George Kontos has been selected as the USBC Proprietor of the Year, an award that recognizes outstanding support of USBC local, state and/or national association programs.
Kontos’ parents, John and Sophie, and their partners opened Town and Country Lanes in Joliet, Illinois, as a 26-lane center in 1958, and it has been solely owned by the Kontos family since 1976.
Starting at around age 11, Kontos began helping out at the center after school and has been an integral part of it ever since. After finishing college in 1976, he made the decision to get involved in the management of the center and, from that point forward, slowly worked his way into the ownership role.
“Over the years, I’ve done everything there is to do in this center,” Kontos said. “I’ve worked the back, I’ve worked the front counter, I’ve tended bar — just everything.”
He has been involved in the day-to-day operations since the mid-1980s.
“It’s been my life for the last 40 years,” he added. “I sometimes wonder what life would be without it, but I can’t figure that out, and I don’t think I want to.”
Town and Country has hosted numerous tournaments through the years, including PBA Tour events in 1968 and 1969, three consecutive national women’s pro tour events in the early 1980s, as well as PBA Regional and PBA50 Regional tournaments. The center also is the home center for two high school bowling programs (Joliet West and Plainfield South) and one collegiate bowling program (University of St. Francis-Illinois).
Kontos was instrumental in getting that college program off the ground, working with the athletic director of the university to create it and serving on the selection committee to find its first coaches. Kontos served as an assistant coach with the program for six years, helping guide the women’s team to an NAIA National Invitational championship in 2017.
The center also is involved with youth leagues and tournaments, many of which are spearheaded by Jeff Bailey, who is Kontos’ day manager. One of those events is the state tournament for the Illinois Elementary School Association. According to Kontos, Bailey was instrumental in bringing that event for sixth, seventh and eighth graders to Town and Country Lanes.
For Kontos, the bowling center has always been a family business. His father, who passed away in 2016, continued to come to the center to check on things when he was 90. His mother had a presence at the center as well, and now Kontos’ wife (Cindy), son (John) and daughter (DeAnna) all are involved. That’s why winning the award is even more special to him.
“Winning this award gave me the opportunity to reflect,” said Kontos. “I’m very lucky. I’ve got great employees and a great customer base, and I’m able to do this with my family involved. It’s made me aware of what it’s taken to get to this point. It’s given me some perspective about how lucky I was to get to work with my father for so many years and to see my mom and dad every day for most of my adult life.”
USBC also announced other national recognition award recipients: Sherri Hoheisel of Pierz, Minnesota, will receive the Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service, while Susie Minshew of Alvarado, Texas, is the Joyce Deitch Unity Award recipient.
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