Corner Billiards closing?

9 Ball Girl said:
That's what I heard and hey, if the Lipskys play there, then it's gotta be good.
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Omg, is that the rumor lol? We've played there certainly more often since the renovation, but it's still quite rare. The place is a million times better, but still not the same player atmosphere as ABC.

They did take out the video games and changed the jukebox selections to make it an older crowd. They're definitely on the right track.

- Steve
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
d. Carom Cafe has quietly opened several rooms throughout the city. Might they consider the now vacant uppereast/upperwest sides? Might someone new come in and try to take advantage of the unclaimed territory?


Food for thought.
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what's this, jude?
 
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BrooklynJay said:
The economics of running a successful, upscale poolroom in Manhattan means you're,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
It will be interesting to see what ABC does to Corners, who they cater to, and if they will survive in that space. Downtown and the UWS are two totally different vibes.

Just my 0.02 on this.
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ditto pretty much what you say.....

i think abc will have to manufacture a new demographic, and i don't think they can do it. the crowd is young and has "funner" things to do. the old crowd from uws WILL NOT go downtown just to play pool,,,they will find other ways to occupy their time.

abc, with the largest league in the states, will have a smaller league because corner is smaller. they might be able to pump up their daytime crowd because corner is so dead then. they also leave their friendly uws confines of being a monopoly. soho won't do anything, imo. they get a good crowd at night, they have a good relationship with the building owner. if they were aggresive, they would have done something long ago.

abc can't run their business model at corner. midtown east or chelsea would have been an easier transition.
 
9 Ball Girl said:
That's what I heard and hey, if the Lipskys play there, then it's gotta be good.
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i think steve and gina should buy out eastside billiards........simple as that.
waggle some kind of deal as a non-profit org and get some government tax write-offs and funding. maybe become a non-profit pool school.
 
Nostroke said:
Whoa-2 Million dollar renovation? They may not even allow me in there!

l.
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sounds excessive don't it! like,,,,just how much overhaul is there to do? are they gonna hire Vongerichten for the kitchen?
 
bruin70 said:
sounds excessive don't it! like,,,,just how much overhaul is there to do? are they gonna hire Vongerichten for the kitchen?
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Well the AC needs to be fixed. (Anyone who's been in there over the last two days knows exactly what I'm talking about.)

I also heard the floor isn't level so to level it is probably going to be $$$.

I think if you count new tables, new cues, etc. it could easily reach 2M.
 
Thank you!

Thanks to Brooklyn Jay and some others for pointing out basic economics to the pool playing community. I cannot tell you how many players will ask me why I dont add $1,000,000 worth of renovations and improvements and then give them free pool time!:eek: I really have never figured out if they are really that uneducated or if they are just trying to push my buttons. Economic fact in the billiards industry....MOST (not all) pool rooms make zero profit on their pool tables. Pool tables are just a lure to get people to come in to buy retail products or to consume food or alcohol. PERIOD. The square footage required to have a large pool room and the overhead in terms of utilities and manpower mean that charging someone $7.20/hour for a table will lose you money. My pool room is in business because of ONE reason. The building is paid off. Period. My father was smart enough to buy instead of rent our building and my family has kept it open because of this foresight. When I hear of "players" pool rooms going under it makes me shake my head. I know that the owners must have loved the "old fashioned way" of running a business and loved pool so much as to not change with the times. For most markets you make all your money off college kids, people on dates, bangers etc. You dont make money off a guy practicing 9 ball all day tearing up the new Simonis you just covered it with. This is the direction of our industry people. 4 people , playing on one table, who cant make two balls in a row, eating chicken wings and drinking beer....THAT is the IDEAL customer to most room owners.
 
Craig,

Thanks for the invite to play pool at your room when I'm in St. Loluis. But why would I want to shoot pool on your beer and chicken grease slathered tables next to a bunch of drunk yahoos ? Would I get to play for free because of the annoying distractions?
 
crater59 said:
Craig,

Thanks for the invite to play pool at your room when I'm in St. Loluis. But why would I want to shoot pool on your beer and chicken grease slathered tables next to a bunch of drunk yahoos ? Would I get to play for free because of the annoying distractions?
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If St. Louis is anything like the New York pool scene right now he might end up being the only room left open. :eek: :eek:
 
crater59 said:
Craig,

Thanks for the invite to play pool at your room when I'm in St. Loluis. But why would I want to shoot pool on your beer and chicken grease slathered tables next to a bunch of drunk yahoos ? Would I get to play for free because of the annoying distractions?
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FOR THE RECORD>>>

We do NOT have alcohol...or Chicken Fingers at our billiard parlor. I actually have to teach some people to use SOAP before I will let them play on my tables if I see grease or BBQ sauce on them. We are one of the "old fashioned" pool rooms. We make the bulk of our income on retail sales of cues, darts and pool tables. And as for the "free" pool.....sure...we include a free day of pool with every cue sale. Buy as many cues as you would like.


The St Louis pool scene is not doing well right now either. Three major rooms have gone under in the past 12 months. One will reopen with new backers about 20 miles west of St Louis. They will give it another shot. I know of a fourth pool room that is quietly up for sale. They are not doing well either.
This does not count the numerous small bars with pool tables that have gone under or changed ownership. St. Louis has been saturated (with pool halls) for a while now.....and will have to adjust before anyone will make any money. The economy just isnt supporting it. :(
 
bruin70 said:
what's this, jude?
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At this point in time, I know of rooms owned by Carom in Flushing, Williamsburg, Bay Ridge and Harlem. Based on the appearance of their Flushing and Bay Ridge rooms, I would have to assume the investors are quite capable of opening a new place in somewhat short notice. No, I haven't heard anything (and probably won't). All I'm saying is, if I wanted to open a successful room and had the means to do so, I would be hot for the Upper-Westside/Eastside.

This is a very disturbing and yet exciting moment in NYC pool. Just because we lost a well-known and well-liked room today does not mean pool in NYC will suffer, that's all I'm saying. It could suffer (and very-well might, if history is any indicator) but stranger things have happened.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
At this point in time, I know of rooms owned by Carom in Flushing, Williamsburg, Bay Ridge and Harlem. Based on the appearance of their Flushing and Bay Ridge rooms, I would have to assume the investors are quite capable of opening a new place in somewhat short notice. No, I haven't heard anything (and probably won't). All I'm saying is, if I wanted to open a successful room and had the means to do so, I would be hot for the Upper-Westside/Eastside.

This is a very disturbing and yet exciting moment in NYC pool. Just because we lost a well-known and well-liked room today does not mean pool in NYC will suffer, that's all I'm saying. It could suffer (and very-well might, if history is any indicator) but stranger things have happened.
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Bay Ridge? Where in Bay ridge? are you talking about platinum ?
 
Jude, I believe the designers of Carom also built Arena Cafe Billiards on Putnam (St. or Ave.) in Ridgewood.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
At this point in time, I know of rooms owned by Carom in Flushing, Williamsburg, Bay Ridge and Harlem. Based on the appearance of their Flushing and Bay Ridge rooms, I would have to assume the investors are quite capable of opening a new place in somewhat short notice. No, I haven't heard anything (and probably won't). All I'm saying is, if I wanted to open a successful room and had the means to do so, I would be hot for the Upper-Westside/Eastside.

This is a very disturbing and yet exciting moment in NYC pool. Just because we lost a well-known and well-liked room today does not mean pool in NYC will suffer, that's all I'm saying. It could suffer (and very-well might, if history is any indicator) but stranger things have happened.
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jude,

carom cafe in flushing does not own those other rooms. the room in harlem shares the same name because they asked permission to do so. the other rooms you mention received input by the owners of carom cafe, however they are currently owned by entirely different people. furthermore each of those other rooms are independently owned. again, the owner of carom cafe (there is now only one owner of carom cafe, namely michael kang) does not own any of those other rooms you mention.

william
 
Steve Lipsky said:
Wait, don't you mean Slate?
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Slate is the old BBC which is located in Bayside, not Bay Ridge. Same owners as slate in NYC, i believe, and Millenium Cafe and what used to be Whitestone Billiards (not sure if that's even there anymore).
 
Steve Lipsky said:
Wait, don't you mean Slate?
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Is it Slate? I don't think so but it could be. No matter, the point is, there are plenty that have shown interest in opening up rooms even though others are closing.
 
briandlau said:
Slate is the old BBC which is located in Bayside, not Bay Ridge. Same owners as slate in NYC, i believe, and Millenium Cafe and what used to be Whitestone Billiards (not sure if that's even there anymore).
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No, I was speaking of Platinum in Bay Ridge, not Slate in Bayside.
 
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