Your Calgary Family Bowling Center.

146-5255 McCall Way NE, Calgary, AB. 403-275-1260

Questions about birthday cakes and cupcakes.

We get a lot of questions about why birthday cakes are restricted in our center. This page hopes to provide answers to this common question.

Under Bowling Depot policy, positively no outside food, including cake and cupcakes may be brought. The only exception to this rule is events that have usage of the party room may bring in only a birthday cake or equivalent. This applies to all "FULL PARTY" events that include the party room. Birthday or other parties bowling under any other package or regular price may not bring in a cake. The party room is available for rent with any bowling plan for $30.99 per hour plus applicable tax. To receive this option, you may request a room rental with your reservation and leave a deposit.

The following issues can arise when cake - along with any other outside food - is brought into our premises and eaten in the concourse.

  • ALLERGIES: The ingredients in a cake vary depending on whether it is baked in store or made from scratch at home. If your cake contains nuts and there is someone with a severe nut allergy on an adjacent lane, the results can be serious and potentially fatal. The potential of an allergic reaction raises liability concerns against anyone at fault for bringing in outside food.
  • IT VIOLATES LIQUOR, HEALTH AND LICENSING REGULATIONS: This can result in a severe fine.
  • CLEANUP: Compared to crumbs from pizza and fries cake crumbs and icing are sticky and cannot be easily swept. It may require extensive mopping and even scrubbing. A major cleanup can tie up our resources, take lanes out of service and hinder customer service. Cake and icing crumbs also stick more easily to footwear and can easily be tracked and spread through the concourse and on the lanes.
  • FIRE SAFETY: Birthday cakes usually mean candles (NEVER leave burning candles unattended), which leads to the potential of a fire. If a fire happens in the party room, it is easier to contain it as the door can be closed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. This buys time to evacuate, call the fire department and trying to contain the fire with a fire extinguisher. The closure of the door can trap heat and allow the fire sprinklers to discharge quickly. If a fire happens in the bowling alley concourse the open space and airflow from both the ceiling fans and HVAC can result in an extremely fast and dangerous spread of both fire and smoke. The results can be harmful or fatal including burns, smoke inhalation, ad-hoc evacuation, panic or a stampede situation.

Please ask us if you have questions about our food and the ingredients that are used in our products.