Another Phoenix Area Pool BAR CLOSES.

[CocoboloCowboy]

I guess I don't get out enough...I have not heard of any offensive...What was it?

I still think it is more a supply and demand problem....and pool players are only a part of the demand...If I was a bar owner...pool players would only be part of an overall target of market share.

If you are a bar owner and only going after the pool player market...you are probably doomed to fail.

Although Larry is a pool player at heart....I seriously doubt he was ONLY targeting pool players.....but the target is getting tougher and tougher to hit.

My friend Dave own Two Bar (Beef & Billiards, and the Fan Club) in PHX, was on the Rating Committee at one time.

He had two or three Pool tables in his Bars, Sold Cue, Cases, Accessories.

But has said Pool was not the money maker, it was BOOZE. He was bottom line in the BOOZE BIZ!

He want Pool Players in his Bar who were C's and D' Player because they DRANK.

 

[Fast Lenny]

If I had the coin to open a pool room I would have one part bar tables and the other 9 footers where I could have leagues to help support the room partly and be close enough to a college to get the kids in there along with tournaments. I would have a back room so to speak with perhaps a 1/2 dozen tables that would be for action and the more serious players. Catering to league players, college kids and serious players all add up to be successful in my opinion, some places only do one of those and sometimes none of those. One other thing IMO is you need to have beer and liquor, good looking waitresses are a plus too. :smile:

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

If I had the coin to open a pool room I would have one part bar tables and the other 9 footers where I could have leagues to help support the room partly and be close enough to a college to get the kids in there along with tournaments. I would have a back room so to speak with perhaps a 1/2 dozen tables that would be for action and the more serious players. Catering to league players, college kids and serious players all add up to be successful in my opinion, some places only do one of those and sometimes none of those. One other thing IMO is you need to have beer and liquor, good looking waitresses are a plus too. :smile:

You ideas has merit, but when you have beer and liquor, you have the State as your partner, and god forbid the Cops or EMT's come for any reason to your business, the State Booze Control gets a notification, and will come snooping after the fact! The State is your silent partner!

 

[Fast Lenny]

You ideas has merit, but when you have beer and liquor, you have the State as your partner, and god forbid the cops or emts come for any reason, the State Booze Control get a notification, and come snooping after the fact!

That is why you have security for your busy nights and hopefully regulars who help to regulate things, a big cook or bar back can help too. With any reward there is a risk for the most part.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Northern had it all on the West Side, 5 Valley Tables that for the most part all had good, or new cloth, balls were clean, they had a Monday & Tuesday night 9 Ball Bar Box tournaments, a couple of other monthly tournaments. They had League playing out of the Northern several night a week, both ACS, and BCA. Before the recession hit, they would get 20-24 players, or more on Mondays, and 20-24 players, or more on Tuesdays.

I saw things fall way off after the NO SMOKING INSIDE Public Places LAW, I saw thing fall off when the Recession hit two year ago.

This is what happened, plus one other competitor who tried to always run a weekend event on the same weekend wit more added money, than the Northern did.

Rather than try not to compete with the Northern Event, and run their event on a different weekend .



I honestly do not thing anyone understand the BAR Business, unless you were an owner, manager, or very long term employee of a BAR. People for the most part who have only worked for a pay check, and benefit package. Honestly have no idea, what owning a small business is all about. Most only see all the MONEY coming in, but honestly have ZERO IDEA on the actual expenses going out. BTW Liquor is not delivered "ON" Account, where you have 30-45 DAYS to PAY FOR PRODUCT. LIQUOR comes in and you pay when it is delivered.

When the local super Market is Selling Six Pack of Popular BEER under your cost from the Beer Distributor, you are stuck dealing with the Beer Distributor.

 

[BRKNRUN]

Northern had it all on the West Side [/I]

Honestly...no they did not.... Northern was really only a "neighborhood bar" that happened to have an owner that was well liked and known and that was on lock with some of the bigger leagues...but in reality it almost fell into the line from the hustler...5 or 6 tables and a handbook on the side...

In fact....there is not really one bar on the west side that has it all...

Some come closeer than others but are not there.....IMO

IMO - ANY neighborhood bar is going to have a tougher and tougher time until the excess bars are closed down.

 

[realkingcobra]

It's not the smoking ban, cost of living, DWI laws...or anything else that causes a bar to close it's doors! What DOES cause doors to close...is the FAILURE to see into the future to see the changes needed to be made to keep your current clientèle, and bring in new customers...in other words....LAST YEARS BUSINESS PLAN...still being used THIS year.

Look, if you knew a smoking ban was coming...make provisions for patrons to smoke outside...put in a backyard beer garden if you can...but do something.

If DWI laws are in the up hill rise...in which they have been for years...then offer something else to drink besides...alcohol...AND...what is always said....eat something before you start drinking...and it'll slow down the effects of alcohol....if you don't serve food...see what you can do about putting in some kind of food to sell...as a hungry customer is going to leave to get something to eat...if you DON"T sell food.

I'm tired of all this crying over bars and pool rooms closing all the time, when there are quite a few new ones opening as well....but they're opening today...with a "Todays business plan"...and the pay off of that...is the new clientele....from the same area bars...that are still operating on LAST YEARS BUSINESS PLAN!

Glen

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

It's not the smoking ban, cost of living, DWI laws...or anything else that causes a bar to close it's doors! What DOES cause doors to close...is the FAILURE to see into the future to see the changes needed to be made to keep your current clientèle, and bring in new customers...in other words....LAST YEARS BUSINESS PLAN...still being used THIS year.

Look, if you knew a smoking ban was coming...make provisions for patrons to smoke outside...put in a backyard beer garden if you can...but do something.

If DWI laws are in the up hill rise...in which they have been for years...then offer something else to drink besides...alcohol...AND...what is always said....eat something before you start drinking...and it'll slow down the effects of alcohol....if you don't serve food...see what you can do about putting in some kind of food to sell...as a hungry customer is going to leave to get something to eat...if you DON"T sell food.

I'm tired of all this crying over bars and pool rooms closing all the time, when there are quite a few new ones opening as well....but they're opening today...with a "Todays business plan"...and the pay off of that...is the new clientele....from the same area bars...that are still operating on LAST YEARS BUSINESS PLAN!

Glen

Good post, :thumbup: