And another old room dies

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.



Lyn
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We differ on what we'd want.

If I were going to open up a room. I would not have any leagues. I'd have nightly tournaments.
  • Sunday night would be a single elimination 8 ball race to 3 free tournament,

    Monday and Tuesday would be bracket 9 ball tourneys A & B brackets $20 entry plus $5 for green fees to cover table time.

    Wednesday would be a $5 no handicap race to 3 Banks tournament double elimination with free table time.

    Thursday would be a $30 buy in poker chip pool tournament ($10 goes to cover table time).

    Friday would be a single elimination $30 entry fee ($10 goes for table time) race to 3 One Pocket tournament.

    Saturday would be a Noon start double elimination Open 14.1 tournament $60 entry fee $10 goes to cover table time.

    That should give people some incentive to get out and play.

    I would want a full bar with restaurant quality food.

    Depending on the night I'd play blues or jazz for background music.

I might not make a dime but I'd enjoy it while it lasted.
 
Not quite 40 years..

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?
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I remember that room, I grew up in Peabody. That room opened in 1991-1992, I know because the original owner,Bobby "Pags" Pagliarulo bought those tables, the first Diamond Tables I'd ever seen,at the BCA trade show in 1991 in Nashville,TN. I was there for the show and knew Bob from playing locally and in Tournaments. Those tables were beautiful when new...are they For Sale??
FYI..."Pags" is an inductee of the New England Hall of Fame.
 
JayKidd said:
Speaking of Mass. pool rooms. Anyone know Silver Cue in downtown Woburn? Is it still open?
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nope , it closed years ago like most pool rooms in mass , not many left now adys. i can name at least 5 rooms that have closed here in the last 3 years or so , def kinda sad.
 
A real shame

Here in Northeast Ohio we had a great room, the was Northfield Billiards.The room had 12, 9ft. Diamonds, 8, 9ft. Gold Crowns and 3 bar boxes. The room was 9600 sq. feet, 1500 hundred of that was kitchen with eating area, it had a Pro shop ( separate owners renting from the room ) The room was seven days a week and stayed opened until every last person left.Many times staying open all night if there was an action going.The room averaged 2 Viking tournaments a year the lowest no. Of entry's was 56, the highest 134. There were 9 ball tournaments every Tues. ,Thur. and Sun. Nights, a 9 ball league on Monday night and a straight pool league on Sat. Morn.I ran the leagues for free and we had waiting list for both.If there was a negative to the room is that it was such a great place it hurt the other rooms,everybody went to Northfield Billiards.It closed in Jan. 2006 , after a 91/2 yr. run.Why did it close? It certainly was not for a lack of busn.It closed because the main owner just tired of it, the youngest of the 3 partners decided he wanted to play and deal Poker and the 3rd and oldest partner could not do it by himself. Instead of sprucing it up to sell, they ran it into the ground , within a year it looked like a dump.They canilbalized their room, selling one or two tables at a time.Today there really is no place to play except a few tiny rooms with no parking or a few bowling alleys.I thought by now that some enterprising person in his 30's or 40's would see the void as an opportunity and reopen a good room.What we need here is a Shane Jackson, but we have no one with any mind for busn.I think that also my be many other cities problems.It is sad.
 
ruzzy1 said:
nope , it closed years ago like most pool rooms in mass , not many left now adys. i can name at least 5 rooms that have closed here in the last 3 years or so , def kinda sad.
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Sad. Spent quite some time there in my youth. How about the Breakers along Winns St. ? Their icecreams were good.
 
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
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You and I seem to have the same thought process with one exception. I would have kitchen and offer things like Burgers/Wings/Sandwiches maybe a five dollar value lunch.

I think that a Poolhall today would need revenue from a range of sources to be profitable.

I love your choice of table ideas I would go that route as well. All in all you ideas are the foundation for making a room successful.. On a side note the going rate for the table time in my area is 4 dollars an hour on the 9 foot tables and I would leave the 7 foot tables coin operated but maybe for two hours during the lunch rush open the 7 foot table up to draw in business..
 
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?
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Holy cow! Is that the room with the billiards tables along one side of the room? If so, that's really sad news. I played in that room a few times several years ago. It was a good place with a great group of guys there everyday playing 3C and 9ball (I even got a game of 1pocket there, though they call it "pocket-a-piece" up there).

Lou Figueroa
 
Perfect room

I wiuld have a feature action table, 50 dollar minimum sets and let guys play for feee when matching up. When the action dries up, the rooms close down. People will come in to watch 2 C players play for money.
 
vapoolplayer said:
I thought a "classic" pool room was what you just described. I'm sure it depends on the region/state/local, but I can't see how a pool room that didn't have a full bar and at least a small kitchen would ever survive in modern times.
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May be "classic" in your part of the country, not in the Northeast. Up here bar boxes were verboten till very recently.

One room in a nearby city was in dire straits a few years ago. Along with others, suggested to the owner to try bringing in a few bar boxes and start a Nationally sanctioned league. Didn't matter whether it was APA, BCAPL or VNEA. Today the room offers nearly as many bar boxes as full size tables. Although everything isn't perfect, his profitability has risen dramatically. The room does have both a kitchen and a full bar. Both were there while his business was failing. Don't believe that is the answer.

Just as an aside, my neighbor stated working as the counterman at one of the local rooms, now closed. On one of the first days he worked, a customer returned the ball tray to the front counter. As the customer turned to leave, my neighbor said "thanks for playing". The guy took a few steps then turned and asked my neighbor what he had just said. My neighbor repeated his comment. The guys retort was "I've played here for years, no one ever said thanks before". Sometimes it's the smallest things!

Lyn
 
As they say in the real estate world, it's location, location, location. :wink:

A pool room located near colleges and universities would be successful. Young adults, especially those in academic settings, like to socialize, and pool rooms are great places to gather socially.

The game of pool itself requires communication. Take the game of 8-ball. You ask your opponent, someone you may not have ever spoken to before, "Are you stripes or solids?" Immediately, a colloquy is started, which can develop into a delicious conversation. :grin-loving:

Take Snookers in Providence, Rhode Island. They are located in the middle of a couple dozen academic entities, colleges and universities. A pool room becomes a neighborhood gathering place for people to meet up and hang out.

Build it and they will come, as long as you build it where it gets noticed. :grin-square:
 
JayKidd said:
Sad. Spent quite some time there in my youth. How about the Breakers along Winns St. ? Their icecreams were good.
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That closed about 5-6 years ago. They only do ice cream now. Don't know what they do with the back side. Just when he was closing Dave told me he made more money on the ice cream for less hours and less hassles.
 
vapoolplayer said:
Lame! As I remember, was always some sort of action going on, even if small.
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A lot of pool rooms 'round here have closed their doors for good.

The local spots that may be worth paying a visit to are, as follows:

Top Hat Cue Club in Parkville, MD. [Cigar Tom works there now on weekends, I heard. Great Sunday tournament.]

Big Daddy's in Glen Burnie, MD. [Interesting that they have no website.] :eek:

First Break in Sterling, Virgina. [Another one with no website presence.] :embarrassed2:

Fast Eddie's in Springfield, Virginia. [Daytime action.]

Champions Billiards Sports Cafe in Frederick, MD [More like a bar, but good equipment in the back]

And there you have the Metro D.C. pool scene. :p
 
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