plans for The Social Duck and Bearfoot Tavern to finally open in May.
Bearfoot Tavern remains temporarily closed while it recovers from catastrophic storm damage. The restaurant hit the road in January and turned into a food truck which travels across Middle Ga.
It’s Instagram, Facebook, and a website for the incoming business, socialduckmacon.com, says people can “win free lanes on opening night.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 1:51 PM.