coin op pool revenue

skipbales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am considering opening a bar with 8 coin op diamond tables. 40 years ago I had a bar with 5 tables. Play was 25 cents. It surprises me it is still only 50 cents in my small local community. Still, I could reliably count on $600 per month per table with average use at 25 cents. The front table on each side of the room always did the most but the overall average was pretty constant at $600 each.

At 50 cents I am using an income projection of $1200 a month each then reducing it 20% because I anticipate lower utilization with more tables. I will have 6 7' tables which will be 50 cent and 2 9' which will be 75 cent. There are no tables in town other than 6 1/2' Valleys in poor condition. I expect this difference to be a draw but want to be realistic with my numbers.

If any of you have coin op tables and can give me advice on what income to expect I would appreciate it.

Also vending income for an internet based music system if you have that.
 

a1712

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Coin Op's

Wow, we have 3 perfectly maintained Diamond Bar Boxes at .75 a game, between league play and free pool Sundays we're lucky to do $500 a month on all 3 combined. Brian.
 

skipbales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wow, we have 3 perfectly maintained Diamond Bar Boxes at .75 a game, between league play and free pool Sundays we're lucky to do $500 a month on all 3 combined. Brian.

I have been thinking about it and my memory may be totally wrong. That is why I was asking. Maybe I made $600 on all 5 tables. Much different.
Thank you so much for your help.

I was doing the math and it would take a lot of plays per day to equal my memory. Do you have any idea about games per hour when you are busy? I am thinking between 4-6, right?
 

a1712

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have been thinking about it and my memory may be totally wrong. That is why I was asking. Maybe I made $600 on all 5 tables. Much different.
Thank you so much for your help.

I was doing the math and it would take a lot of plays per day to equal my memory. Do you have any idea about games per hour when you are busy? I am thinking between 4-6, right?

Lots of things to consider. Our tables have 4 3/8" pockets, takes longer for rec shooters/bangers to get through a game, but that's what the league shooters requested. Our table revenue is mainly made on Fri. and Sat. nights, with leagues running Mon.-Thurs. with free pool Sunday, there's not a lot of revenue to be generated from the tables those nights. We make our money on food and alcohol sales, we charge no greens fee's to the Leagues. Brian.
P.S. I've also learned the hard way, DON'T GIVE ANYTHING AWAY PERIOD!!!!!!!! Pool shooters will expect everything from that point on to be given to them and when you have to take it away, and you will, you will become the ANTICHRIST.
 

skipbales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Lots of things to consider. Our tables have 4 3/8" pockets, takes longer for rec shooters/bangers to get through a game, but that's what the league shooters requested. Our table revenue is mainly made on Fri. and Sat. nights, with leagues running Mon.-Thurs. with free pool Sunday, there's not a lot of revenue to be generated from the tables those nights. We make our money on food and alcohol sales, we charge no greens fee's to the Leagues. Brian.
P.S. I've also learned the hard way, DON'T GIVE ANYTHING AWAY PERIOD!!!!!!!! Pool shooters will expect everything from that point on to be given to them and when you have to take it away, and you will, you will become the ANTICHRIST.

Your advice is priceless. I have moved from thinking this was a slam dunk no brainer to a no go.

You do give away a lot of the pool revenue I never did. But in those days I did not even have a league to worry about. I also played every day myself. The players all liked playing with the owner. We only had beer and wine but they would buy ridiculous numbers of beers for me. I could not possibly drink them all. I had to threaten the barmaids to pour them out. They thought it was wasteful but it was how I survived. You had to sell a LOT of beer and do a lot on the pool tables to break even in those days. A beer only bar would not survive today, at least not here locally.

Thanks for the eye opener. I was doing this for my son. I plan to work on getting him a home instead. :)
 
Top