Alumnus in motion: Young entrepreneur revives Chicago-area bowling alleys in successful career pivot

Right up his alley

Yianni Mavrakis' entrepreneurial spirit arose early. By 15, he was selling T-shirts to classmates. At 19, he put those T-shirt profits to use purchasing his first home: a $25,000 property on Chicago's South Side.

As a Marquette sophomore, he was flipping real estate and building a portfolio. So when Dolton Bowl, a 60-year-old neighborhood staple, hit the market in suburban Chicago, Mavrakis followed the same instinct and took a gamble.

"I put myself in this business knowing nothing about bowling," says Mavrakis, Bus Ad '22. "But as someone who loved business, and loved an idea enough to chase it, I trusted I'd figure it out. I jumped on this chance to grow."

For over a year, he worked seven days a week, 14 hours a day. He ran the counter, fixed machines, tended bar, managed staff and launched marketing efforts to bring people in.

"I jumped on this chance to grow."

He wanted Dolton Bowl to feel like a community hub - somewhere schools, clubs, sports teams, families and friends could gather.

The business needed to generate $45,000 each month to break even. The grind was intense, but it paid off. Within two years, Mavrakis had turned the alley around - and bought a second one.

Now 25, his ambition grows with every achievement, which he documents on social media. There, you and his 1.1 million Instagram followers (@yohnmav), plus 250,000 more on TikTok, will see what he's up to - and what he'll chase next.

"Anything I can spend my time researching, diving into, I love it," Mavrakis says. "When the next lucrative deal comes my way, I'll be ready."