room without liqour?
- Thread starter Trent
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When I was in high school I ran a room for about 5 years. We didnt have liqour, beer, or food and we did great, mostly high school kids came in on the weekends and with 3 shifts we made around 2500.00 a night at $3 dollars an hour per person we would sometimes have a waiting list of 30 people or more. The owner had a great idea and moved about 1/4 mile down the road and got liqour which left all the kids out and we closed in 2 years. I thought that was the biggest mistake he ever made.
How long ago?
Ah, the good old days. When high school kids could run a room that makes $2500.00 a night on pool time alone. You must have had a lot of tables. I agree, it certainly was a mistake to give that up. These days I think it's pretty tough to make it work without something to go along with pool. It doesn't have to be alcohol, it might be a great pizza or sandwich shop, or specialty coffee house. I have a friend in a tourist area that sells homemade ice cream, cheap purses, and hummingbird houses! (Have you ever seen a hummingbird house? pretty cool, actually) It all depends on your area. It would be a mistake to go into it expecting to make $2500.00
a night in pool time, though
Ah, the good old days. When high school kids could run a room that makes $2500.00 a night on pool time alone. You must have had a lot of tables. I agree, it certainly was a mistake to give that up. These days I think it's pretty tough to make it work without something to go along with pool. It doesn't have to be alcohol, it might be a great pizza or sandwich shop, or specialty coffee house. I have a friend in a tourist area that sells homemade ice cream, cheap purses, and hummingbird houses! (Have you ever seen a hummingbird house? pretty cool, actually) It all depends on your area. It would be a mistake to go into it expecting to make $2500.00
a night in pool time, though
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it is tough for a room with what ever you have now adays, but what I was meaning is to take a good look at your customers and there needs aswell.
Yes it is possible to scrape out a meager living but very difficult.
It really does not seem to be worth it as you could make more money working 40hrs a week at minimum wage and probably make more money.
However, if you ad a pro-shop & good food you stand a better chance of making money.
Think of it this way. If after all expenses your total profit is 10%. Would you rather have a room with no alcohol that grosses $100,000 per year or would you rather have a room with alcohol that grosses $1,000,000 per year?
If you are opening any room these days I wish you the best of luck..
Trying
I just took over a pool room in MD that has never had an alcohol license. Back in the mid to late nineties the room made a small fortune, mostly off of high school and college age kids. Nowadays the kids aren't playing pool anymore (or so it seems) so things are really tight. I'm going to make a go of it though, without an alcohol license. I'm going to add a small kitchen in the future - but right now I'm surviving off of a great attitude towards customers, great service, and good equipment. Good luck with your plans.
I just took over a pool room in MD that has never had an alcohol license. Back in the mid to late nineties the room made a small fortune, mostly off of high school and college age kids. Nowadays the kids aren't playing pool anymore (or so it seems) so things are really tight. I'm going to make a go of it though, without an alcohol license. I'm going to add a small kitchen in the future - but right now I'm surviving off of a great attitude towards customers, great service, and good equipment. Good luck with your plans.
Possible, yes. Not probable.
millcityfats
Hit high & draw it back
The Cue Ball - Salem, OR
No Beer, No Liquor.. The only amenities they have are 3 vending machines... soda, coffee & snacks. They have been open since 1963. Constant action, 3 cushion, Golf, Snooker etc.. always happening.
No Beer, No Liquor.. The only amenities they have are 3 vending machines... soda, coffee & snacks. They have been open since 1963. Constant action, 3 cushion, Golf, Snooker etc.. always happening.
The numbers
I have been doing the numbers on this because I am opening a room in the next year here in Santa Fe New Mexico. and in short the answer is yes it is totally possible to open a room with no liquor but you have to know how to run a business. Here is the real question how does Starbucks keep a snack shop open without a pool hall. Now I have called almost every alcohol free pool room that has a web presents in the last three months and they fall into two categories. Rooms that are waiting for customers to come back and rooms that are going out and getting customers. The former would have us believe that pool is dead and young people can't appreciate a good thing. While the latter have built a community that is engaging and welcoming to beginners n veterans alike. As well as being highly visible to the general public. To be successful you will need a community of experienced pool players. If I didn't have 200 players who value my efforts to provide quality entertainment through pool http://www.santafeshootout.com I would never believe it was possible. But we need it and we need to work together to make it work. Also keep in mind I will not be able to make this happen without our local billiard communities support. This is something that is taken for granted by far to many pool halls.
Thanks
I have been doing the numbers on this because I am opening a room in the next year here in Santa Fe New Mexico. and in short the answer is yes it is totally possible to open a room with no liquor but you have to know how to run a business. Here is the real question how does Starbucks keep a snack shop open without a pool hall. Now I have called almost every alcohol free pool room that has a web presents in the last three months and they fall into two categories. Rooms that are waiting for customers to come back and rooms that are going out and getting customers. The former would have us believe that pool is dead and young people can't appreciate a good thing. While the latter have built a community that is engaging and welcoming to beginners n veterans alike. As well as being highly visible to the general public. To be successful you will need a community of experienced pool players. If I didn't have 200 players who value my efforts to provide quality entertainment through pool http://www.santafeshootout.com I would never believe it was possible. But we need it and we need to work together to make it work. Also keep in mind I will not be able to make this happen without our local billiard communities support. This is something that is taken for granted by far to many pool halls.
Thanks