Justin Rosenberg Started as a Bouncer, but eventually worked his way up the nightlife ladder to manage one of the city’s top bowling lounges. Now, he’s launching lock yard in Bay Ridge, our latest craft brew joint

By Jessica Jones-Gorman
Photos By Jon Gordon

Justin Rosenberg was a pre-med football player at Wagner College when he took a part time job as a bouncer during the offseason just to make a little extra cash.

“It started out as just a little side job,” Rosenberg said of his weekend gig, which came during the height of the ’90s New York City club scene, which was defined by celebrity-laden VIP rooms, black light illuminated dance floors, and bass-thumping underground DJ booths. “It progressed pretty quickly though, and by the time I was 20 I had become head of security for the China Club.”

At the age of 21, Rosenberg was named as the illustrious midtown club’s manager.

“I was pre-med in college, so this was a major turn for me,” the nightlife guru said. “But I really loved what I was doing— the nightlife industry by nature is fun, there is a lot of energy, and I was constantly exposed to a lot of different people— so I knew that this was the right career choice for me.”

Rosenberg ironically describes himself as an anti-nightclub kind of guy. “Some nightclub managers are in it for the drinking and partying, but I had given all of that up by that point in my life,” he said, adding that the profession worked for him because he was responsible and tackled the livelihood as a job, not a lifestyle.

He worked at a couple of other high profile clubs after leaving China Club, and built a reputation for himself as a manager who ran a highly organized operation—all while holding down day jobs, first at a construction company, then at a mortgage bank. He worked for one of the most successful hip-hop clubs in the city, and helped revamp and launch a few other venues for some high profile establishments.

Just as he was tiring of the nightclub game, he was recruited by two of the country’s top entertainment venues to help bring energy to the blooming Manhattan bowling scene.

“I honestly don’t know how it happened, but I was contacted by both Lucky Strike and Bowlmor Lanes at the same time,” he said. “I took a week or so to check out both business models, and from day one I knew that Lucky Strike was the right fit for me.”

Four years later, Rosenberg is the director of operations for the company (which opened in Hollywood in 2003, its Manhattan site in 2008), overseeing multiple venues and organizing red carpet events and chic menu lineups on a weekly basis.

“When I started, I couldn’t tell you very much about the bowling business other than Lucky Strike had been open for two years before I got there,” Rosenberg said. “But I quickly learned how very successful this company and this business is. Every bowling alley that’s opened in the past few years has in some respect tried to copy the Lucky Strike model of a boutique bowling lounge, but the company is truly a trendsetter and there is nothing else like it.”

Operating under the tagline “Bowling Optional,” Rosenberg says the hotspot is for a lounge-ish, signature-drink kind of crowd, not really for hardcore bowlers.

“People come here for the environment, not necessarily to bowl,” he said. “Our menu is innovative and fresh, and our menu of signature drinks is a concoction of offerings from mixologists all across the country.”

There’s a schedule of rotating DJs, as well as games of ping pong and billiards for a range of ages and faces.

“From when we open the doors at noon until we close at 4 a.m., we see every demographic, from kids to adults,”

Rosenberg said. “This is a much different entity from the typical nightclub, which for so long was a ‘ground and pound,’ drink like a maniac type of scene. This is definitely a more enjoyable vibe.” Rosenberg has seen many changes in the nightlife business during the 16 years that he has been involved.

“When I first started, things were pretty simple,” he said. “There used to be a couple of places that absolutely everyone went to; now there are literally thousands of places where just a few people go to each week. From a customer standpoint, I like the progression. It’s a much more mature scene with cleaner and classier places and things definitely are not as wild. DJs are now the centerpiece, set smack in the middle of the club with a big, big focus on the music, so that’s very exciting too.”

Rosenberg’s clientele has grown with him too, transitioning from strictly just a party crew.

“You start young in this business and the partying is crazy…wild, insane, nonstop,” he said. “But it’s almost two decades later and now people are growing up. Instead of partying every weekend, there is more focus on fundraising and contributing to charity.”

That’s why the director and company have teamed up with groups like the Conquer Cancer Coalition to raise funds for worthy causes.

“It’s very gratifying to give back to the community,” Rosenberg said.

The nightlife savvy entrepreneur also recently launched Lock Yard, a beer garden in Bay Ridge.

“We teamed up with Tommy Casatelli, owner of Kettle Black and Ho’brah, a taco joint, and our dream is to essentially have the same model as Lucky Strike—families during the day and a younger crowd at night,” Rosenberg said. “It was Tommy’s baby—he created it and designed it—we just really went through menu options and gave him our blessing.”

The beer garden, on 92nd and 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge, features a variety of craft brew and a menu that’s full of only the best borough brands.

“We’ve teamed up with local bakeries and butcher shops, and have a lineup of sausages and breads that is exclusive to us,” Rosenberg said. “And that’s exactly what we wanted, something unique that would be truly appreciated by our clientele.”

In the future, Rosenberg hopes to continue bringing those kinds of exceptional nightlife experiences to yet another generation of partygoers.

“I love being a part of this industry… always have,” he concluded. “My job focuses on good food and fun nights out. It just doesn’t get any better than that.” •

Lucky Strike 624-660 W 42nd Street, Manhattan / 646.829.0170 / bowlluckystrike.com
Lock Yard 9221 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn / 718.333.5282 / lockyard.com