Since its 1960 founding, Maple Family Centers has been owned and operated by three generations of the LaSpina family.

Peter LaSpina, Sr. started it all when he built and operated Maple Lanes, a bowling center in the Mapleton section of Brooklyn, N.Y. He was joined in the business by his sons, Peter LaSpina Jr. and John LaSpina, in 1971. Today, John continues to serve as President, running the family business alongside his son, Joe LaSpina, who is Vice President, and daughter, Teresa McCarthy, who serves as TITLE?.

Over the years, the company has evolved and expanded to comprise five bowling centers in two states: Maple Lanes RVC in Rockville Centre, N.Y.; Coram Country Lanes in Coram, N.Y.; Jib Lanes in Flushing, N.Y.; Maple Lanes Countryside in Clearwater, Fla.; and Orange Bowl Lanes in Lakeland, Fla.

But some things have not changed. From the beginning, Peter Sr. embraced a simple value system: “treat your staff and your customers like extended family,” and his children and grandchildren continue to embrace this philosophy. Hence the company name “Maple Family Centers.”

The LaSpinas share their love of bowling with the community, and they engage all levels of management and staff in carrying out the company’s mission to be meaningful members of every community they serve. This mission has been the cornerstone of Maple Family Centers’ success. Through a focus on customer service, family-friendly pricing, and consistent investment in the product, the LaSpina family works tirelessly to ensure their bowling centers are the place where people in the community want to gather. Maple Family Centers also partners with community groups, hosting their fundraisers and other special events throughout the year.

The LaSpina family is dedicated to giving back to the community, and to veterans’ causes in particular. Over the last two decades, Maple Family Centers has raised more than $750,000 for the Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL), the nation’s oldest and largest bowling charity, and directed those funds to benefit programs serving veterans in communities across Maple’s footprint. From 2014 to 2023, John volunteered as Chair of the Board of BVL, encouraging other bowling center proprietors to participate and helping to double the charity’s fundraising and impact. In early 2024, John was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of State Veterans Homes, in recognition of his outstanding efforts to benefit those who have served.

The LaSpinas have also been active members of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) for several decades. Maple Family Centers embraces the trade association’s training programs, which enables them to have high-quality, contemporary offerings for staff members while helping the business succeed. Joe is currently an active member of the BPAA’s Legislative Committee. In 2024, the organization presented him with its Ruben A. Dankoff Award for Public Policy and Legislative Services, in recognition of his tireless work advocacy for the bowling industry.

Maple Family Centers was recognized by the Long Island Business News as a leading family-owned business in 2024.