Fight Night - Cover Charge & Free Pool?

drenkel

drenkel

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As some of you guys know I'm opening a pool hall / sports bar in Temple, TX soon. I recently went out to Fast Eddies in Waco where they were having a UFC fight. They charged a cover at the door of $5 and all the tables were free open play during the fight.

As pool players would you object to a cover charge to get in, if your pool was free? Or would you rather have no cover, and pay for your time?

I did the math and with as many people as were in there it evens out from a business standpoint. They made just as much off the cover charge as they would have if they had given the fight away for free and charged for pool time.

* I plan on having 6x 46" screens around the place, and one 120" HD screen in the main lounge area.

So: Charge a cover and give free pool, or No cover and pay for pool? What would you as a customer prefer?
 
$5 to get in, free PPV fight and free pool the rest of the night?

Sheesh, if you can do that and make out on the deal, you should have a busy night. That sounds like an awesome deal for the customer.

The $5 cover/free pool sounds like a great deal without the PPV.

Best of luck with it!
 
No brainer, $5 cover. Especially if you are a fight fan which a lot of players are. Get a $50 fight and 3 hours of pool for $5, great deal.
 
Sounds good to me too, I just wanted some other feedback. To me it seems to cover both angles:

1) You are going to have a big draw for the fight of just casual people that want to come in, watch and drink. They pay the $5 cover and buy beer all night.

2) You are going to have your pool players that want to come in and shoot, but may be unhappy having to pay a cover for a fight they have no interest in. So they pay the cover and get free pool.

In theory it seems like you'd pack the place and make more money than a regular night because you'd have all the pool players, and all the casuals, with liquor and food sales doing extremely well.

Thanks for the tips guys, much appreciated.
 
$5 cover = free pool for the whole day of the fight? or only during the fight? if it was during the fight, then i wouldn't be playing cause i'd be watching, so i'd rather no cover.. if it was for the whole day then i'd happily pay the $5
 
My question is: What are you gonna do on a non-fight night? Cover charge w/free pool? Pool by the hour? I know of poolhalls in the metroplex that don't rent many tables at the $14/hour that they charge. Some of the better places I like to go to have an all-day (which is usually from opening to about 6:00 p.m.) pass for $5. I think the biggest mistake a room owner can make is high hourly rates. Have some weekly specials and lower rates during the non-peak hours. Leagues are gonna be a breadwinner for you too.
Just my usual $.02.

Maniac
 
No, not free pool for the whole day - Just when the fight starts (7 or 8 at night) until we close (2am)

Regular nights: We are getting Diamond smart tables, so customers will have the option of putting coins in the table for each game, or coming to the counter to have the table opened at $4.50 an hour.

We will also be having a daily special, every day from 2pm to 7pm will be $6 open play. Good time to get some practice in on the cheap.

And yes, we are going after the leagues as well. That will be our bread and butter Monday - Wednesday. We've got a great design that puts at least 10 chairs in close proximity to each table for league play. On non-league nights we'll pull the tables apart and space them out as a lounge area in front of the TV screens.
 
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drenkel said:
We've got a great design that puts at least 10 chairs in close proximity to each table for league play. On non-league nights we'll pull the tables apart and space them out as a lounge area in front of the TV screens.
Click to expand...

That's alot of table moving.
 
Nah they are not moving far. 15-20 mins twice a week gives a perfect league setup and a great lounge area the rest of the week.
 
drenkel said:
No, not free pool for the whole day - Just when the fight starts (7 or 8 at night) until we close (2am)

Regular nights: We are getting Diamond smart tables, so customers will have the option of putting coins in the table for each game, or coming to the counter to have the table opened at $4.50 an hour.

We will also be having a daily special, every day from 2pm to 7pm will be $6 open play. Good time to get some practice in on the cheap.

And yes, we are going after the leagues as well. That will be our bread and butter Monday - Wednesday. We've got a great design that puts at least 10 chairs in close proximity to each table for league play. On non-league nights we'll pull the tables apart and space them out as a lounge area in front of the TV screens.
Click to expand...

Methinks you have yerself a successful business plan there, my friend. Much luck with your poolhall!!!

Maniac
 
I would think you would do better charging for pool and not having a cover. You said it came out the same as charging for pool but the players that really want to play will be able to get a table. And I would think you'd get a lot of other patrons that would come in and spend money at the bar if they are getting the fight for free.

Even if it is a financial wash, with no cover and table time at least fewer players would be upset about not being able to get a table. If they are not paying for time the tables won't be turning over.
 
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