top entrepreneurs under 40: Chuck Lande, 39, The

D Magazine, Jan 01, 2004 by McGahey, Marion, Slonecker, Troy

Chuck Lande, 39

Rowlett Family Entertainment

The leap from hard drives to bowling balls seems like a long one, but for this entrepreneur, it was a matter of following his bliss. Chuck Lande founded Landec Computer in 1996 by buying secondhand products from local computer retailers. In a small warehouse, he fixed them up and put them back on the shelves for sale. Sales managers passed his name along to corporate executives, and Lande was soon buying direct. Once he discovered online stores like eBay, Landec: Computer burst into the global marketplace. He sold the company in April 2002 and began his new venture, Rowlett Bowl-a-Rama, a retrostyled, family-oriented restaurant/bowling alley that cleverly combines 1950s sensibilities and high-tech fun.