If you could build your dream room that actually has a chance to stay in business…

Bob Jewett said:
Mine would be more or less like Fargo Billiards except add:

A tournament room with space for four snooker tables (and so maybe 6 pool tables)

At least four carom and snooker tables. Lots of 9-foot tables. Maybe some 7-foot.

Courses/lessons for the local schools/colleges and individuals

National championships from time to time: junior, carom, snooker

Fargo Billiards has/had amazing decor, lots of tables, several private rooms with tables, weekly tournaments, a full restaurant...
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Fargo Billiards is a great place (at least i assume it still is, been a few years since i've been up there).
 
Pierre Shakes said:
I have my dream money-making poolhall after 43 years and will be expanding because there are waiting lists most nights. There are 21 - nine’s of many fancy and technical makes, because even total duffers prefer more acreage for their rental dollar; and 4 - seven’s, which fit between the columns.

Girl appeal? I can see now that it was a major reason for success, but at the time I just kept making it nicer year after year. Continual investment in the business. The wife objected to the outlay then, but is very happy now. Hardwood paneling replaced paint on the walls. Big art, often 8’x10’, was even more interesting (pretty, if you will).

Face it, females are more sensitive to beauty and comfort than men. Leather sofas can be had cheap. Men will play in a place designed by a sergeant-major - straight lines of uniform tables - and on the walls, who cares, posters of pool players. Many, many colours of cloth is very cheerful in a poolroom. If the best players don’t want to play on gold, burgundy or purple - fine, I have five kinds of blue and three greens.

Food and drink? Worth the trouble only if you want to make money. Very beautiful, interesting decor in the James Joyce Bistro.

Sales breakdown:
5% merchandise, cloth, cues, service work, table sales
15% good food, weekly specials
37% table time
43% bar

The table time is all profit (minus cloth & labour, which comes to 12 cents per player hour to keep all cloths fine).

We also have good rent on 10,000 sqft and are in the very center of town - greater Victoria, BC, Canada has 300,000 people. See the virtual tour at PeacockBilliards.com
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That is the most Canadian looking pool room I have ever seen.
 
I was wandering around the innerwebs, and came across this picture of the tournament room at Star Billiards in Santa Rosa, CA from 1978 when it was my home room. You can see that there are three rows of theater seats on three sides. The other side opened out into the main room. Two players on the center of three tables are playing 14.1 or one pocket. I think I recognize the player on the left.

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Ashtrays. It was a different time. Direct link:

Billiard tables at Star Skate World, 2075 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, California, in 1978 - Sonoma County Library Digital Collections -- Colecciones Digitales de la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma

Billiard tables at Star Skate World, 2075 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, California, in 1978, 1978, View photo location on the <a href="https://maps.srcity.org/Html5Viewer/Index.html?viewer=socolibrary&center=-122.745658,38.430777,4326&scale=1200" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sonoma...
digital.sonomalibrary.org digital.sonomalibrary.org
 
Here in Chicago a friend has opened three pool rooms (a fourth on the way). He closed the first one even though it was profitable because it was rented space - bought the next three properties and started making better money.

Surge Billiards - check it out to see what brings ‘em in: nice places with good food/drinks (and interestingly, all 9-footers). No 700+ players, just lots of male & female bangers with money.

Surge Coffee Bar & Billiards

Modern pool hall with 14 tables & sports on TV, serving coffee by day, drinks & bar fare by night.
surgebilliards.com surgebilliards.com

pj
chgo
 
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ChrisinNC said:
No alcohol or food sold is going to make it very hard to even have a chance to break even. If you can afford to operate at a huge $ loss, I guess that’s not a factor.
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billiards_watch said:
That would be similar to my dream unfortunately this dream will go out of business.

The banning of items and being near a local motel will bring in a different type of people.
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Of course. The ‘hourly rate’ (especially for the VIP section) would have to be astronomical, and the clientele would thus be limited to well healed seniors & high rollers. It isn’t like that type of room would have much competition though.
Guess I’m a dying minority of enthusiasts who remember what a classic room was really like. Only, I drove halfway across country to play on the best equipment/surroundings (V.B.), and was disappointed (no one else game), so it’s probably true (‘only a dream’).
P.S. Very high hourly rate at least, would likely make ‘playing for the time’ qualify as genuine ‘action’😆.
 
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Bob Jewett said:
I was wandering around the innerwebs, and came across this picture of the tournament room at Star Billiards in Santa Rosa, CA from 1978 when it was my home room. You can see that there are three rows of theater seats on three sides. The other side opened out into the main room. Two players on the center of three tables are playing 14.1 or one pocket. I think I recognize the player on the left.

View attachment 827764
View attachment 827765

Ashtrays. It was a different time. Direct link:

Billiard tables at Star Skate World, 2075 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, California, in 1978 - Sonoma County Library Digital Collections -- Colecciones Digitales de la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma

Billiard tables at Star Skate World, 2075 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, California, in 1978, 1978, View photo location on the <a href="https://maps.srcity.org/Html5Viewer/Index.html?viewer=socolibrary&center=-122.745658,38.430777,4326&scale=1200" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sonoma...
digital.sonomalibrary.org digital.sonomalibrary.org
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Cali here. Love my Cali folks.

That is a lovely room. I'm going to assume it doesn't exist anymore because I don't know about it. LOL
 
DynoDan said:
Dream room: Best (well maintained) equipment, furnishings & lighting, the VERY best in a private/separate room (admission only to those who had earned the privilege). NO alcohol or food sold, no music, cell phones banned, only pool, charged by the hr. Open 24 hrs. Good local motels a must, as the best players would likely come from far & wide, for very long stays.
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You have 0 chance of staying in business .. none .. nada.. don’t bother lol
 
The Green Room in Tucker Georgia came pretty close.

A couple dozen well maintained tables, great sound system playing blues music at a background level, you could talk over the music, a full service bar and....this was the missing item....great BBQ on the menu.

The Four B's.....Booze, BBQ, Blues and Billiards.
 
slide13 said:
I think you forgot about the "chance to stay in business" part. I just don't see that type of room making money. No music or cell phones especially is pretty...harsh
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Can't stay in business without alcohol in my opinion-

-dj
 
DJKeys said:
Can't stay in business without alcohol in my opinion-

-dj
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Quite obvious, nowadays.
. But, even if I were a hardcore lush, if playing for a world championship in one of those ballroom/tuxedo 14.1 tournaments of yesteryear, would I be sneaking jolts from a hip flask during a serious game? Like music, alcohol is just another distraction in the end.
They still don’t let you drink or crank up your radio while in the library, though likely few understand why anymore.
 
My dream room would be membership only and limited to 100 members… new members only admitted by consensus when another member resigns, dies or is expelled.

Equipment, food, liquor all top notch and provided on credit to members… bills to be settled monthly.
 
Rubik's Cube said:
My dream room would be membership only and limited to 100 members… new members only admitted by consensus when another member resigns, dies or is expelled.

Equipment, food, liquor all top notch and provided on credit to members… bills to be settled monthly.
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Fk all that snooty club shit. Last thing pool needs are places filled will snooty elitist pricks.
 
garczar said:
Fk all that snooty club shit. Last thing pool needs are places filled will snooty elitist pricks.
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As opposed to what? Crackheads, meth dealers, degenerate gamblers, whores, and other such criminals? Cause look where that got pool in the US.
 
BobPA said:
My local hall does not sell booze, nor do they have food just snacks. 22 tables and does pretty well.
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Does the room owner also own the property? I think that around here, that's the only way a pool-only room could survive, and it will only last as long as the owner ignores offers to buy the property for great, steaming piles of money.
 
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