Sears could have been Amazon but they were unwilling to change.
Hard Times Bellflower
- Thread starter Runner
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Sears could have been Amazon but they were unwilling to change.
Sears didn't have a clue about how to be Amazon.
Once upon a time they did. Ever see a Sears catalog from way back? They were Amazon at one time. They just refused to digitize their business.
Well if anyone want to show the World how to turn a vacant building into a money making Pool Room, the nice thing about the USA is no one is stoping you from doing it almost anywhere after paying for permits, fee, business start up costs. Go for it.
But like I said maybe the owner of Hard Times is seeing RED INK, not BLACK. So he is disillusioned, hurting financially, and has lost intrest in something that is not doing well,
Place could have customer, be selling table tie, etc. But only a good account could tell you how P & L looks.
IMHO Pool history is in a changing mode. Willie Mosconi noted in his book Pool was never as big as it was the year of his birth, 1913. Post 19 13 it has been going down hill, with so up trends, but then heading down again.
10 or so years ago on this very Forum if Great Cue were put up for sale, or Cases, they were SOLD, or PENDING with short times. Today beside some items moving slow, price have gone down.
Anyone else see a trend?
But like I said maybe the owner of Hard Times is seeing RED INK, not BLACK. So he is disillusioned, hurting financially, and has lost intrest in something that is not doing well,
Place could have customer, be selling table tie, etc. But only a good account could tell you how P & L looks.
IMHO Pool history is in a changing mode. Willie Mosconi noted in his book Pool was never as big as it was the year of his birth, 1913. Post 19 13 it has been going down hill, with so up trends, but then heading down again.
10 or so years ago on this very Forum if Great Cue were put up for sale, or Cases, they were SOLD, or PENDING with short times. Today beside some items moving slow, price have gone down.
Anyone else see a trend?
$180,000.00/year ouch.
It's not as bleak as it looks for Sears. They own billions of dollars worth of real estate free and clear, and the billionaire who took control of Sears years ago knows that. Somehow I think he will land on his feet after Sears closes all it's stores. All those huge lots in the heart of cities are each worth millions! Multiply that times a thousand and what have you got? Yes, I said Billions with a capital B!
I suspect he has placed the real estate/property into it's own corporation that is separate from the Sears company that sells merchandise. This way Sears stores can go bankrupt and he will still own all that land! It can be done legally, just ask The Donald.
A beer and wine license would have been enough to cover that. Too bad they never could get one. I remember speaking at the city council meeting on behalf of Hard Times when Chuck and Mike owned it. We were trying to get a beer and wine license and we got denied. The lady that owned the apartments directly behind was a very powerful figure in Bellflower who contributed to the campaigns of many of the council members. You know the name of this tune. We never had a chance.
It's not as bleak as it looks for Sears. They own billions of dollars worth of real estate free and clear, and the billionaire who took control of Sears years ago knows that. Somehow I think he will land on his feet after Sears closes all it's stores. All those huge lots in the heart of cities are each worth millions! Multiply that times a thousand and what have you got? Yes, I said Billions with a capital B!
I suspect he has placed the real estate/property into it's own corporation that is separate from the Sears company that sells merchandise. This way Sears stores can go bankrupt and he will still own all that land! It can be done legally, just ask The Donald.
Jay you are talking about Eddie Lampert. He has some egg on his face for sure.
A beer and wine license would have been enough to cover that. Too bad they never could get one. I remember speaking at the city council meeting on behalf of Hard Times when Chuck and Mike owned it. We were trying to get a beer and wine license and we got denied. The lady that owned the apartments directly behind was a very powerful figure in Bellflower who contributed to the campaigns of many of the council members. You know the name of this tune. We never had a chance.
Jeff Bey had every permit you could get regarding a poolroom. 24 four hour operation hard liquor license, entertainment license, you name it he had it and he packed it in.
The biggest problem pool has is attracting young players.
He lost his lease. Only thing he didn't have was ownership of the building. :smile:
Oh boy that takes me back. The Xmas wish book was the best. LOL I learned not to say I wished I had things from that book! My dad used to tell me "shit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one fills up faster!"
Well when you pay rent your at the mercy of the owner of the building. Gentleman's son I know well had this antique mall in PHX on Indian School, his rent when he opened was $3,000.00 + per mo. But he attracted architects, designers, and collectors to the biz. Was going smoking hot until the landlord got greedy. Lease came up, and RENT was Tripled, because the land load wanted to be in on the action. Now the building sit empty, make zero sense, but that's how the world turns.
So it's buy, get long term lease, but if you don't make it your on the hook for unpaid lease, or property will get forclosed, and down payment is gone. Being in business is a tough nut.
Making money with a pool room is a tougher nut.
So it's buy, get long term lease, but if you don't make it your on the hook for unpaid lease, or property will get forclosed, and down payment is gone. Being in business is a tough nut.
Making money with a pool room is a tougher nut.
Jay he leased in the basement but after the earthquake he had to leave that building at Western and Hollywood Blvd. and he assembled lots and built the new Hollywood Billiards, down Hollywood Blvd. by the 101 freeway.
He may a ton of money on the real estate. I believe you ran a pool tournament at the New Hollywood Billiards back in the day.
He operated that room from about 1998 maybe to about 2011.
So why did the New Hollywood Billiards close? I'm betting Real Estate $$.
When you're at the mercy of a greedy landlord, it's game over...
I've seen vacant RE in L.A. that used to be a great business... I guess
landlords would rather right off losses rather than keep a paying tenent.
And Sears WAS the Amazon of its time, when you actually drove to the
store and bought USA Craftsman tools, lifetime warranty.
Then this thing called the Internet came along, Sears didn't keep up
with the times.. they're trying now, but it may be too late.
I hope the current owners at Hard Times renegotiate their lease and
keep going... they WILL have to improve the condition of the place,
at the bare minimum, recover the tables and fix the damn A/C.
The AC is fixed, they just don't run it; most likely can't afford to run it.
That's news to me, you're probably right.. I see the house man turning off
lights on the non-tournament side all the time,, even on the tournament side
sometimes the neon and ceiling fans are turned off... hard times indeed.
that's basically the story of Fieldston Billiards in the north Bronx. place was the place to be at for many years and the landlord just got greedy thinking the hall was not going to be hurt if he tripled the rent. makes no sense but that's capitalism for you.
They should have sold through Amazon … same with Toy's r Us.....