Hollywood Bowl on Monday cheered higher sales as it dished out a special dividend.
The tenpin bowling operator revealed revenues increased 5.8% to £120.5 million in the year to September 30.
It saw pretax profits rise 13.4% to £23.9 million and said a special dividend of 4.33p per share will be paid on top of ordinary dividends. That means a proposed £15.9 million return to shareholders for the year.
Shares in Hollywood Bowl jumped 18.5p, or more than 10%, to 202p.
The company said it benefited from a number of revamps, plus consumers still viewing a trip to centres as affordable- a family of four can bowl for £20.
Boss Stephen Burns said Hollywood Bowl is confident of further growth and excited to be opening new branches within big extensions at Intu Properties’ Lakeside and Watford centres this financial year.
Burns added that Intu “has been one of the most forward thinking landlords, recognising the need to have leisure offerings, such as cinemas, bowling alleys and trampoline parks, alongside traditional retail to drive footfall”.
His comments will be welcomed by Intu which has had a turbulent year that saw two potential takeover attempts from suitors scrapped, and retail tycoon Mike Ashley threaten to close his stores at the firm’s malls owing to a dispute over leasing terms.
