Pool.house London - from the founders of TopGolf

[Bob Jewett]

... Last week I went to play for an hour by myself and security were adamant that wasn’t possible....

Were they busy?

On a related note, there is a pool hall in Emeryville, CA, that does similar things under new management. They have one of the few carom (pocketless) tables in the area, and I went in one afternoon to practice a little and see how the new regime since Covid operated.

Of about 12 pool tables, one or two were in operation. The carom table was free. "Do you have a reservation?" No. "Well, we can let you play for an hour." OK. At the end of the hour they came over and told me my hour was up. "No one is here, wanting the table. Can I stay on for another hour?" No. "Well, is it OK if I have dinner and come back later?" No.

In their case, I think they are actually working to make the pool hall fail. It was taken over by a pot shop, which converted half of the old pool hall to pot shop. They also have a shop across the street. I suspect the zoning commission told them they had to keep the pool hall half running, and the pot people plan to show the planning commission that they can't make any money in the pool hall.

 

[Bob Jewett]

The New York Times had an article on Poolhouse today. They have raised $55 million to expand internationally. Random points:

The vision system is from Hawk-eye, the company that does MLB, tennis, and soccer ball tracking. Also snooker sometimes.

They hope to get the cost of the system down to $3000 or so, and sell it to franchises.

TopGolf was the founders' previous company, and those locations cost up to $40 million to build. Poolhouse locations are a lot less to build . TopGolf sold for $2 billion at its peak.

In the pictures it looks like the projector provides all of the illumination and text is written in dark. It also appears to be much higher resolution than previous projector systems.

The first location is in the heart of London's financial district which may have helped with the financing.

Their chef worked for Gordon Ramsey.

People from a "pool hall company" have flown in to look at the system. (Dave and Buster's??)

 

[iusedtoberich]

It's also directed at groups who routinely spend $100 each for a fun night out with friends. The room seems to be grossing about $400/hour per table, including food and drinks. The cocktails are $20 plus service fee.

The pictures seem to show that what's played is not actually any pool game we'd recognize, and that's probably better for the customers who don't play pool.

The idea seems to be from the founders of TopGolf. Here is a very interesting video about TopGolf's ups and downs. I had no idea that Callaway was a major investor/owner of TopGolf.

You sure like this guy's channel! hahah I wonder if he's legit or just making/exaggerating stuff up.

 

[uk_9_ball_convert]

if the pricing wasn't punitive of smaller groups I'd love to take my girlfriend to something like this as it's the only hope in hell I've got of ever getting her to play pool with me. She was interested in going to a digital darts thing with her friends when she would never play darts. Someone on the thread previously that it's not aimed at us. They are probably right, but it could be a great way for us pool enthusiasts to share our hobby with friends that wouldn't otherwise consider it. Quite like the article mentioned that there was an automated handicapping system too, so we could try our best without ruining it for everyone else.

 

[Bob Jewett]

You sure like this guy's channel! hahah I wonder if he's legit or just making/exaggerating stuff up.

He provides numbers and references. Much of what he presents is from company financial disclosures. He doesn't trigger my BS meter.

 

[Swighey]

Having now been several times, I can confirm this.

Last week I went to play for an hour by myself and security were adamant that wasn’t possible. Even though I had done the same thing a couple of weeks prior…

That being said, it’s probably the only place in the UK with 20 Rasson tables under one roof…

They would probably prefer that a group of 4 walk in 59 minutes later and all buy overpriced drinks and 2 plates of sharing food.

Central London has a history of "innovative" pool "pop-ups" that lasted a year or two in the last couple of decades. Rents are high, space is at a premium, it needs to be "new" and "well cool". They'll get their punters, 20 somethings earning tons of disposable income taking their latest girlfriends to the cool place, tourists from small town nowhere in particular thinking oh wow. It will then go quiet, they will quit and write if off against tax for one of their other projects, etc, etc.

 

[Black-Balled]

Were they busy?

carom (pocketless) tables
carom table was free.
taken over by a pot shop,
converted half of the old pool hall to pot shop.

I'll need the address and a recommendation for residence nearby, please and thank you.

 

[carl.j]

Were they busy?

On a related note, there is a pool hall in Emeryville, CA, that does similar things under new management. They have one of the few carom (pocketless) tables in the area, and I went in one afternoon to practice a little and see how the new regime since Covid operated.

Of about 12 pool tables, one or two were in operation. The carom table was free. "Do you have a reservation?" No. "Well, we can let you play for an hour." OK. At the end of the hour they came over and told me my hour was up. "No one is here, wanting the table. Can I stay on for another hour?" No. "Well, is it OK if I have dinner and come back later?" No.

In their case, I think they are actually working to make the pool hall fail. It was taken over by a pot shop, which converted half of the old pool hall to pot shop. They also have a shop across the street. I suspect the zoning commission told them they had to keep the pool hall half running, and the pot people plan to show the planning commission that they can't make any money in the pool hall.

I was there towards the end of the night and it wasn’t super busy. No doubt there are evenings where every table is booked - usually a Wednesday/Thursday evening.

 

[carl.j]

They would probably prefer that a group of 4 walk in 59 minutes later and all buy overpriced drinks and 2 plates of sharing food.

Central London has a history of "innovative" pool "pop-ups" that lasted a year or two in the last couple of decades. Rents are high, space is at a premium, it needs to be "new" and "well cool". They'll get their punters, 20 somethings earning tons of disposable income taking their latest girlfriends to the cool place, tourists from small town nowhere in particular thinking oh wow. It will then go quiet, they will quit and write if off against tax for one of their other projects, etc, etc.

I don’t think you’re far off…

It doesn’t seem like they take care of the equipment as well as they should given how much money they’ve probably plugged in.

I took a look at a few tables and the pocket castings are lifting from the rail. Cloth is a tad loose and doubt the balls get much of a clean/polish. They’re using sets of Cenntennials with a custom cue ball.