And another old room dies

doitforthegame

doitforthegame

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Is pool really this dead? Is it the end for the game and the way that we treat it all over? Another New England room died. World Class Billiards in Peabody. He must have been open for 40 years. I'm thinking Snookers is the only room left that held an All About Pool Tour tournament. Every once in awhile I get these crazy ideas that I would like to open another room. Any time I am in the car I am scouting possible locations. But I am really getting the feeling that pool is in fact dead. Just like bowling here in the northeast. There is no interest any more except for people like us. The hardcore fanatic. I'm thinking that pool is moving into a cult stage. Why can't these rooms make it any more?
 
that's because it's in Peabody Mass. Down here in the Charlotte area there are no less than 6 pool halls that are busy any time I go in them. Any events are well attended and they all seem to be doing well. Where I play on Tuesdays we have 10 tables and the place is packed with all tables being played on.
 
doitforthegame said:
Is pool really this dead? Is it the end for the game and the way that we treat it all over? Another New England room died. World Class Billiards in Peabody. He must have been open for 40 years. I'm thinking Snookers is the only room left that held an All About Pool Tour tournament. Every once in awhile I get these crazy ideas that I would like to open another room. Any time I am in the car I am scouting possible locations. But I am really getting the feeling that pool is in fact dead. Just like bowling here in the northeast. There is no interest any more except for people like us. The hardcore fanatic. I'm thinking that pool is moving into a cult stage. Why can't these rooms make it any more?
Click to expand...

Perhaps we should re-think what a pool room should be today. If I had the financial capability to open a room in Rochester or Las Vegas, I'd plan it around offering a home to at least one if not two nationally sanctioned leagues. At least one or two in-house leagues. At least ten bar boxes. A few 4.5 x 9 tables. No more than eight. If it was located in Rochester, I'd also offer a 5 x 10 billiard table and promote it heavily to the foreign students at our local colleges and University.

Don't want a full bar. Beer, wine and soft drinks should do just fine. I'm not sure I'd want a kitchen. Might look into a local food supply company (like Steward's) to offer "fresh" sandwiches and snacks at reasonable prices. Perhaps a pizza place to deliver to the room at a discount. To be truthful, I'd bar outside food and drink. Might need that extra profit center. Counter / bar in the center. Bar boxes on one side. Full size on the other. Might be possible for one person to run the place safely during the day. Two at night.

Think that might be the new layout for a successful pool room. Just not sure of a workable table rate schedule. Know the old way no longer works. The "classic" pool room IS a thing of the past!

Lyn
 
My impression is... in an urban area with a big population, you can run a proper pool hall that focuses mostly on the pool and isn't just a bar with pool tables. There's plenty of people looking for something to do in the evenings and a few serious players will drive 15-45 minutes to go to these places.

Further out, between the big towns, especially out in the boonies... the pool hall had better focus on the bar and other activites, the serious players are just spread too thin to fill the room up regularly.

You'd think with lots of competition in the urban areas, pool halls would have more trouble, but to me it seems to be the opposite... the stragglers that are the only game in town, seem to be the ones that struggle and close up. The rooms that are just one room among 3-5 others seem to do ok. I've got nothing for upwards of 50 miles west of me, then to the east there are at least 6 rooms, frequently packed.
 
I heard that the room was closing, I was only there recently with my son. It was in bad shape, carpet ripped up, tables were not playing well. I did hear that there were good players that go there, and I saw the same players that I see in Snookers there the day we went.

Maybe they just did not have the money to fix it up to keep people going there, and did not have the critical mass of players to attract others. I did not go there again because I did not like how the table played, I tried 2-3 tables and none of them played right, dead rails, uneven rail speeds mostly.

The Billiards Cafe in Ayer and Snookers are filled often, during league nights (which is almost every night) in Ayer, there is not a single free table in the place, and there are many casual players that fill in any tables that free up.
 
doitforthegame said:
Is pool really this dead? Is it the end for the game and the way that we treat it all over? Another New England room died. World Class Billiards in Peabody. He must have been open for 40 years. I'm thinking Snookers is the only room left that held an All About Pool Tour tournament. Every once in awhile I get these crazy ideas that I would like to open another room. Any time I am in the car I am scouting possible locations. But I am really getting the feeling that pool is in fact dead. Just like bowling here in the northeast. There is no interest any more except for people like us. The hardcore fanatic. I'm thinking that pool is moving into a cult stage. Why can't these rooms make it any more?
Click to expand...

I feel your pain Bob, it doesn't look good in a lot of areas I admit. I think I'm lucky to live in R.I., pool seems to be doing okay. Snookers is thriving, R.I. Billiards in N. Providence and Bo's Billiards in Warwick appear to be doing okay. A new place just opened(was a bar, new owners changed it to a pool room), UnderGround Billiards in Johnston with 8 bar boxes and plans to expand. I have noticed around us in Mass and Conn places closing over the last decade. Your room, Skooters(sp), Pat Murrays place in Franklin Mass., Fast Break in Plainville, Mass., Accu Billiards in New Bedford, Mass. I don't like the trend.
I used to like going to your room, your tables liked me :grin: Schmidt tables if I remember correctly with laced leather drop pockets. Oh yeah, I remember them well :grin-square:

I just dug this out, back when I first started playing pool. I think maybe my 2nd tournament ever :confused:
 

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cardiac kid said:
Perhaps we should re-think what a pool room should be today. If I had the financial capability to open a room in Rochester or Las Vegas, I'd plan it around offering a home to at least one if not two nationally sanctioned leagues. At least one or two in-house leagues. At least ten bar boxes. A few 4.5 x 9 tables. No more than eight. If it was located in Rochester, I'd also offer a 5 x 10 billiard table and promote it heavily to the foreign students at our local colleges and University.

Don't want a full bar. Beer, wine and soft drinks should do just fine. I'm not sure I'd want a kitchen. Might look into a local food supply company (like Steward's) to offer "fresh" sandwiches and snacks at reasonable prices. Perhaps a pizza place to deliver to the room at a discount. To be truthful, I'd bar outside food and drink. Might need that extra profit center. Counter / bar in the center. Bar boxes on one side. Full size on the other. Might be possible for one person to run the place safely during the day. Two at night.

Think that might be the new layout for a successful pool room. Just not sure of a workable table rate schedule. Know the old way no longer works. The "classic" pool room IS a thing of the past!

Lyn
Click to expand...


I think this is a great answer and would do very similar things in Ithaca. We have a ton of international students and billiard and snooker tables would help get them in the door. Regarding the kitchen, I don't think I would do one either. We have a bar without a kitchen and they're very happy to have people bring in food or order it for delivery.

I have often thought that something like the EASTLAKE ZOO would work well in a college town. I went there once, 8 years ago, and still remember the place... that's gotta be good, right?

In any event, the traditional "pool hall" is probably not going to be a successful business model in smaller towns. (I have never heard of Peabody so don't know how big it is.)
 
George said:
-snip- I have noticed around us in Mass and Conn places closing over the last decade. Your room, Skooters(sp), Pat Murrays place in Franklin Mass., Fast Break in Plainville, Mass., Accu Billiards in New Bedford, Mass. I don't like the trend.
I used to like going to your room, your tables liked me :grin: Schmidt tables if I remember correctly with laced leather drop pockets. Oh yeah, I remember them well :grin-square:

I just dug this out, back when I first started playing pool. I think maybe my 2nd tournament ever :confused:
Click to expand...

There is also GeeCues in Marlboro in Mass, Mr Billiards in Framingham, there was a bowling alley with a pool room attached in Framingham also, two of the best rooms in the state closed, Brighton Billiards near Boston and Country Club USA, almost all of the Boston Billiards locations closed. Massachusetts is not a good place to run a pool room LOL. Almost forgot, there was a place in Worcester MA that was downstairs, they re-modeled the building and area it was in, and the pool room went poof. Don't remember that place's name. Not sure if Mad Maggies in Norwood is still around but I think that was also closing, or getting rid of their tables or something.
 
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hang-the-9 said:
There is also GeeCues in Marlboro in Mass, Mr Billiards in Framingham, there was a bowling alley with a pool room attached in Framingham also, two of the best rooms in the state closed, Brighton Billiards near Boston and Country Club USA, almost all of the Boston Billiards locations closed. Massachusetts is not a good place to run a pool room LOL. Almost forgot, there was a place in Worcester MA that was downstairs, they re-modeled the building and area it was in, and the pool room went poof. Don't remember that place's name. Not sure if Mad Maggies in Norwood is still around but I think that was also closing, or getting rid of their tables or something.
Click to expand...

Are you thinking of Elite Billiards? Jeez, they closed a long time ago I thought. Country Club was at its end. I used to pop in there once in awhile and it seemed to be fairly deserted. I forgot about Mr Billiards. He has been around for awhile.
 
George said:
I feel your pain Bob, it doesn't look good in a lot of areas I admit. I think I'm lucky to live in R.I., pool seems to be doing okay. Snookers is thriving, R.I. Billiards in N. Providence and Bo's Billiards in Warwick appear to be doing okay. A new place just opened(was a bar, new owners changed it to a pool room), UnderGround Billiards in Johnston with 8 bar boxes and plans to expand. I have noticed around us in Mass and Conn places closing over the last decade. Your room, Skooters(sp), Pat Murrays place in Franklin Mass., Fast Break in Plainville, Mass., Accu Billiards in New Bedford, Mass. I don't like the trend.
I used to like going to your room, your tables liked me :grin: Schmidt tables if I remember correctly with laced leather drop pockets. Oh yeah, I remember them well :grin-square:

I just dug this out, back when I first started playing pool. I think maybe my 2nd tournament ever :confused:
Click to expand...

Hi George. You know I forgot about RI Billiards. Anthony used to have that room running pretty well. BTW, I still get to play on my old Schmidt tables. My men's club (Towanda Club) in Woburn got two of them.
 
Photographer ?

doitforthegame said:
Is pool really this dead? Is it the end for the game and the way that we treat it all over? Another New England room died. World Class Billiards in Peabody. He must have been open for 40 years. I'm thinking Snookers is the only room left that held an All About Pool Tour tournament. Every once in awhile I get these crazy ideas that I would like to open another room. Any time I am in the car I am scouting possible locations. But I am really getting the feeling that pool is in fact dead. Just like bowling here in the northeast. There is no interest any more except for people like us. The hardcore fanatic. I'm thinking that pool is moving into a cult stage. Why can't these rooms make it any more?
Click to expand...

Do you remember the little guy who took pictures at the AllAboutPool events?

I think I remember him being handicaped on his left side, like he once had a stroke.

His wife was always with him. If I did know his name at one time, I can't recall now.

I played in quite a few events and wondered if there is a stock pile of photos including my folder.

tyia for info.

:cool:
 
oldzilla said:
Do you remember the little guy who took pictures at the AllAboutPool events?

I think I remember him being handicaped on his left side, like he once had a stroke.

His wife was always with him. If I did know his name at one time, I can't recall now.

I played in quite a few events and wondered if there is a stock pile of photos including my folder.

tyia for info.

:cool:
Click to expand...

Geez, sad to say I don't remember. But when someone says the name I am sure I am going to say "Oh yeah!"

I threw most of the photos out. I did save a bunch of photos, mostly of the open guys and some of the pro's, but I lent them to Dave Egdahl when they were closing my room. Haven't seen Dave or the photo's since.
 
I know this sucks. We had our local room close a year ago, now I have to drive no less than 25 miles to find a game.
 
oldzilla said:
Do you remember the little guy who took pictures at the AllAboutPool events?

I think I remember him being handicaped on his left side, like he once had a stroke.

His wife was always with him. If I did know his name at one time, I can't recall now.

I played in quite a few events and wondered if there is a stock pile of photos including my folder.

tyia for info.

:cool:
Click to expand...

Remember the same guy taking photo's at Pocket Billiard Lounge in Binghamton when Florence owned the room. Great memories Gary. Thanks so much. Wish I could remember his name as well. Damn this getting old stuff!

Lyn
 
cardiac kid said:
Perhaps we should re-think what a pool room should be today. If I had the financial capability to open a room in Rochester or Las Vegas, I'd plan it around offering a home to at least one if not two nationally sanctioned leagues. At least one or two in-house leagues. At least ten bar boxes. A few 4.5 x 9 tables. No more than eight. If it was located in Rochester, I'd also offer a 5 x 10 billiard table and promote it heavily to the foreign students at our local colleges and University.

Don't want a full bar. Beer, wine and soft drinks should do just fine. I'm not sure I'd want a kitchen. Might look into a local food supply company (like Steward's) to offer "fresh" sandwiches and snacks at reasonable prices. Perhaps a pizza place to deliver to the room at a discount. To be truthful, I'd bar outside food and drink. Might need that extra profit center. Counter / bar in the center. Bar boxes on one side. Full size on the other. Might be possible for one person to run the place safely during the day. Two at night.

Think that might be the new layout for a successful pool room. Just not sure of a workable table rate schedule. Know the old way no longer works. The "classic" pool room IS a thing of the past!

Lyn
Click to expand...

Actually that was my idea more or less. I only wanted beer and wine. I wasn't planning a kitchen. Was going to have bar tables (though in my last room no one used the bar tables) and 9 footers. Good idea about the billiard table. I also planned on video games and the ability to video record your table that you could play later on the web at home.
 
cardiac kid said:
Remember the same guy taking photo's at Pocket Billiard Lounge in Binghamton when Florence owned the room. Great memories Gary. Thanks so much. Wish I could remember his name as well. Damn this getting old stuff!

Lyn
Click to expand...

pretty sure his name was Kenny and there are a couple people looking to get a hold of his old binders with all the pool player pics in it. Anyone know if hi is still around?
 
Nostroke said:
pretty sure his name was Kenny and there are a couple people looking to get a hold of his old binders with all the pool player pics in it. Anyone know if hi is still around?
Click to expand...

Hmmm Kenny. Ok tyvm, he sure does have alot of northest history.
I hope we can find out more here.

Lyn says he went to Binghamton events too. I think he went all over the northeast when there was a good event going on.

More info ? Please !

:cool:
 
Add another to the list

Caps Cue Club in Syracuse bought by Dunkin Donuts, opened over 40 years ago.
In upstate NY the game has been on life support for 3 years.
 
Speaking of Mass. pool rooms. Anyone know Silver Cue in downtown Woburn? Is it still open?
 
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