Lewiston Event Center reopens with new management, larger restaurant menu, bowling leagues - and thoughts to expand

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

New Lewiston Event Center operator Michael Carella is optimistic his plans for the Cayuga Street entertainment complex will be a strike with River Region residents.

Since reopening the LEC a month ago, Carella has already made some significant changes.

Bowling

“We started a Thursday night league and we have like 25 teams, which is the biggest league that we have here,” Carella said.

He intends to keep both sides of the LEC as designated bowling lanes “this year, for sure. We want to try to maximize our bowling.

“Our Thursday league has 24 teams. That’s 20 teams (on one side), four teams (on the other side) already, which is awesome.

“Lew-Port, they’re doing their bowling here. …

“We’re starting youth bowling/learn-to-bowl Saturday mornings at 10:30, starting Nov. 1.”

The LEC also expanded its hours, shifting to an open-seven-days-a-week format.

Carella said, “We’re open for lunch on Fridays right now, at 10:45, till close (10 p.m.-ish). … Monday through Thursday, right now, is 3 to close. Weekends we open at 11.”

Scenes from Wednesday's ribbon-cutting.

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Bar

Though the event center is well-known for its large bar area, Carella said that description is somewhat lacking – especially when it comes to the food selections.

“We subtracted a few things; we added a few things. … We added a lot of things, actually,” Carella said, noting he offers a full restaurant menu.

“That’s the whole thing – we have to get over the stigma that we’re just a bowling alley, because our food is phenomenal. We’ve gotten a lot of compliments on our food.”

Carella said the LEC’s menu is akin to a pizzeria.

“Salads, subs, wings, pizza, wraps, and then you’ve got the finger foods. There’s some burgers on there; our fried bologna’s been a big hit,” he explained.

“We’re doing dollar wings on Mondays, and half-price bowling, and we had a bunch of people in here,” Carella said. “With this economy, people need a little bit of a break here and there.”

He noted, “Our (pizza) dough is delicious. We changed our cheese a little bit this year, to a little bit more expensive cheese. That helped out a little bit. I’ve been in the pizza business since I was like 24 years old, when I first started delivering; then we had the hockey rink (Niagara Falls’ Hyde Park Ice Pavilion) for 14 years (until 2025), and we cooked pizzas up there. That’s kind of where we perfected our menu.

“We’ve tasted it. We had a big order from the Moose Lodge. They got the food and they called us back and said, ‘This is incredible.’ ”

Carella said, “Nowadays, a lot of places aren’t using the brick oven pizzas.”

He said that preparation is “more traditional” and creates a better result.

“We cook it in a pan and then we put it right onto the stone to brown it,” Carella said. “We’re not a super-sweet sauce. It’s just a good sauce; good ingredients. You pay for the good ingredients. Pepperoni – you’ve got to get your good pepperoni.”

Moreover, “Our ‘Bang Bang Shrimp’ has been a big seller. It’s a pretty big portion,” Carella said. “Then we do a steak and cheese with big ribeye steak pucks. People have been raving about the ‘Stinger’ (sub/wrap).”

“These are all classic, Lewiston-type foods. I didn't want to reinvent the wheel quite yet. Once we get established a little more, we’re going to have a special every day. That will be more using our creativity to build some different things.”

“Prices are very reasonable – especially our wing prices. Our wing prices are great.”

Carella added, “Bills games and Sabres games have been great in here. It’s the best place to watch a game in Lewiston, in my opinion, with all the TVs, the setting and everything.”

An ice rink could be added to the “high side” section of the Lewiston Event Center’s outdoor lot (above), while pickleball is under consideration for the upper parking area.

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Beyond

In addition to bowling, “The simulators – we’re upgrading the technology in there now,” Carella said of the sports games available adjacent to the front lanes.

Outside, the LEC is spacious enough for some noteworthy upgrades – which Carella teased when first interviewed about his involvement with the event center.

“Outdoors, I know a lot of people come up and are excited about things like the outdoor ice rink. Which is feasible. And I have my own Zamboni to clean the ice,” Carella said.

“That’s still in the works. We don’t have anything set in stone. I talked to the mayor a little bit to see if Lewiston needs something like that, which they do; they need things for kids.”

Carella said an ice rink could go “behind the high side (on the Tops Xpress gas station side); there’s enough room to put in a nice, little hockey court” next to the covered parking lot.

He noted, “The rink can be used for roller hockey in the summer, and floor hockey in the summer. It’s not just winter.

“Kids need that.”

Then, “Pickleball, we have the upper parking lot area” headed toward Portage Road, Carella said. “That is ideal for something like that. A few pickleball courts or a volleyball court.”

He speculated four to five pickleball courts could be built, and/or a volleyball court, plus a pavilion and/or live music space.

“It’s a nice piece of property; and it’s not used at all right now,” Carella said of the 2.5-acre-plus lot’s wings.

“We’ve got options. We’re going to need something to keep us going in the summer.”

Finally, Carella said he could eventually take an alley from the covered parking lot and insert a drive-thru food window.

“I think that would be a value to Lewiston,” he said.

“We’ve got ideas.”

Carella emphasized he’s only just finished his first month at the helm, and any outdoor additions at the LEC would come over time, and not immediately.

Scenes from Wednesday's ribbon-cutting.

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Grand opening

The LEC will celebrate its grand-opening this weekend, with wing and bowling specials on Oct. 17-18.

The Upward Niagara Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

President Amanda Haseley said, “We are excited to see the Lewiston Event Center open again! Family-friendly entertainment and activities are such an important part of our community, and we are excited about Mike’s vision for the facility. His plans for future expansions and additions will bring even more opportunities for families to have fun, and enjoy everything Lewiston really has to offer.”

The Lewiston Event Center is located at 845 Cayuga St., Lewiston; and online at https://www.lewistoneventcenter.biz/.

Lewiston Event Center operator Michael Carella and family.