'Dry' County pool room

Hey Jim!!! Thanks for posting. Yeah you know I have always wanted to open a pool hall but there is no way its happening around here. Me and the family are packing are shit at the end of the school year and moving to (very possibly) Elizabethtown. We searched for good areas to raise our kids and went down there one weekend to check it out. Rent is cheap down there. We found all kinds of 3 and 4 bedroom houses for around 600 bucks.:eek:

I found out it was a dry county and thought that maybe a pool hall would work down there. As I can see from the replies it probably wont but I still may give it a shot. I don't have to have a strictly pool players pool hall. I don't even need it just to be a pool hall. I'm tossing around all kinds of ideas. Pool/arcade/darts/golf machines/lounge/restraunt/coffee and doughnuts/etc. etc. Whatever route I take I want a few pool tables in there at the very least.

But I do have a few questions and needing advice so if you don't mind helping me out I'll keep in touch with you about it via PM.?
 
I am from a dry county in Kentucky and I think what everyone is trying to say is that you can't make a living on table time, you have to have some other revenue coming in besides the money you make off the time. Whether it is alcohol, gaming machines, a poker game in the back room you can cut the pot, whatever it is, you need more income then just the $5-$8 per hour you can charge for the rental of the table. Good luck, but be sure to fine other ways to bring money into the pool room.
 
Dry is only an illusion in Ky

My wife and her family are from that area. My nephew works for Summit polymers in E Town. I'm up there at least once every two months. E Town is booming from the auto industry along with the surrounding cities. If you take a drive by the local VFW or Moose lodge it will be busy everyday after work and on the weekends. They can serve alcohol because it is a private club. I belong to the VFW in Hardinsburg, KY because it is a dry county and it is the only place that I can play pool at in the county. I have never even been to the VFW in Chattanooga where I live. I'm just pointing this out because if you didn't know better you would think that a dry town was actualy dry.
 
Good luck in your attempt in this very hard business at a very difficult time. I know 4 major rooms just in St Louis that have closed in the past 18 mos. Two have lowered thier prices to keep people coming in. Two are quietly looking for new buyers. If I had a boatload of cash I sure wouldnt pick this business to be in at this time. Our business is down for the third consecutive year. If we did not own our building we would have shut down several years ago. We are very lucky in that regard. Sorry to be pessimistic...just a financial reality of this market right now. Plus every economic indicator says things will get worse in 08 and 09 because of the subprime mortgage mess and high credit card debt. Less disposable income. I think a better business to go into is a coffee shop. $3.00 for coffee with whipped cream and cinnamon? Sheesh, they have to be making a fortune! Wish you luck in your business...please keep us all informed of your progress. Lots on here will help you when they can.
 
Already an E-town pool hall

Not sure if you're aware, but there's already a pool hall in E-town called Past Time Pool, and is an excellent establishment with great ownership. Might want to talk to owner about how he does it and find another city for yours :)
 
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