New T-Birds owner is no stranger to city

T-Birds Bowling and Entertainment Centre is under new ownership following its acquisition by Winnipeg-based bowling and family-entertainment operator Todd Britton.

The business, located at 2140 Currie Blvd. in Brandon’s south end, had been listed for sale at $7.9 million and Britton said he paid “close to the asking price.”

The decision to purchase T-Birds was driven by both professional and personal ties to the community, he told the Sun on Friday.

“Brandon is a great market that we felt like we wanted to be a part of,” Britton said. “My uncle owned a bowling centre in Brandon in the 1980s and 1990s. It was a great opportunity to come back to a familiar place.”

For customers, Britton said T-Birds remains the same community staple, with the same team and the same focus on family fun.

“I’d just like to thank everyone for their continued support,” he said. “We’re happy to be here and look forward to serving Brandon and the surrounding area for a long time.”

Britton, president of Uptown Alley and owner of three bowling centres in Winnipeg, took over the business in June after he purchased the Brandon entertainment venue from retiring owners Trevor Peters and his sister, Debbie Nadon.

Britton said his long-standing relationship with the previous owners is another factor in the sale, adding he has been friends with Peters for about 30 years and described the transaction as a natural progression built on trust and shared values.

“They wanted to sell to someone who would carry on the tradition and the concept they created,” he said. “It just made sense for everybody.”

Since taking over, Britton has retained the existing management team and workforce, which includes about 50 to 60 staff members.

He praised the operation as a “world-class facility.”

“T-Birds could compete with entertainment centres anywhere in North America,” he said. “It’s been very well managed and very well looked after.”

While no large-scale expansion is planned in the immediate future, Britton said the business will continue to evolve incrementally, as it has for the past two decades. Potential improvements could include additional seating and enhanced food and beverage offerings, alongside regular updates to the arcade and entertainment mix, he said.

“In a facility like T-Birds, it’s just going to continually evolve,” he said. “When we identify opportunities, we’ll invest in the business.”

The transition has been smooth for both staff and customers, said T-Birds general manager Laura Tycoles, who has been with the business since late 2019.

She said many regular patrons were unaware the business had changed hands, a sign that day-to-day operations have remained consistent.

“We’ve gone through the transition, and our customers have been completely unfazed,” Tycoles said. “They feel like they’re just coming to the same place they always have.”

Tycoles said staff concerns were minimal once the new owner was announced, as “Todd is well known within the bowling industry” and has a clear commitment to maintaining the centre as a family-entertainment destination.

“It was really important that we stayed owned by somebody who understands bowling,” she said. “Todd wants to keep growing what we already have as a base.”

Since June, modest updates have already been made, including the addition of a full bar in one section of the facility and the introduction of a new arcade game, Tycoles said.

She said Britton visits Brandon weekly and remains hands-on with operations, particularly on the arcade side.

Britton said there are no plans to rebrand or sell the business and that he sees himself in the Brandon market for decades to come.

“The brand is awesome,” he said. “If anything, I see a future where the T-Birds name continues to grow.”

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