Passing by Interstate 75, one may have noticed that the huge beer bottle, a remnant of the long-gone Big Buck Brewery, is no more, along with big-buck signage.

In its place is a bold white sign with black trim that simply says “HUB”.

The HUB Stadium (HUB stands for “House of Urban Bombowling,”) opened its doors earlier this month introducing a pastime that hasn’t left the city of Detroit.

Bombowling, beer and a from-scratch kitchen hope to lure in locals to the unique hybrid of entertainment and recreation.

Walking into the venue, the sound of bowling pins violently falling to the floor and top-40 music fill the space.

Exposed steel support beams give the 30,000 square-foot building an industrial feel common in current restaurants and clubs.

To the right is a host stand, and just past that, the stadium-like concession stand that cooks up 1,000-degree, brick-oven pizzas. A bakery display shows off a variety of desserts, made from scratch daily.

To the left is the first of two fully stocked bars serving Michigan variety beers and cocktails unique to the HUB Stadium.

Walking down the venue’s floor, the poured concrete further solidifies the industrial warehouse vibe associated with other local fowling lanes.

“Millennials are our target audience,” said Brian Hussey, project manager.

On both sides, black netting protects customers from any incoming pins or footballs being tossed around in the fowling lanes.

Past the lanes, there are banquet rooms to the left and right, and a second fully stocked bar between them. Just above the bar is Michigan’s largest TV, measuring an impressive 240 inches.

Bombowling

The HUB features 16 bombowling lanes. Bombowling, which is just another term for fowling, is best described as bowling with a football.

Popularized in tailgating, fowling involves throwing a football from a specified distance at 10 bowling pins arranged just like they are in a typical game of bowling.

Although the HUB’s bombowling is in the early stages, “We eventually want to have round-robin-like leagues,” Hussey said.

“We would love to have college students come in,” he said, “It’s a tailgating type of game and makes sense for Oakland students to be part of our atmosphere.”

Entertainment

Besides the bombowling, The HUB also has live DJs Thursday through Saturday nights to keep the bombowling going well past midnight.

The giant TV also serves as a main source of entertainment during big games.

“All the speakers are dialed into the television, and the whole place fills with cheers and boos, depending on what team you root for,” Hussey said.

Bar and menu

The word “stadium” in the name suggests stadium-quality food. That expectation could not be more wrong.

Featuring a menu full of food made from scratch daily, the HUB Stadium hopes to surprise customers with affordable food. A $5 cheeseburger or an $8 large pizza anyone?

Another feature to look for in the future are the use of iPads.

“Still in beta trials, we are eventually going to have iPads at every table, and they will be your servers,” Hussey said.

Things to know

The HUB Stadium is still trying a lot of things out, and their rates for bombowling change, but it is most affordable when done in groups.

For $15 a person, there is unlimited bombowling on eight of the 16 lanes. These lanes are winner stays.

The other eight lanes can be reserved for private parties.

The HUB is located at 2550 Takata Drive in Auburn Hills. Hours are 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Sunday.