Hole Bowl owner Jessica MacGregor shares her story in this entry for #humansofjhchamber.

I’ve been in Jackson since 2001 and my husband and I are raising three children in the valley. One January three years ago we had consecutive -20 degree days. It was a Sunday and I told my husband to take the kids somewhere to get them out of the house. He took them grocery shopping because there was no place to go where they could play. And so I got up that Monday morning and started making phone calls.

I’ve seen Jackson evolve in the 16 years that I’ve been here. It brings a variety of people to the valley, not just the hardcore skiers and hikers. There are a lot of families here and people who may or may not ski, fish, climb, or do the things that draw people to Jackson. I thought we needed a place for everyone to come together and have fun indoors. I wanted to do something to better a community that I love. And I also needed a place to take my kids on days when they need to get out of the sun or the rain or the cold.

We opened July of last year and were open for seven months before having to close in February due to the roof collapse of our building, and we reopened in May. It’s fun in here when everyone seems to know everybody. Someone once told me, ‘I was at Hole Bowl last night and I think half the town was there.’ When you’re bowling, your guard has to come down. Whether you’re a shy person or loud or athletic, all barriers break down and people start really having fun without even realizing that they’re just being themselves with their friends or coworkers or even strangers. When you’re bowling, everyone’s the same. Everyone is just trying to have a good time.

Visit holebowljh.com.

This story is a part of #humansofjhchamber:  Created by Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce summer intern Tanya Grover, the campaign places a focus on the faces of our local businesses and nonprofits. Learn about their inspirations, why they got started in their industry, and more! Find the Chamber on Instagram, @jhchamber. For information about the program, please contact Director of Membership, Elisabeth Rohrbach, elisabeth@jacksonholechamber.com or 307.201.2301.