Does Your Poolroom Allow Players to Eat While Playing?
- Thread starter ChrisinNC
- Start date
I agree, and I will go farther and say that very few bar and grills Ive ever been in had stained cloth.
I will say it is your pool room and you should run it how you see fit. If I don't like it, I don't have to visit. In this case, I probably would not spend money in a pool hall where I couldnt eat, drink, and be merry. ..unless it was during morning/Sunday afternoon type hours. Good Luck
just think how much money you could save if you politely required people to only look at the table and imagine the game being played instead of actually playing it.
cuestrokedesign
Registered
This almost seems comical. I have had the privilege to play all over the country and NEVER seen a room do this and it would CERTAINLY not be my room of choice if they did. I see you splitting hairs here. I have never played on a table that had "grease" stains on them. Is that due to them being diligent on table maintenance or due to it not being a thing or being rare.....Most every room I have been to, and I assume most of you as well, have dedicated bars, tables and chairs around the room/tables where eating/drinking takes place. All have rules where no food or drink is allowed on the table but not while you play. To sell your customers food and table time and then dictate when and how they are able to utilize seems over the top. Recovering tables is part of it. I would bet if you sat out drop boxes and ballets where someone could discretely check yes or no to this rule you would have your answer IF you chose to listen to you customers. The sport/hobby of pool is not exactly booming so appreciate your customers or as stated above you will miss them...
You could always consider providing a few wet wipes when serving food, and explain it's to keep the grease off the expensive cloth (non league players probably have no idea of much new cloth costs)
This is your time to be friendly, explain to them the rules and also provide a few extra dry napkins as well. I think they will get the hint.
Like most folks, I don't eat with my bridge hand as that is touching the dirty table. Plus, this is why more pool players were jeans, use a napkin, but then give a little swipe on your jeans just to make sure the hand is clean
This is your time to be friendly, explain to them the rules and also provide a few extra dry napkins as well. I think they will get the hint.
Like most folks, I don't eat with my bridge hand as that is touching the dirty table. Plus, this is why more pool players were jeans, use a napkin, but then give a little swipe on your jeans just to make sure the hand is clean
We've been here 22 years. Food is our main business, although I'm a passionate pool player and the poolroom is the only reason I have and love this business. Not to brag, but we hear from customers every day that we have nicest, cleanest poolroom with quality tables always kept in top condition, of any poolroom they've ever been in. We have no alcohol, which is one reason for that. Those that have been here will attest that we have a very unique poolroom in a very unusual rural location - in the northwest mountains of NC which is largely a family touristy area.
We have a handful of passionate serious regular players that love the game, but most of our play, as opposed to most poolrooms, is beginner level recreational players and families, many of all ages who may be playing here for the first time and don't even know what end of the table to rack the balls on (another recent thread I started), don't even know to chalk their cue, and certainly don't have the common sense to worry about what is on their hands while shooting/eating and if that transfers to the pool table cloth.
The problem is we have to keep a consistent rule for everyone to follow. It would be even harder to enforce if we allowed those regulars (like most of you guys) that have the common sense that if they eat while playing will make sure their hands stay clean so they won't transfer grease/food stains to the cloth, but have a different rule for the beginners / tourists that don't know any better.
It is enlightening for me get feedback here which confirms to me that our rule regarding eating while playing is very unusual compared to most poolrooms, which may be partly why we have such a tough time getting some customers to follow it. I have no plans to change the rule, because like I've said above, the majority of our play in here, unlike yourselves, is players that don't have the sense to realize how easily they can transfer food/grease stains to a table, and likely don't even know when/if they've done it. Thanks for your honest responses!
Considering pure pool rooms are getting harder to find and ones that are open are constantly under threat of closing, I'm surprised a room would have this rule. Most "pool halls" that are in the Baltimore area are bars with pool tables. Even the nicest room out here (Top Hat) has now opened a kitchen and serves drinks. Would be awesome to have a room that really maintained tables like that with rules in place, but out here that would be a tough sell.
Bet them on Bob Byrne's "french fry" trick shot. I couldn't find it on youtube, but basically he has you shoot a long frozen-combo shot along the rail into the corner, and cling throws it to the rail but when he shoots, no cling and it goes down the rail and in. How?...He secretly spits on his finger when placing the balls so the contact point has less friction. I think it was Bob who said it was done originally with french fry grease, but I could be wrong. But that shot is a lesson, for sure.
When you get the money and reveal how it's done, then mention the eating/playing problem.
Jeff Livingston
When you get the money and reveal how it's done, then mention the eating/playing problem.
Jeff Livingston
We eat at our pool rooms, all three of them.
We just act reasonably, and (most) use napkins like a reasonable person does. Haven't ever seen an issue.
I'd be a lot less inclined to order food there if such a restriction existed where I played. I would eat before coming or afterwards, somewhere else...
We just act reasonably, and (most) use napkins like a reasonable person does. Haven't ever seen an issue.
I'd be a lot less inclined to order food there if such a restriction existed where I played. I would eat before coming or afterwards, somewhere else...
Could you set up an area to serve the food and only allow it there? That forces people away from the table in order to eat. I've never seen your place, so I don't know if the layout would allow it. If you truly have mostly casual players, I wouldn't think this would really matter and they wouldn't mind taking a food break.
cuestrokedesign
Registered
I know what you're saying but still think it severally handicaps ones business. This is a casual game to most people who play when the mood strikes them or on a whim. Playing and eating go together if both are available. I would bet the vast majority of these people would not "take a food break" and come back to the playing side. They will do one or the other. IF that's true you are severally limiting yourself by not allowing them to do the acts together. If they eat not only are they purchasing both food and playing time but will be purchasing them together and for a much longer period of time with the possibility of more food purchases whether that be more drinks, deserts, an extra order of fires, maybe friends joining them and doing the same etc etc. Not to mention all of which are high profit margin items as well. So even to the statement that we have mostly casual players I still don't see this rule being helpful at all when the argument is to "keep stains off the table." As said, most reasonable people use napkins and in a resort type town you have described those people have money to spend and are by and large reasonable......But hey, its not my room as I'm only offering an opinion you asked for. :thumbup:
You're right - I will admit that I'm sacrificing potential food sales as well as potential pool table rental income by having and enforcing this rule. So be it, I've clearly accepted that I've made this concession to keep our pool tables in top condition, and at least for now, I can live with that.
At the room I play at, there are a lot of elderly guys who sometimes drool while shooting without their teeth in, and a few have even bled a little. Last year another guy left a trail on the carpet from the table to the bathroom. He still came back after that episode, until he passed away in October from liver cancer.
The blood was washed out of the cloth, and it looks decent now.
That is the way it goes at the Senior Center here.
The blood was washed out of the cloth, and it looks decent now.
That is the way it goes at the Senior Center here.
Where I play they sell food and in order make ends meet they need to. The cloth on the tables need to be replaced every 3 or 4 yeas. When the clothes are replaced the old ones are worn out, small holes from jumping and breaking, dirt from dirty hands from cigarettes and food or just dirty, players spitting while talking or drooling. I play at a bar/poolhall so the rules are a little lose but despite the bar food music atmosphere there is plenty of action and the Gold Crowns play nice.
I quess if I had my choice I would play at the room that has no music, food or booze, only coffee. These rooms are rare.
I quess if I had my choice I would play at the room that has no music, food or booze, only coffee. These rooms are rare.
cuestrokedesign
Registered
You have been open for 22 years. Hard to argue with that. Good luck. :thumbup:
Sorry if it is easily available, I don't see it.
Chris- where is your room? I go to Pisgah/ DuPont occasionally and I have been know to enjoy knocking some balls off the table. (I'll be stopping thru)
Edit: boone. I see, said the blind man.
Chris- where is your room? I go to Pisgah/ DuPont occasionally and I have been know to enjoy knocking some balls off the table. (I'll be stopping thru)
Edit: boone. I see, said the blind man.
Yep, private message me when you know you might be dropping by, so I can give you clear directions and make sure I'm ready for you - I prefer 9-ball or 14.1. No one pocket or banks please!
I've never been to a pool room that enforced this rule. I can understand the reasoning behind it, but would think it would perhaps affect revenue. I would think most people with some common sense would not eat a cheeseburger over the pool table, and may even wipe their hands before shooting.
You have been in business for a while, so it must be working for you. I know if a few places that this would never fly.
You have been in business for a while, so it must be working for you. I know if a few places that this would never fly.
I think this guy hits the nail,if not on the head at least somewhere.
Most players are not gonna eat while they shoot.
You need to comprise - instead of telling customers no eating, tell them not to eat while playing. I'm gesan you make $$ on food. Tell them any damage to table and or cloth is on them. Enjoy your food but do be careful?
Think about it