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The nationwide coronavirus crisis can’t end soon enough for two area men who just made a major investment in a business.
Joe Zokal and Eric Acuncius worked for years to own a bowling and entertainment center, and then the government shut down bowling alleys statewide less than a week after they completed their purchase of Illinois Valley Super Bowl.
“We’d only been in business five days. We were just getting started,” Zokal said this morning.
The two were told they had to close this week, shutting down leagues at the height of the season. The closing also idled the pro shop, bar, kitchen, game room and Saturday comedy nights and forced them to send most employees home until further notice. They still have a full-time employee and have spent the down time cleaning the facility and doing some painting and rearranging. They will owe on their loan for the purchase while not receiving revenue for a while.
“Some of the stuff we would have done in the summer, we’re trying to do now,” Zokal said. But there’s not that much they need to do, since previous owners Jim and Bob Stubler “took very good care of the place.”
The two new owners are losing business, but won’t lose their passion for bowling and the entertainment business.
Zokal and Acuncius both have been avid bowlers for many decades. Both have coached bowling teams and bowled professionally, and both have worked or simply helped out at the Super Bowl in Peru for many years. Acuncius bowled professionally in regional tournaments and circuits for about seven years. His highest finish was 10th at a regional tournament in Madison, Wis., almost 20 years ago.
Zokal — who has rolled perfect 300 games 85 times — has served for several years as an assistant coach for the La Salle-Peru Township High School teams. He previously wrote a bowling column for the NewsTribune (where he’s employed full-time as pre-press manager) and bowled professionally for eight years, finishing 16th in points in the Midwest region one of those years.
Neither intends to quit their day job, and both plan to make sure one of them is there as often as possible.
Joe Zokal
Owner
Joe has 3 kids, Chris, Kali and Tyler and 3 grandkids - John, Brooklyn and Zachary.
International Bowling Pro Shops and He is a member of Instructors Association (IBPSIA) and H.O.T.S. Certified Ball Driller.
Joe also has the Advanced H.O.T.S. certification and is on the Amateur Hammer Advisory Staff.
He was the assistant coach for boys/girl’s LP high school team when the program started and is currently the assistant coach for the LP boys bowling team.
Joe is a member of the PBA (regionals) and has 85 -300 games and 33 - 800 series with his highest being 870.
Joe has worked in the Pro Shop at the Superbowl for 20 years.
Eric Acuncius
Owner
Wife - Angela
3 kids - Trenton, Aubree and Evelyn
Eric stared bowling at the age of 8.
He started working at the IV Superbowl in 1989 as a pinchaser and has worked for the Stubler's for over 15 years.
Currently he is the assistant boys/girls bowling coach for St. Bede for 9 years.
Eric is also the head coach for grade school bowling at Trinity Catholic Academy.
He is a former PBA member, an Association Bowler of the Year and a USBCIV Hall of Fame member. He currently has 46-300 games and 48-800 series. Eric is always willing to stay and help anyone get better and improve their game and knowledge of bowling.
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