If you could build your dream room that actually has a chance to stay in business…

[billiards_watch]

It seems like I'm talking down on pool halls in my other posts in this thread but I will change it up and tell people why the should hangout at a pool hall.

-It is a consortium. You go there and you will meet the same people everyday getting off work.
-If you have nowhere to go then where can you go and sit and watch TV for free.
-Watch other play pool
-Drink; heck you can hangout even if you don't drink. You can't kill time in a bar because they won't let you sit there without buying a drink. A pool hall allows you to chill.
-Food, or at least at my pool hall.

In other words, if you have nowhere to go and want to see a familiar face then a pool hall is the place to go. You can even bring your laptop there and work there.

Its a place for everyone.

 

[DynoDan]

I think you forgot about the "chance to stay in business" part. I just don't see that type of room making money. No music or cell phones especially is pretty...harsh

Sorry. I missed the ‘making money‘ part. Since no room like that actually does exist, it must be just a dream. I would pay $100 an hr. table time, if it did exist. But I’m a minority obviously, and as a result, would likely have no one else to play with.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

It seems like I'm talking down on pool halls in my other posts in this thread but I will change it up and tell people why the should hangout at a pool hall.

-It is a consortium. You go there and you will meet the same people everyday getting off work.
-If you have nowhere to go then where can you go and sit and watch TV for free.
-Watch other play pool
-Drink; heck you can hangout even if you don't drink. You can't kill time in a bar because they won't let you sit there without buying a drink. A pool hall allows you to chill.
-Food, or at least at my pool hall.

In other words, if you have nowhere to go and want to see a familiar face then a pool hall is the place to go. You can even bring your laptop there and work there.

Its a place for everyone.

Where do you live? I've never seen someone kicked out of a bar for not buying a drink.

A business shouldn't cater to people 'killing time' for free or doing work on their laptop. I don't want to hang around the type of people who think that is the function of a business. I want to hang out with the people who are willing to spend a little bit of money to get away from the lowest-common-denominator demographic. This is exactly why private golf courses are popular, I would make a pool room that is an analog to that.

 

[sudocrushms]

Tables:
- 1 x carrom table for giggles
- 1 x snooker table (would be popular in MSP)
- 4 x tight 9' tournament Diamonds (shark grey, Aramith Black (w/orange 5/13 )) with overhead cameras
- 3:1 Diamond bar boxes : bucket 9' Diamonds (tournament blue, Aramith Pro Cup)
- More space between tables
- Cushy booths in settee areas
- well defined walking isles
Rules:
- Super strict on food/drink around tables
- Break cloths on tournament tables (and no jump practice)
Other:
- Great kitchen and brewery on-site.
- Side stage for live music
- lots of bar seating
- Pro shop
The people:
- Always busy, but never a wait list
- Everyone is welcome
- Everyone is polite (lol).

Then I woke up and had to work...

 

[ctyhntr]

If I had the money to open my own room, I make sure to hire best subject matter experts. For me, it's Greg Hunt of Amsterdam Billiards. Successfully runs a poolhall in one of the toughest market in the US. For those who aren't aware, real estate in Manhattan NYC is expensive. ABC opened before Chelsea. ABC survived COVID shutdown, while New City, Steinway, Eastside Billiards and others did not. Imagine paying rent while your business is shuttered.

 

[BlueRaider]

Out by me in a very HCOL state, with exorbitant commercial rents, a room like that would last roughly 6 months. And only because it takes about that long to evict them.

A room like that opened up in my smallish, very LCOL hometown in TN about 15 or so years ago. I think it lasted a year or so before folding. It was actually VERY nice but it had absolutely zero ambience or atmosphere, in addition to having no food or alcohol. The place was lit up like a Christmas tree and the tables didn't have actual lights over them. Instead, everything was uniformly lit by overhead fluorescent lights. It was just a harsh and unpleasant environment to walk into. Felt like a DMV with pool tables.

 

[billiards_watch]

Where do you live? I've never seen someone kicked out of a bar for not buying a drink.

A business shouldn't cater to people 'killing time' for free or doing work on their laptop. I don't want to hang around the type of people who think that is the function of a business. I want to hang out with the people who are willing to spend a little bit of money to get away from the lowest-common-denominator demographic. This is exactly why private golf courses are popular, I would make a pool room that is an analog to that.

Again, you would be the type to hang a FOR SALE sign within a month.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

Again, you would be the type to hang a FOR SALE sign within a month.

Nope. For a few simple reasons:

I wouldn't open a place without having three years of operating capital.

I would figure out the market that had the best chance of success.

I fully believe that there is a large customer base for this. This is for guys who stay at home instead of going to all the places that: cater to ladies; cater to families; play loud shitty music; have 20 TVs; allow homeless people unlimited hang out time, etc.. This place would probably have a door charge (keep the riff-raff out), member option and benefits, and relatively high prices. This is the type of place that executives and retired bored guys would go and feel comfortable.

 

[JPB2]

In the early 1960s Brunswick tried to attract women and families into rooms with a new inviting decor. Problem was it was just about 50 years too early in the female liberation movement. I agree, just like every successful gym in America- women must be attracted to your room for several reasons.

The other day I was happy to see 4 young women come in to the pool hall, get a 9’ Diamond and 4 shots of Fireball to start. Seeing a fair number of college age women come in. Drinking and a fun atmosphere brings them in. Hopefully some catch the pool bug. But then from 30 to 55…life intervenes. I am in the group mentioned in the thread. Started playing in college, life happens for a few decades where a home table is the only pool. Then after a while you can play more.

 

[billiards_watch]

Nope. For a few simple reasons:

I wouldn't open a place without having three years of operating capital.

I would figure out the market that had the best chance of success.

I fully believe that there is a large customer base for this. This is for guys who stay at home instead of going to all the places that: cater to ladies; cater to families; play loud shitty music; have 20 TVs; allow homeless people unlimited hang out time, etc.. This place would probably have a door charge (keep the riff-raff out), member option and benefits, and relatively high prices. This is the type of place that executives and retired bored guys would go and feel comfortable.

That would be just a men's club. That is doable.

 

[7stud]

Dream room: Best (well maintained) equipment, furnishings & lighting, the VERY best in a private/separate room (admission only to those who had earned the privilege). NO alcohol or food sold, no music, cell phones banned, only pool, charged by the hr. Open 24 hrs. Good local motels a must, as the best players would likely come from far & wide, for very long stays.

...and cue racks in the bathrooms. No smoking, by which I mean if you go outside and smoke, you will not be allowed back in; or if you show up smelling like smoke, you will not be allowed in. In other words, smokers will not be allowed in the poolroom. I would probably institute a dress code, too, to keep the place classy. For tables, I would have 10 x 10' tables and 20 x 9' tables, no bar boxes. Each table would have a projection system overhead for practicing, as well as cameras to record practice sessions or matches. There would be a pro shop where you could get cues repaired and tips installed, and the pro shop would stock cues from all the top modern cue makers. The cues would be truly custom cues, with butt diameters ranging from 1.20-1.30", and cue lengths from 58-62", and varying weights with prices ranging from $1.5k-$8k. A full range of high quality shafts would be kept in stock, and mid cue extensions and butt extensions would also be available, so that any type of configuration you desired could be cobbled together. There would be permanent demo cues from each maker, so that players could try them out for the day. Jerry Briesath, Mark Wilson, Demetrius, Dr. Dave, Bob Jewett, Tony Chohan, Samm Diep and Allison Fisher would be the designated house pros and would rotate teaching lessons, coaching, holding boot camps and playing challenge matches with the regulars. Weekly weekend tournaments, including 14.1 and 1-pocket, would provide battlegrounds for the players to compete, with the house pros occasionally competing in the tournaments, too.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

That would be just a men's club. That is doable.

Yes, but not explicitly. Ladies would be welcome if that is their vibe. Hell, might even have a few ladies-only nights every month.

The big thing is that retired dudes tend to shut themselves off to the world and it is detrimental to their health. I'd like to see more places like that.

 

[wilhelm]

Awhile ago, CJ Wiley made a post on here that echoed this insight. While I don't totally understand "a touch of inside" or "the game is the teacher", I do think there is wisdom in this observation--rooms with girls (or at least with the potential for girls) = rooms that make a profit.

However, when I think about what has changed in pool and what I miss, one of the big things I miss, is a room full of old timers and the occasional "just out on probation types."

The times are changing; we have to adapt or die. Bring on the giant rooms with Golden Tee.

kollegedave

I wouldn't take advice from CJ on how to run a pool hall; his room in Dallas wasn't exactly succesful.

 

[DynoDan]

Sorry. I missed the ‘making money‘ part. Since no room like that actually does exist, it must be just a dream. I would pay $100 an hr. table time, if it did exist. But I’m a minority obviously, and as a result, would likely have no one else to play with.

Did I forget that jump cues would also be banned (along with break cues & template racks). Any room that charged $100 an hour should have good house cues to break with, and not insist on using a break cloth either.
Of course women would be welcome, since there are likely a hundred out there that could beat me at straight pool. BUT, the ultimate pool room would be a sanctuary for bachelors. Married guys are typically just too whipped these days, to take the game that seriously.

 

[muskyed]

Dream room: Best (well maintained) equipment, furnishings & lighting, the VERY best in a private/separate room (admission only to those who had earned the privilege). NO alcohol or food sold, no music, cell phones banned, only pool, charged by the hr. Open 24 hrs. Good local motels a must, as the best players would likely come from far & wide, for very long stays.

With a description such as that, I could just stay at home and shoot there. Like it or not, pool is a social event, without that, it is dead except to a select few who could never actually support a business. A business can't survive on water sippers.
Instead of all this complaining about the regular pool players that want to play music, have a few beers, and eat a greasy cheeseburger and fries while they play, you should be thanking them for making it possible for all the water sippers to enjoy pool also. Then again, a pool hall could be profitable with water sippers I guess, if they charged hourly table rates similar to Amsterdam Billiards of $110-$130 depending on the day.

 

[Coos Cues]

Dream room: Best (well maintained) equipment, furnishings & lighting, the VERY best in a private/separate room (admission only to those who had earned the privilege). NO alcohol or food sold, no music, cell phones banned, only pool, charged by the hr. Open 24 hrs. Good local motels a must, as the best players would likely come from far & wide, for very long stays.

Well I guess the title was your "dream" room.

You are broke already with out food and drink. I could go on and on about the reasons but it's just common sense.

 

[Coos Cues]

Our city has been trying to build a 40 million dollar library for a decade and the voters keep saying NO by about 2-1 but they never give up.

Maybe a room with a dozen diamond tables added to it would be good "pork" for the ballot measure? Why not all they can say is no again for the 5th time.

Pool would be free. Tables would be kept up. Clean restrooms. All at taxpayer expense.

Of course you would have bums sleeping under the tables but if they just keep quiet?

Hey what the hell they have tampons in the men's bathroom now at the old library, would a pool room be such a stretch?

 

[loggerhead12]

It means there must be good looking guys to attract women and I can say I scare customers away.

So, no pool players.

 

[Kim Bye]

I think @Mark V allready had some good observations. You need a place that has a wide appeal. Good tables, good food and drinks, good atmosphere and "timeless" in terms of how the place feels. Obviously it has to be no smoking and with a great staff.
Quality tables, good lighting and well maintained equipment goes without saying.
A backroom for repairs and possibly even a small shop gives you another revenue stream.

 

[Smoothrobinva]

on que in front royal va it’s perfect !!! Street traffic and restaurant down stairs with the pooo room of diamond tables up stairs