Mystery Diners Season 8 Episode 13
Mystery Diners
Season 8

Ep 13. Bowling for Dollars

  • TV-G
  • February 4, 2015
  • 19 min
  • 6.2  (12)

In Mystery Diners season 8 episode 13, titled Bowling for Dollars, Charles Stiles and his team of undercover diners head to a bowling alley in Virginia. The alley's proprietor, Kevin, is concerned about a downturn in profits despite increasing sales of beer and other concessions. In particular, he's been noticing a decrease in the number of games played each week, and he's curious as to why that might be happening.

To get to the bottom of this mystery, Charles sends in two of his most trusted Mystery Diners, Danielle and Deanna. The ladies assume the roles of two friends looking for a fun afternoon of bowling and refreshments. They start by ordering some food and drinks, which seems to be the first area of concern for Kevin. According to him, the concession stand is where most of his profits come from, so the way the servers handle food, drink, and money is critical.

As Danielle and Deanna watch from their table, they quickly spot a problem. One of the servers, Chris, seems to be skimming money from the cash drawer. Every time he rings up a sale, he's pocketing a few dollars and then only entering a portion of the amount in the register. This is a classic example of theft and something that could be costing Kevin a significant amount of money over time.

Meanwhile, in the bowling area, the undercover diners begin to notice other issues. The lanes are dirty and sticky, and customers are having trouble getting the computer systems to work correctly. In some cases, the pins aren't set up correctly, which is frustrating for bowlers who want to enjoy the game without having to figure out why the game isn't working correctly. These issues suggest that the bowling alley isn't being well-maintained, which could be why customers are losing interest.

Danielle and Deanna step up their investigation, speaking separately with some of the employees and patrons to get a better idea of what's going on behind the scenes. One of the staffers, a woman named Katie, seems to be responsible for keeping the facility clean and tidy. But when the ladies follow her into the back room where cleaning supplies are kept, they find a surprise. Katie is using some of the cleaning fluids to make her own drinks, which she's sipping throughout the day.

This discovery raises some serious concerns for Charles and for Kevin as well. Not only is Katie wasting time and resources, but she's also putting herself and others in danger by drinking the chemicals. This is unacceptable behavior, and it's something that Kevin will need to address if he wants to keep his business running smoothly.

With their investigation complete, Danielle and Deanna meet up with Charles to discuss their findings and come up with a plan of action. Charles is shocked at the level of theft, misconduct, and negligence that he's seen, but he knows what needs to be done. Over the next few days, he works with Kevin to improve check and balance systems at the concession stand and strike deals with suppliers to keep the prices of food and drink low.

In addition, Charles works with Kevin to de-license Chris, the employee who was stealing from the cash drawer. While it's never easy to let someone go, Kevin realizes the importance of protecting his investment, which means holding his staff to a higher standard.

Finally, Charles and his team of undercover diners provide Kevin with a report card on the cleanliness and maintenance of the bowling alley. They make suggestions on how to clean and maintain the lanes and equipment better. They also report on the problems with the electronic scoring system and suggest some possible upgrades to make things more user-friendly. Overall, they're able to help Kevin make some crucial improvements that will benefit both his business and his customers in the weeks and months to come.

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Description
  • First Aired
    February 4, 2015
  • Content Rating
    TV-G
  • Runtime
    19 min
  • Language
    English
  • IMDB Rating
    6.2  (12)