A sign telling you that there is a two drink minimum is a sign that says your place is on it's last legs and will be closing soon.
Another room chasing players away?
- Thread starter d_day
- Start date
I would tend to agree and I would go further to that say that if there's a 2 drink minimum... there better be some tits on display.
Aside from that, though, sounds like the guy is trying to make it work... hopefully he'll figure out that the 2 drink "solution" is a bad idea before it's too late.
Tramp,
While I was working, had a dealer located across the street from a university. They'd do great sales on Friday followed on Monday by a slew of returns. Obviously party goers who needed stereo equipment. His solution was an "All Sales Final" sign over the counter. As you would expect, all their sales went down. Suggested they change the sign to "All Sales Final, Store Credit Only". Unbelievably, business went back up. Sometimes it's just in the wording. Being inflexible is not a good business guide.
Lyn
you got it right!
I'm a player and a gambler, but as a owner, I'd do the same as you. My hart would wont to put in some 9' GC's, but APA pays and there is no arguing with that, they have the crowds, the fun players and the handicapping allows for anybody to win and winning is fun..., having fun in a place means I'm coming back, staying longer and spending more money.
I'm a player and a gambler, but as a owner, I'd do the same as you. My hart would wont to put in some 9' GC's, but APA pays and there is no arguing with that, they have the crowds, the fun players and the handicapping allows for anybody to win and winning is fun..., having fun in a place means I'm coming back, staying longer and spending more money.
Try finding doctors and dentists these days that work 40 hours a week. Most close at least one day a week. Others close early quite often as well.
I'd bet you can pay the normal rates if you choose not to eat or drink.
I'd bet you can pay the normal rates if you choose not to eat or drink.
There is a local place here which has some pool tables - free pool if you buy lunch. They have air conditioning but they close all the vents in the pool area to save money. I go to a place and pay for table time instead.
try asking about it. it may be that at night they have too many people not spending anything. so they may say its no problem to come play pool in the afternoon and maybe just buy a coffee or coke.
still ive found that places with people in them attract others to come in. and having some customers that dont spend much actually help business at slow times.
they can weed out the trash by just asking those they dont want there to not come back.
still ive found that places with people in them attract others to come in. and having some customers that dont spend much actually help business at slow times.
they can weed out the trash by just asking those they dont want there to not come back.
That is strange because everywhere I have ever been has had some type of law for pool rooms/sports bars that specified a percentage rate for alcohol/non alcohol sales. Maybe Chi town is more relaxed on their alcohol license.
There's your answer.
It usually is not state law, Usually it is state law to follow the liquor license that you pay for. Costs more to have an 80/20 over a 60/40. Higher number being the percentage of liquor sales over food sales.
IE: 80% liquor sales and 20% food sales, the second number could be entertainment sales also if I am correct.
And you would be wrong!
This is the second owner of this room. I worked for the original owner for a couple years. He made most of his money running strip clubs. He wasn't interested in pool players, at all, and made it known. He had a two drink minimum per hour.
The current owner bought the place from him and was much more friendly to players. He kept the two drink minimum but only enforced it for dart players and people just hanging out. In the last couple years he started pushing the players to adhere to the drink minimum. He kept the two drink minimum until about 6 months ago, when he got rid of it completely. At the same time, he raised his rates from $2 per hour to $5 per hour. So when I say he's got half a dozen tables going, he's making $30 per hour from the tables alone, which more than covers the one employee he has working for minimum wage, and the cost of the electricity to run the table lights and a fan.
But you know, really, that's not what's important to me here. I don't get to play with my dad any more. He's done doing anything by 4pm on any day. There isn't a pool room open anywhere near that works with those hours. My dad will just start playing at the senior center. By the time I'm old enough to play with him there, he may be gone.
Without knowing all the details shortening hours is often done due to having to pay an employee and not feeling it is worth it. There may even be a problem with people who are working for them and they just want to maybe work more hours themselves.
When business is bad you don't recover by raising prices. That is a sign of someone in real trouble who has no ideas.
I once had a room that I bought from a guy who ran it into the ground. He only had it like a year and a half before he had driven away all his business.
I got the place for a song and put it back in it's feet, ran it for a few years and sold it for a good price. That was 35 years ago and the place is still open and making money.
There may be an opportunity there for a new owner to step in. This guy may not even like the business or his customers anymore. It is not a business for everyone. It is hands on and not a business you can own as an absentee owner. Owning a pool room is just owning a job. You put in your hours and hope you take home a paycheck.
I've got to say that $2 per hour is insanely low and even $5 per hour sounds very low to me. I get having two rates (a lower rate if your bar/food bill is over a certain amount and a higher rate if not), but based on your description I don't understand what they do for people who don't drink.
In terms of your math for the tables, I guess one variable is whether most of the players who come in at noon will just come in at 3:00. In other words, maybe they keep most of those dollars but cut the overhead.
This is certainly get, and I understand why it is so hard for you. I sympathize. But it is still a business decision for the owner.
2strong4u
Banned
2 drink minimum is asinine. Only place I've ever been with that rule I seen 2 girls do something with ice that was just amazing.
Maybe you or pops have room for a table. If so I'd say try to get one and play all you like.
No one said they were alcoholic drinks-might be $1.25 cokes
You may be referring to guidelines regarding restaurant licensing vs cafe licensing vs bar licensing, some are more expensive than others as is the insuring .
+1
Also, we sport summer hours as well, just switched from 5-pm - 3am during the week, previously 3pm - 3am during the winter. It's only for 3.5 months, but here in Buffalo we have such long, harsh winters, that when summer comes around most of the people want to be outside enjoying the limited summer we have.
Sure, there are a few people that don't agree with it, but as mentioned it is a business. The math makes sense, and we have been doing it for the past 5 summers.
If that is so, unless the pool room is in a great location in Manhattan or Tokyo, the owner is out of his mind.