Frank Young has seen a lot of memories made at his roller rink over the years

The owner of Frank Young’s Sports Arena, also known as the Orchard Park Roller Rink has been in business for 15 years. A lot has changed in the past 15 years.  Way back when, roller-skating was the hot thing to do. Every Friday or Saturday night, teenagers, families, just about anyone would go skating. Going to the roller rink was the “in” thing to do at the time, but as technology advances and new trends come to be, some roller rinks find themselves struggling to keep themselves open for business.

Young said the industry has changed significantly since he first bought the business, especially with all of the advances in technology. It complicates things sometimes.

“I bought this place in 2004,” he said. “I saw a sign that the building was for sale when I came one day, and the rest is history. Over the years, I’ve made many updates and have changed things up quite a bit, but am lucky to be one of the few roller rinks left in business.” He mentioned he has faced some struggles over the years, but has always found a way to push through. The people in the community seem to have an attachment to the rink and have started bringing their own kids!

Young said the secret to running a successful business is finding something you want to do.

“You have to be passionate about what you do,” he said. “It’s not easy running a business today. I’m selective with the staff I hire and the essential decisions that I make. I also make sure there is something for everyone, meaning, we have hockey leagues for all ages, birthday parties, open skates, you name it.”

Trey Czumaj and Elijah Rodriguez, regular customers of Young’s said, they keep coming back because it is a place of nostalgia for them.

“It’s the place to be,” the pair said. “We’ve been coming here for years and every time you walk in you are reminded of your childhood.”

Young hopes he can keep providing opportunities for young people to make memories.

“Schools even come here for field trips,” Young said. “You don’t even have to skate. There’s an arcade in the back, and sometimes people just rent the building to hold events. There is literally something for everyone.”