In 2001, Strike Bethesda opened in suburban Washington, D.C. With the success of the Union Square location, Shannon’s company, Strike Holdings LLC, went on to replicate the Bowlmor Lanes concept in other markets. The center was closed in July 2014 when it lost its lease. By 1999, Bowlmor Lanes Union Square was the highest-grossing bowling center in the United States. Shannon eliminated bowling leagues, 'to ease out those who did not cotton to the fancy trappings or higher prices,' in favor of promotions and events aimed at attracting new fans to the sport.

Changes included installation of video screens, glow in the dark lanes and balls, and lane-side food and drink service. Shannon then borrowed $2 million from friends, family, and Bowlmor's sellers to transform the center. Shannon saw the potential in the property and purchased it for $1.4 million 'to inject the tired business with hip design, upscale cuisine, and a full bar, and then market Bowlmor as a party venue.' That year, 1992 Darden School of Business graduate Tom Shannon attended a birthday party at the now dilapidated bowling center. Nick Gianos's son John took over the business in 1981, and by 1997 he was feeling the pressure of rising rent and the need to modernize. Through the 70's and 80's Bowlmor Lanes was home to the top bowlers in the sport. In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon bowled at the center. West, broadcast on New York City radio station WOR in 1954.

Bowlmor Lanes was at the forefront of the bowling revolution, hosting the prestigious Landgraf Tournament in 1942 and one of the first televised bowling tournaments, the East vs. The opening came right at the start of the Golden Age of bowling, the 1940s through the 1960s, when the invention of the automatic pinsetter propelled bowling's popularity to its highest. In 1938, Nick Gianos opened the original Bowlmor Lanes in New York City's Union Square.

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