All pool rooms closed
- Thread starter Hal
- Start date
Bummer, Dude! Sounds like maybe someone needs to get a couple of pool tables at their home, where a few buddies can play pool.
Did the pool halls shut down because they were made to, or because they couldn't survive without the gambling machines?
Sure hope another pool hall opens up near you, soon.
Did the pool halls shut down because they were made to, or because they couldn't survive without the gambling machines?
Sure hope another pool hall opens up near you, soon.
where
what part of tennessee?
what part of tennessee?
I hate to hear that but IMO those machines are partly to blame for the decline in the business to start with. They made alot of room owners lazy. They neglected the other parts of the business because the poker machine money was so easy. I also believe that a room needs action. Many people will just go off on one of those machines rather than match up on the table. Action creates more action. The machines just steal the money without putting anything back into circulation.
I dont think it made the room owners lazy. Economics of a pool hall have changed. If you run a room with 9 foot tables the income needed per table is not compatible with what MOST players want to spend. Rent alone dictates most table rates should be about $20/hour. Most players will not pay $20/ hour to play pool. So what does an owner do? He puts in candy bars for sale. He puts in poker machines. He raises the prices of beer. He puts in scratch off tickets. He puts in a couple dart machines. He puts in a jukebox.
Yes, owners put in all the things that take away from what "old timers" think of as a REAL pool hall. If every guy that walked into a pool room paying $12,000 a month rent would grab a tray of balls and gladly pay $35/hour for pool, most owners wouldnt care about poker machines. Life in a pool hall doesnt work that way. Everyone wants a CHEAP table rate. We are charging $1.80 / 9 foot tables with no bar. We still have plenty of tables open every day. We are still losing money. There are simply not enough players to support pool any more.
Yes, owners put in all the things that take away from what "old timers" think of as a REAL pool hall. If every guy that walked into a pool room paying $12,000 a month rent would grab a tray of balls and gladly pay $35/hour for pool, most owners wouldnt care about poker machines. Life in a pool hall doesnt work that way. Everyone wants a CHEAP table rate. We are charging $1.80 / 9 foot tables with no bar. We still have plenty of tables open every day. We are still losing money. There are simply not enough players to support pool any more.
with all the vsacant space comming on the market, rents will go down,
4 years ago to open a room it was $2.00/ft for rent and $4,000/table plus TI work that dosent equal a viable business and hence alot of rooms are falling off.
now if you can get in at 0.75-$1.00/foot and used Gold crowns @ $1000/ea that equals a viable business, its all in the numbers,
rents are falling, tables can be had for $700-$1000 each, so its going to become easier and easier to open a room. because you wont need but 33% the start-up $$$ and the overhead will be 40% lower than it was.
Trust me on this new rooms in old buildings with used equipment will pop up here and there over the next few years. The math dosent lie and pool will come back a little, i have seen signs of that.
4 years ago to open a room it was $2.00/ft for rent and $4,000/table plus TI work that dosent equal a viable business and hence alot of rooms are falling off.
now if you can get in at 0.75-$1.00/foot and used Gold crowns @ $1000/ea that equals a viable business, its all in the numbers,
rents are falling, tables can be had for $700-$1000 each, so its going to become easier and easier to open a room. because you wont need but 33% the start-up $$$ and the overhead will be 40% lower than it was.
Trust me on this new rooms in old buildings with used equipment will pop up here and there over the next few years. The math dosent lie and pool will come back a little, i have seen signs of that.
I don't disagree at all with what you are saying. The business is a tough nut to crack. I've just seen rooms that were thriving with their pool/grill/pro shop etc. and the owners get away from the core business after the poker machines/games arrive. The business changes from a pool room/grill that offers beer or has poker games/machines to a gameroom or bar that offers pool tables. I can see why the other areas of revenue are pursued,I just think that they can hurt the business if they are not kept in perspective. I know that you're not gonna get rich dealing with poolplayers but around here, they are the first thing to get neglected. Eventually the room owner looks up and the only customers he has are the beer drinkers and the poker machine players.
I agree sliprock. Pool players get neglected quickly. When you figure per square foot, pool is the LEAST amount of income and the MOST amount of maintenance (and headaches). New cloth, cleaning balls, cleaning the table, releveling the tables. These are all expensive chores that yield low profit. A rotating nut/candy machine takes up 4 square feet of floor space...and makes more profit in a month than your One pocket table that takes up 300 square foot of floor space. Over the course of years....That gets hard to take sometimes. Our number one income generating pool table in our room is a table that is 65 years old and has a cracked slate with factory second cloth on it. 10/12 months of the year it makes more money than all the good ones. Bangers who dont know good equipment from bad bring in the most income. So unfortunatley...the bangers tables might get attention first too. In order to survive, we follow the money. Not a popular course for our regulars. 
How many rooms closed? What were their names? When did this happen?
IMO, the successful rooms in my area have:
a licqor license
food
and most importantly they offer a rate which is per player to some extent.
Like $4 or $5 per hr for 1 player. $8 per hour for 2 players and then like a max of $10 per hour.
I am generalizing, but I like the reduced rate to encourage single player looking for practicee or action.
Also, IMO, Fri and Sat night ought to be full rate just because that is when your table maintenance issues seem to occur. i.e. sitting on the table, Joe not know the game whacking a table scarring masse or jump.
a licqor license
food
and most importantly they offer a rate which is per player to some extent.
Like $4 or $5 per hr for 1 player. $8 per hour for 2 players and then like a max of $10 per hour.
I am generalizing, but I like the reduced rate to encourage single player looking for practicee or action.
Also, IMO, Fri and Sat night ought to be full rate just because that is when your table maintenance issues seem to occur. i.e. sitting on the table, Joe not know the game whacking a table scarring masse or jump.