How many times have you said or heard others say "if I was opening a pool room, I would do THIS or THIS or I wouldn't do THIS....
Well I've been implementing THIS's and THIS's and NOT THIS's a lot in the last couple years. I'm soon to open a big new pool room in Fargo in about four months. The building is under construction as we speak.
Two years ago I met with city commissioners, chief of police, city attorney and others to talk about creating a new category of liquor license that would accommodate me. I got the laws changes about a year and a half ago, so that part's on track.
Then I started presenting business plan ideas to bankers --business plan, power point presentations, the whole works. Wow was that ever an effort! After working with two banks quite a bit each I finally got things going with a third bank, using the SBA 504 program.
In a nutshell -
Fargo Billiards & Gastropub (or just Fargo Billiards)
28,536 square feet
56 tables (7 9-ft Diamond Professional, 9 9-ft Gabriel Signature Pro, 33 7-foot diamond pro-ams, 7 7-ft Gabriels)
3,000 sf raised area in the middle that included a U-shaped bar with an island in the middle, high-top seating, and lounge (leather chair)-type seating. Offthe raised area near the bar is a tight 9-foot diamond professional.
Tables are more or less segregated into neighborhoods.
Off the raised area toward the front is a line of 6 9-ft Diamonds.
In front of that and separated by a half-wall (front of building ) are 11 7-ft. Diamonds.
Behind the raised area on one side is a group of 6 9-ft Gabriels. On the other side but still adjacent to the raised area is a set of 6 7-ft. Gabriels, three of which have leather, living-room style seating arrangements. These areas are enclosed by half-height walls.
Behind these, along the back of the building is the league area and includes 20 7-ft Diamonds that are arranged in two rows with a gap in the middle (two groups of 10)
There are 3 private rooms:
One (500 sf) has a 9-ft Gabriel and living-room furniture.
the second (950 sf) has 2 9-ft Gabriels and living-room furniture
the third (950 sf) has 2 7-ft Diamonds and living-room furniture
A conference room (The Fargo Billiard Academy) has a 12-seat conference table, a 7-ft diamond set up for video analysis, and a screen for presentations.
Full-service restaurant called The Gastropub that includes a seating area as well as service to the lounge and to pool tables. (Gastropub is a british term meaning a pub that takes its food more seriously than normal pub-fare). There is an espresso bar adjacent to the dining area with coffee-shop type lounge area.
Wireless throughout.
Music is low-volume blues and acoustic and a little jazz.
Occasional acoustic performers in the raised area.
Things you WON'T find:
-- juke box
-- loud music
-- darts
-- video games
-- smoke
-- dance floor
-- karaoke
I'll try to get up a diagram.
