Bristol Skateway — Attraction in Bristol

I've been attending on a weekly basis for over a month now and finally have enough to say to write an actual review. Firstly, thank you for re-doing this place! During the rebuilding I did not skate anywhere else. I certainly missed it.

I appreciate the variety of session times and the website design is useful in understanding the hours. While I have not attended the lessons, it's nice to see that there's a variety of skating lessons offered outside of the normal, public hours: beginner, advanced, private, and even jam skate lessons. The prices are fair and, again, the website does a good job of outlining the different pricing for the various sessions/ lessons. The renovations look excellent and I appreciate the work that was put in to rebuilding this place. It looks neat and clean. In the middle, skaters will practice tricks or dancing. I like the backwards-only skate and the speed-skate breaks they have. It's great to allocate time for people to go all out. Though I wish we could go the opposite direction more often; I feel like I have one hulked out leg and one chicken leg. The party games are fair and do not take too long for someone who is not participating, like me. They're also entertaining to watch. They give out prizes for the kids. The staff at the concession stand are so nice. I feel like they enjoy working here. The music selection is the same handful of songs over and over. In one night it's not noticeable, but it is for a frequent patron. However, the songs are upbeat and keep me moving.

Now, on to something less positive but heaps more important: I do not appreciate the etiquette on the skate floor here. Shockingly, employees and jam skaters are some of the least courteous skaters. Surprisingly, even in the time of COVID, skaters weave too close to others and have no respect for personal space. No matter your own skill level, you should not treat other skaters like traffic cones instead of other humans who are also in motion. It's disheartening to see beginner skaters lose their balance after being zigzagged around by a line of jam skaters. As an intermediate skater, I can keep my balance, but it's still rude and increases the risk of bumping and falling.

It's a common expectation that when your skill level is above those around you, you inherent the responsibility to watch out for others. When you are going faster than other skaters, you are responsible for finding a way through that's not too close to others. If you can't, then slow down. Skaters ahead of you can not see you coming, and weaving around and through them too closely is a shock. I personally check over my shoulder before switching "lanes" and avoid making any unpredictable, sudden movements that would throw anyone around me off. Evidently, those aren't things that are taught in the jam skate lessons.

‼️ETA: At the end of May the owner, Paul, spotted me inside and talked with me about the jam skaters that are actually employees zipping around people. He said he addressed it with them and asked them to consider what's annoying to them, and what might be annoying to other people sharing the floor during a public session. I greatly appreciated his chat with me, and completely understand that it's difficult to get everyone on the same page. However, safety and courtesy should be prioritized, and seeing that effort...

I can't say enough good things about this place. Let's start with the staff. Every single person from the snack bar staff to the DJ to the owner has a clear vision of what drives their business, and it shows. Everyone is working towards a goal of serving families and creating a safe, friendly environment. They have the proper rules and processes in place to keep the environment safe and clean. Don't go there if you want to cause trouble because they don't tolerate that. My family and I truly appreciate that.

This place has a great vibe and community of regular skaters who are very welcoming to new skaters who want to join in on the fun. (You will be amazed by the JAM Skaters)

Bristol Skateway offers a strong variety of food options such as pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders, and french fries. They consistently add new items to the menu. I personally love the freshly-baked cookies. The quality of the food is very good and is a great choice for dinner or just a snack during your visit.

On our most recent visit, we decided it was time for my 9-year-old daughter to upgrade to a new pair of skates. The owner, Gary, dropped everything he was doing to personally measure her foot and make recommendations. With Gary's help, my daughter decided on a pair, and the staff ordered the exact pair she wanted without any reservations. We will never purchase skates from anywhere else from now on.

I learned they will be completing major renovations and upgrades very soon, including refinishing the wood skate surface. This further demonstrates their commitment to growing a successful business.

When you go to Bristol Skateway, you can tell these people are passionate about this business. I can't wait to see how this business thrives in the future.

My family and I have decided to make Bristol Skateway a regular choice for Saturday night...

Celebrated our daughter's 10th birthday here with a party, everyone had a great time! The prices are reasonable, but the food part could use some work. I understand that it was crowded (there were 4 parties including my daughter's) but some of my guests were given cold food, and sometimes their food was given away to someone else, and one of my guests was given a hard time cause she asked for ranch for her chicken. BUT like I said, it was crowded and a little chaotic cause all these kids were having a great time, so it's not that big of a deal. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The only thing that personally bothered me (the one paying for everything) was that we had "party time" until 8:30, and of course during and after presents is when people usually start leaving, so when it's not even 8 yet and I'm trying to clean up cake from 15 children and 16 adults and also help my daughter with her presents and also tell my guests goodbye....and the woman comes up to me asking to pay the bill now....I'm trying to be a gracious host, handing out treat bags...at this time, there was also still dances to do and games to play and I'm trying to interact with my guests...what I'm getting at, is that I did feel pretty rushed to pay the bill, and that took away from the experience for ME, as the mom of the birthday girl. However, that is my only personal complaint. On more positive terms, the floor was beautiful, the pool tables were a big hit, the kids loved the "stuff shop", the staff was friendly, and every kid had smiles on their faces. My husband and I left that night talking about what a great party and how happy everyone seemed (save a few). Overall, great experience. We'll be coming...