How can a pool hall stay in business?

[TheBook]

$10 for a bar tab on league night per player is probably way to low and you could probably double that to $20 per person depending on location.

I play on two leagues. Was on 3 until I dropped the APA. Here is what I see.

Most of the very best players don't drink anything except water, juice or coffee. They usually play and run. Unless it is the BCA where they can't because of the round robin.

The majority will buy one drink and then have the free team drink.

Only the ball bangers will drink like fish because they are just out for a good time and don't really take the game too serious.

I don't really see that a bar benefits from a league unless their home team is a bunch of ball bangers.

Our APA team had the most drinkers.

If a player has 4 beers it only amounts to $10 and most times the leagues are played when there are daily specials or promos such as Monday Night Football or game day where beers are $1. Or Tues night when Corona is $2, or pitcher specials for $4 when any home professional team is on TV.

One bar gave free drinks when the Red Wings scored or the TIgers hit a home run (Detroit Area), but you had to call out to the bartender. It wasn't automatic.

Granted it still fills the bars when they would otherwise be empty.

 

[mikepage]

I've asked that very question of the manager at our local poolroom (18 GC's), and his reply was food and alcohol sales. Table time pays for the light bill and that's about all. [...].

There's probably no one-size-fits-all here.

Remember that $10 spent on alcohol is really $7

$10 spent on food is really $6

$10 spent on pool is really $10

For the months of January & February here, our sales--after subtracting out cost-of-goods, is

Alcohol 46%
Pool 29%
Food 25%

So all three are significant parts of the equation.

 

[MikeM]

the point was whether or not a room could make it WITHOUT selling alcohol.

Then how are you there drinking beers? My response was to your response where you questioned how could you make money on leagues, NOT your original post.

You make money with leagues by selling alcohol. There, hope that's clear.

As far as your original post, I don't see how you can make it with a pool hall these days either.

Mike

 

[manwon]

That is your fault. You should have had gradual price increases over the years. Even us dumb, uneducated pool players can understand inflation. I haven't been in a pool hall lately that the table rates weren't at least two to three times (not including "happy hour" discounts) the rate you quote.

Maniac

Then you have not been to St.Louis Missouri lately it is a completely different animal. First, let me say that Craig and his Brother who currently own Cue and Cushion are very good business men. His father and mother started the business in the 1960's and since that time they have purchased the building they are located in.

How many rooms that you have played at have been in continuous business as a pool hall owned and operated by the same family since the 1960's? Any way you choose to slice it that is a great track record and few if any can claim the same.

In my opinion Cue and Cushion should be a model for how rooms should be run, years ago I was one of the customers who use to frequent that room, but that was when Craig was a little boy running around the pool. Craig's father was a great guy who left a legacy to is family, which still is working to this day.

In fact when I opened my Pool Room I patterned it off their business plan and made sure I was well diversified so that it was possible to offer reasonable rates to rent pool tables. But the rates of table rental are solely based on the geographic location that the pool room is located in from place in this country they will vary greatly.

In my location I charge the following rates per hour:

12:30 pm until 6:00 pm - 1 Person - $3 per hour - 2 or more $5 per hour.

6:00pm until 2:00am - 1 Person - $6 per hour - 2 or more $10 per hour.

But, please understand table rental makes up only about 25% of my monthly income!!!!!!:wink: 75% comes from retail sales, cue repair, cue building, food and soft drinks / Beer.

Like Craig said being diversified is how operating a pool room today works, any room owner in the country will tell you renting tables alone will insure failure.

JIMO

 

[Tramp Steamer]

Not to start an argument, I'm just not sure of the reasoning behind this thinking. Again, the rooms in NYS stayed open for years without alcohol. The place I played in was open better than thirty years before NY allowed pool rooms to sell alcohol. Now, the same rooms are getting by without smoking and it's been said that it couldn't be done without alcohol/smoking.

This isn't an argument. It's a discussion.
There was a ban on alcohol sales in poolhalls here, up to the mid-seventies I think, but now it's as intregal to the bottom line of a poolhall as food sales is. I don't believe tobacco sales would be a consideration seeing as how cigars and cigarettes can be purchased cheaper elsewhere. But, no matter. Times are tough for every small businessman, and getting tougher.

 

[Nostroke]

If they have poker machines then they will be fine.

There is a new machine coming on the scene and because it's a "game of skill" it is allegedly legal. Look for them first in Florida and then all over so im told. Ill try to get more details.


Here is a video.These machines will start appearing in Florida pool rooms on Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcD6Nswb5Do

 

[tigerseye]

i really don't understand how a pool hall can stay in business. this is assuming they don't sell alcohol.

the joints that dont sell alcohol can only depend on table time, soft drinks, and maybe a juke box. how can this possibly be a money making business?

Just put a couple poker machines in and you are gonna be just fine...

 

[fram6878]

You might as well ask how any business can stay in business. Those that do have the right balance between their expenses and their income.

But here are a few ways to generate business -

Leagues
Specials
Tournaments
Good Food
Private Parties
Events
Action
Leagues (worth repeating)
Bar Tables - bangers love them

I owned a pool room. We did serve alcohol but we also did very well on table time, in fact the table time paid the rent.

I guess it's hard for me to say how a pool room could do really well without at least beer. But as with any business it's all about management and accounting. I am sure that there are ways to make a non-alcohol room work and be profitable.

How profitable? Well that's another thing altogether. I seem to remember a pretty big place on the outer edges of OKC that didn't serve alcohol, had about 30 barboxes, 10 or so foosball tables, and probably 50 video games that was packed every weekend with a line out the door. I know it because me and my buddies used to hustle the cowboys there when we were younger. I'd guess that they were making good money judging by the attendance.

The name will come to me later.

wasnt that starbucks on i35?