Is the demise of brick and mortar retail...

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
You would think.
There should be plenty of rental properties around.
Heck, I know of several buildings around here that would be nice if they were converted to a pool room.
So many Circuit City stores have closed here.
So many buffet type restaurants have closed here as well.
 

Brian in VA

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Only if you believe in the theory of "If you build it, they will come."

Just because you have a space to build out a large room doesn't mean it will become a growing business.

Brian in VA
 

DelawareDogs

The Double Deuce…
Silver Member
I really like the way you think. All these Kmarts and Radio Shacks leaving the brick and mortar venue for Amazon and Google..... could clear up some major space for people to build some great pool halls. And I really hope that happens!

My thought is that, sadly, this doesn't mean pool rooms are going to sprout up all over the country in place of these. Likely hotels and apartment complex's. To make room for all the extra people we have. I know, I sound so negative right now.
 

M.G.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would spend good money to have a nice, QUIET (!!!!!) room with dividers (to shield against looks and noise) where the tables are of immaculate status.
Don't care about the brand (Clash is fine, but please no Brunswick), but good cloth and good rubber on the rails.

And have plenty of room so I don't bump into players of the neighbour table.

I couldn't care less about "yet another room with 100 tables", with a sound system blaring stuff around or noise noise noise.

Quality, please.
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Only if you believe in the theory of "If you build it, they will come."

Just because you have a space to build out a large room doesn't mean it will become a growing business.

Brian in VA

Well, you would think rent would be a lot lower now.
One can have a better outlook in setting a new pool hall.

A nice one with some big screens, a good mix of big tables and bar boxes ought to do it.
Gotta have great food though. The good thing is, there are plenty of used restaurant equipment around. Plenty of cooks too.

If you can find a location near colleges, you have a better success rate imo.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Since it is your fantasy, we will leave reality out.

I would spend good money to have a nice, QUIET (!!!!!) room with dividers (to shield against looks and noise) where the tables are of immaculate status.
Don't care about the brand (Clash is fine, but please no Brunswick), but good cloth and good rubber on the rails.

And have plenty of room so I don't bump into players of the neighbour table.

I couldn't care less about "yet another room with 100 tables", with a sound system blaring stuff around or noise noise noise.

Quality, please.
 

PhilosopherKing

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Only if you believe in the theory of "If you build it, they will come."

Just because you have a space to build out a large room doesn't mean it will become a growing business.

Brian in VA

If you market it, they will come... People like shiny things.
 

philly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Since it is your fantasy, we will leave reality out.

All the more reason that when you find a good room with good equipment and a good owner you should embrace it and support it by bringing people to it.

In southeast Pa. it seems we currently have the exact amount of good rooms that can be supported by the right number of players. I don't foresee any of them closing in the near future but I don't see, economically, how new rooms can open and be successful even though the brick and mortar is available.
 

PhilosopherKing

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
All the more reason that when you find a good room with good equipment and a good owner you should embrace it and support it by bringing people to it.

In southeast Pa. it seems we currently have the exact amount of good rooms that can be supported by the right number of players. I don't foresee any of them closing in the near future but I don't see, economically, how new rooms can open and be successful even though the brick and mortar is available.

what's happening here, in the metro-boston area, is traditional brick and mortar complexes are being developed into higher-end apartment buildings and condos, buffered by plazas filled with white-collar oriented restaurants and cinemas and ice cream shops and so on. It's like little disney world's popping-up all over the place... In my opinion, large rooms would thrive in those environments, but boston is booming.
 

Brian in VA

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you market it, they will come... People like shiny things.

I've been in retail and marketing for almost 40 years. What you're describing is a "big box" pool room. While I have seen some of them work, they are unicorns in this business. The cost of retail space, even that which is currently empty and has been for years, winds up being more than a pool room can out run. Unless you charge a lot more for table time (pool players are notorious for not paying high prices) or have another revenue stream (food and drink or pinball, or whatever).

After spending a good chunk of money to build out the space, making it the "shiny thing" you refer to, you then are faced with paying that off AND driving enough top line to make your bottom line. Hence the old joke, "How do you make a million dollars in a poolroom? Start with $2 million."

Look, I'd love to see a big beautiful room. I don't think anyone has the cajones and checkbook to do it and make it work. (And a market where it will work is hard to come by.)

We have 2 poolrooms in Richmond VA. One has 17 tables and is in a strip center that is half empty, old, and is cheap. They appear to do a good business but it's taken 9 years to get there and I have no idea if they're in the black. Food is good to excellent, bar is decent, service is adequate. Tables are reasonably priced (although the regulars all complain about the prices and nurse a drink for days to avoid paying for another one). Leagues help him.

The other is downtown in a beautiful space and has been there for almost 3 years. If it weren't for corporate outings taking place there, I suspect he'd have folded. Somehow, he manages to keep it going despite a limited offering of drink and food. He only has a 14.1 league but it's steady.

We have space like you're describing. I suspect a 50 table place would be out of business in less than 18 months.

Just my opinion, your mileage may vary!
 

MitchAlsup

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Why is it that pool room are restricted to rent/lease their space?
Why can the pool room not be the owner of the property?

Seems to me like this would lower the monthly costs.........
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Why is it that pool room are restricted to rent/lease their space?
Why can the pool room not be the owner of the property?

Seems to me like this would lower the monthly costs.........

Huh?

Sure, rent goes to 0, but the purchase price is huge.
 

Mr. Bond

Orbis Non Sufficit
Gold Member
Silver Member
In most large cities, there are miles of empty buildings that would be suitable for a pool establishment. And these same cities typically have a dense enough population to support such a venture.
However, city real estate typically holds its value fairly well even in a lean economy, as opposed to rural real estate which can get dirt cheap real quick, but doesn't have the population to support retail type businesses.
 

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
I've been in retail and marketing for almost 40 years. What you're describing is a "big box" pool room. While I have seen some of them work, they are unicorns in this business. The cost of retail space, even that which is currently empty and has been for years, winds up being more than a pool room can out run. Unless you charge a lot more for table time (pool players are notorious for not paying high prices) or have another revenue stream (food and drink or pinball, or whatever).

After spending a good chunk of money to build out the space, making it the "shiny thing" you refer to, you then are faced with paying that off AND driving enough top line to make your bottom line. Hence the old joke, "How do you make a million dollars in a poolroom? Start with $2 million."

Look, I'd love to see a big beautiful room. I don't think anyone has the cajones and checkbook to do it and make it work. (And a market where it will work is hard to come by.)

We have 2 poolrooms in Richmond VA. One has 17 tables and is in a strip center that is half empty, old, and is cheap. They appear to do a good business but it's taken 9 years to get there and I have no idea if they're in the black. Food is good to excellent, bar is decent, service is adequate. Tables are reasonably priced (although the regulars all complain about the prices and nurse a drink for days to avoid paying for another one). Leagues help him.

The other is downtown in a beautiful space and has been there for almost 3 years. If it weren't for corporate outings taking place there, I suspect he'd have folded. Somehow, he manages to keep it going despite a limited offering of drink and food. He only has a 14.1 league but it's steady.

We have space like you're describing. I suspect a 50 table place would be out of business in less than 18 months.

Just my opinion, your mileage may vary!

This accurately describes a room that was in my area. Not quite 18 months but close.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
This accurately describes a room that was in my area. Not quite 18 months but close.
Did they do anything to advertise or promote the room? Was it the sort of place local businesses would want to have retirement/celebration/holiday parties? Any leagues or instruction? Good food?
 

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
To the OP .. NO... at least in the north east, where rents and leases are a stranglehold. Besides that, you can have the biggest, shiniest pool hall around... but if no one plays.. it doesn't matter.

But back to the renting and leasing.. its amazing how long I see buildings empty. The fact is the owner can't do "a little is better than nothing". For an owner it is better to leave empty and walk away if the situation doesn't improve.

With this train of thought you would think roller skating would make a comeback? But in this suite happy atmosphere, no one would dare open a rink even with low rent. Insurance would kill you.

Get ready for a highway of self storage units... seems to be the only safe business around.

JV
 
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