Survey- Private Billiard Club...

Would you join this Private Billiard Club

  • YES

    Votes: 38 43.7%

  • NO

    Votes: 21 24.1%

  • MAYBE

    Votes: 28 32.2%
  • Total voters
    87
Zims Rack

Zims Rack

Promoting the Cueing Arts
Silver Member
In process of opening "MY PBC", a Private Billiard Club- combination of VFW style social club and a pool hall.

Here's what's planned:
The main room will be "ALL AGE", family friendly area with pool tables, dart boards, juke box, snack/vending area, fooseball, & a few other amusement games.
POOL TABLES
8- 8' drop pocket tables
1- 9' Gold Crown or Diamond
1- 10' Snooker
1- 10' 3-Cushion
DART BOARDS
4-6 Arachnid Galaxy II (soft tip)
JUKE BOX
Internet Juke Box by Touchtunes (all the latest music and the oldies also)
SNACK/VENDING
We will sell pizzas, Landshire style microwaveable sandwiches, chips, etc & will provide a small room with microwaves & condiments (this room will eventually be made into an actual kitchen w/fryers & grills)
LEAGUES
We will sponsor teams in local dart & pool leagues, we will also run in-house dart & pool leagues
TOURNAMENTS
Annual or Bi-Annual dart & pool tournament with ADDED $, will host regional tours, weekly tournaments, monthly tournaments and league members only events will be held often.
PRO SHOP
We will have on site cue repair, darts, pool cues, cases & accessories available for sale.

The "OVER 21" room will have 4-6 round tables (seat 6-8 pple) with nice comfortable rolling lounge chairs, TV's, able to hear music (but can be turned off). This room will also serve as a mini casino (Illinois has legalized gambling and is in the process of putting new casino style Video Lottery Terminals in locations) & also a poker/card room.

There will be 1 full service bar (beer, liquor, soda) that can be accessed from both the "ALL AGE" & "OVER 21" rooms.

Pool Table rates will be $3-$4 per hour. Drinks, music and food will all be priced cheap also. This is a PRIVATE BILLIARD CLUB, membership is required to use the facility. We are looking at $300/year per person ($25/month), temporary memberships of $5/day can be purchased for guests or potential new members that just want to visit on occassion, but not regularly.

With the information given & a place like this was in your area, would you join a My PBC?

Thanks in advance,
Zim
 
MOJOE

MOJOE

Work Hard, Be Humble. jbk
Silver Member
Yes.. but speaking for myself, I'd rather pay a higher membership fee and have no extra out of pocket for the table time.. Everything else sounds fine.
 
emf123

emf123

Up the Irons!!!
Silver Member
I voted no because your charging table rates on top of the monthly dues. Not saying I wouldn't come on the weekend and play some snooker or on the 9' Diamond, but I just don't think it's a good enough deal for me.
 
Zims Rack

Zims Rack

Promoting the Cueing Arts
Silver Member
We've talked about FREE pool, but after researching other poolhalls in a 2hr radius, hourly prices range from $6-$9 per person... So we looked at it as if you're getting 1/2 price on pool table time for about 82 cents/day or $25/month or $300/yr.

Our initial cost for the tables will determine our actual pool table rates. We are also considering FREE pool time Mon-Thurs and hourly rates on weekend-- a compromise!

Zim
 
Rozel_GC

Rozel_GC

Freaking Noob!
Silver Member
Zims Rack said:
We are looking at $300/year per person ($25/month), temporary memberships of $5/day can be purchased for guests or potential new members that just want to visit on occassion, but not regularly.

With the information given & a place like this was in your area, would you join a My PBC?

Thanks in advance,
Zim
Click to expand...

I would join a club like that, but I would want the membership fee to include my wife so on the rare occasion we want to drop by one day after work for a drink, or hang out and watch the game on Monday night, there is no $5 cover for her every time.

Perhaps a couple's rate or something, since people are paying for pool, food, and drinks anyway. I figure most guys won't bring their wife in that often, but wives generally like to be included.

I like the idea of a private club like that, it attracts people who want a nice place to go, and not to sound snobbish, but it can filter out the troublemakers.
 
emf123

emf123

Up the Irons!!!
Silver Member
I like the compromise idea: It keeps the monthly dues low so you can get more members, and makes it easy and convenient for the guy who wants to come in and practice for awhile after work.
 
Antfarm

Antfarm

PRAGMATIC PONTIFICATOR
Silver Member
I'd join an pay if it was worth the money. ie... nice, clean and not a gun and knife club if you get my drift. But, I think you should have a couple of bar boxes in the over 21 room as well.

There are other things you can do to entice people to come if they are concerned about paying for table time.

1. Offer a speacial every weekday that if you buy a sandwich, chips and soda, you get free pool between certain times like opening to 7 or 8.
2. Have special nights like ladies night, kids/family night, or something else that either gets you free pool or half rate.
3. Sweeten the leagues. Offer prizes for the MVP in groups of handicaps like 2-3, 4-5, and 6-7 each compete for a prize in the handicap group... besides money or a pin.
4. Hold members tournys. Also, vary your types of leagues and throw in a Junior/family league.
5. Have a happy hour on pool. from opening until 8, half price pool.
6. Give a 25% discount on table time to all league players.
7. Reward good play like a break and run in league with a free hour of pool. Reward tourny players who place in the money with a free pool voucher for a given time.
8. On a members birthday, give them 4 free hours of pool as a gift to use when they want. Vouchers again.
9. 'open' the tables an hour early before league. 30 minutes sucks.
10. Hold major sporting event viewings and make it free time during the game. People are going to buy things then anyways.
11. Offer discounts for multiple people on a table. the first guy is 5, the second 3 and the third and fourth 2 per hour. No more than four.

These are just some ideas I've seen or had.

Good luck.

Greg
 
catpool9

catpool9

"Rack Um"/ Rusty Lock
Silver Member
Zims Rack said:
In process of opening "MY PBC", a Private Billiard Club- combination of VFW style social club and a pool hall.

Here's what's planned:
The main room will be "ALL AGE", family friendly area with pool tables, dart boards, juke box, snack/vending area, fooseball, & a few other amusement games.
POOL TABLES
8- 8' drop pocket tables
1- 9' Gold Crown or Diamond
1- 10' Snooker
1- 10' 3-Cushion
DART BOARDS
4-6 Arachnid Galaxy II (soft tip)
JUKE BOX
Internet Juke Box by Touchtunes (all the latest music and the oldies also)
SNACK/VENDING
We will sell pizzas, Landshire style microwaveable sandwiches, chips, etc & will provide a small room with microwaves & condiments (this room will eventually be made into an actual kitchen w/fryers & grills)
LEAGUES
We will sponsor teams in local dart & pool leagues, we will also run in-house dart & pool leagues
TOURNAMENTS
Annual or Bi-Annual dart & pool tournament with ADDED $, will host regional tours, weekly tournaments, monthly tournaments and league members only events will be held often.
PRO SHOP
We will have on site cue repair, darts, pool cues, cases & accessories available for sale.

The "OVER 21" room will have 4-6 round tables (seat 6-8 pple) with nice comfortable rolling lounge chairs, TV's, able to hear music (but can be turned off). This room will also serve as a mini casino (Illinois has legalized gambling and is in the process of putting new casino style Video Lottery Terminals in locations) & also a poker/card room.

There will be 1 full service bar (beer, liquor, soda) that can be accessed from both the "ALL AGE" & "OVER 21" rooms.

Pool Table rates will be $3-$4 per hour. Drinks, music and food will all be priced cheap also. This is a PRIVATE BILLIARD CLUB, membership is required to use the facility. We are looking at $300/year per person ($25/month), temporary memberships of $5/day can be purchased for guests or potential new members that just want to visit on occassion, but not regularly.

With the information given & a place like this was in your area, would you join a My PBC?

Thanks in advance,
Zim
Click to expand...



I would join for $25 or maybe $50 a year if the place is jumpin, but not $300.


David Harcrow
 
D

Dead Crab

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My guess is that those VLTs (video poker machines) are going to net you around $500 per day, and are likely to be the basis of your cash income. Getting the permits and having them installed will likely run you $10K per machine. So, it will take a while for them to become truly profitable. As far as I know, you could not take money out of card game pools without running afoul of the law.

This might play in Peoria (depending on the neighborhood), but having a kid's area in a gambling establishment is not going to sit well in a lot of central and downstate Illinois cities. It really depends on your community situation. In Normal, I doubt you would get the license if you had a plan for minors under the same roof, but I could be wrong.

I come from a horseracing background, and the slots crowd does not mix well with the horse crowd. Personally, I find noisy slot machines annoying, and avoid them. Are VLT players compatable with pool players? Your call.
 
doitforthegame

doitforthegame

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Zim I'd love to know if you can make this work. I tried all kinds of variation and the numbers just don't make it (from what I see).


Good luck to you though!

Bob
 
A

ascreech

Registered
I actually pay $600 ($50/month) for a daytime membership at my pool hall. It's good 11am-7pm every day, and includes table time. I wouldn't pay the membership plus added table time - defeats the purpose in my mind. I might pay additional $ to play on a Diamond once in a while, but certainly not on the older tables in the room (GC, other Brunswick, AMF and Connelly tables (28 total tables plus 1 12' snooker)). Since the membership covers all my table time (even when I stay later than 7 - thanks!), I always make sure to purchase something to add to their business, usually a soda or beer, or at least a packet of peanuts. Seems fair to me.
 
P

pooladdiction

shut up and rack em
Silver Member
I voted maybe. First and foremost it would have to be nearby. I got thinking "what would a private club have to offer as opposed to what I could go get at a poolhall or a bar." You would have to have some 9 ft tables and a snooker or 3 cushion table would be nice too. You would at least have to do away with weekday table time. I can go to a nicely kept local poolroom from open till close for an all day special of $17. Thirdly, I certainly wouldn't want any kids. I agree with a previous poster that this could quickly turn into a daycare and I don't know how other club members or the city council would feel about underage kids under the same roof as a mini casino. There is a billiard club in willow springs I think. I think there's a couple of members that post on here. Maybe see how they've had success. Best of luck and keep us posted.
 
catscradle

catscradle

<< 2 all-time greats
Silver Member
I voted "Maybe" because it would depend upon 2 factors.
1. It would absolutely have to have a NO Smoking policy for me to join.
2. A factor of less importance, but nevertheless a consideration, would be the volume the jukebox is kept at.

<Edit>
After reading a little more carefully and reading other peoples comments I think I would change my vote to "NO"
The yearly dues are too high and 8 foot tables don't cut it for me. There would be a waiting line a mile long for the 9 footer.
 
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Zims Rack

Zims Rack

Promoting the Cueing Arts
Silver Member
All excellent ideas, and we've actually addressed every one that you guys have mentioned!

We would like to do a monthly membership appreciatioin night and invite family members. One of the perks of being a member is you get so many FREE MEMBERSHIP passes... you would be able to bring a guest at no additional charge. This would encourage new members to become full time members.

Plan to have Quarterly "open membership" weekend... no membership required for that weekend... again, encouraging new membership!

This is the kind of feedback we're looking for... THANKS!
Zim
 
S

smoooothstroke

JerLaw
Silver Member
maybe

I voted maybe.The description is more of a "fun center" then a private billiards hall.Of course if there are enough of the right pool tables separate from the other stuff I would say yes.
 
ARROWCRUSHER

ARROWCRUSHER

N/ CUE STROKER
Silver Member
Around where I live we dont have any pool halls anymore just a bolwing alley with eight gold crowns and bar rooms. The nearest place to play in a pool room is 30 miles away. Pool is really dieing out around York, PA. . I been getting my son started playing and he loves it but He doesnt like to drive alot everyday Nor do I. I was going to build on a pool room to my house till I got terminally ill. and that ruened all my plans. So now Im looking to get my son interested in pool before it is to late for me. I cant take him into the clubs that I belong to , and I surely cant take him into a bar. . I wish there was a place around my area <<ED
 
G

Georgia Boy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Voted Maybe, would like to see more 9ft tables and if you are going to have a Snooker Table make it a real one....12ft. It would have to be close by for me to even consider membership and table time. Also would depend on things like video poker, how loud, some of these drive me crazy with excessive noise and stupid sounds. I would also like to see a membership that would include my wife on it.
 
Zims Rack

Zims Rack

Promoting the Cueing Arts
Silver Member
Wanted to clarify few things...

The "all age" room is not for just kids, simply means that if a parent has a teen that shoots pool, they could come along. You can't forget about Junior level pool players!

The "over 21" room will not have a table, that more for the members that like to sit and talk, play the video poker, have a relaxing time... want to shoot pool, head to the other room!

This IS A NON-SMOKING PBC! We will have an outside area for the smokers! Place will always be kept clean, tables cleaned daily or every other day pending amount of play!

The size and amount of tables is based on the area that we're putting the PBC in. Not alot of 9' players around our area, but I think we personally have to have at least 1 9' table for visitors and exhibitions. Most of our area is consumed with 8' valleys, a few 7' valleys and several leather drop pocket tables. The majority of our members will want 8' tables, we want to step it up a notch and have nice drop pockets, not coin op! The Snooker and 3-Cushion tables will hopefully bring in a few "temp Members" now and then.

The $300 membership will keep the "riff raff" out of the PBC and the serious members can enjoy a nice place.

Of course, as business increases consistently, an expansion is possible (more tables, kitchen, etc). There's much to still be worked out, any inputs are much appreciated!
Zim
 
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