I'm opening my dream pool room

nice

mikepage said:
How many times have you said or heard others say "if I was opening a pool room, I would do THIS or THIS or I wouldn't do THIS....

Well I've been implementing THIS's and THIS's and NOT THIS's a lot in the last couple years. I'm soon to open a big new pool room in Fargo in about four months. The building is under construction as we speak.

Two years ago I met with city commissioners, chief of police, city attorney and others to talk about creating a new category of liquor license that would accommodate me. I got the laws changes about a year and a half ago, so that part's on track.

Then I started presenting business plan ideas to bankers --business plan, power point presentations, the whole works. Wow was that ever an effort! After working with two banks quite a bit each I finally got things going with a third bank, using the SBA 504 program.

In a nutshell -

Fargo Billiards & Gastropub (or just Fargo Billiards)

28,536 square feet

56 tables (7 9-ft Diamond Professional, 9 9-ft Gabriel Signature Pro, 33 7-foot diamond pro-ams, 7 7-ft Gabriels)

3,000 sf raised area in the middle that included a U-shaped bar with an island in the middle, high-top seating, and lounge (leather chair)-type seating. Offthe raised area near the bar is a tight 9-foot diamond professional.

Tables are more or less segregated into neighborhoods.

Off the raised area toward the front is a line of 6 9-ft Diamonds.

In front of that and separated by a half-wall (front of building ) are 11 7-ft. Diamonds.

Behind the raised area on one side is a group of 6 9-ft Gabriels. On the other side but still adjacent to the raised area is a set of 6 7-ft. Gabriels, three of which have leather, living-room style seating arrangements. These areas are enclosed by half-height walls.

Behind these, along the back of the building is the league area and includes 20 7-ft Diamonds that are arranged in two rows with a gap in the middle (two groups of 10)

There are 3 private rooms:

One (500 sf) has a 9-ft Gabriel and living-room furniture.
the second (950 sf) has 2 9-ft Gabriels and living-room furniture
the third (950 sf) has 2 7-ft Diamonds and living-room furniture

A conference room (The Fargo Billiard Academy) has a 12-seat conference table, a 7-ft diamond set up for video analysis, and a screen for presentations.

Full-service restaurant called The Gastropub that includes a seating area as well as service to the lounge and to pool tables. (Gastropub is a british term meaning a pub that takes its food more seriously than normal pub-fare). There is an espresso bar adjacent to the dining area with coffee-shop type lounge area.

Wireless throughout.

Music is low-volume blues and acoustic and a little jazz.

Occasional acoustic performers in the raised area.

Things you WON'T find:

-- juke box
-- loud music
-- darts
-- video games
-- smoke
-- dance floor
-- karaoke

I'll try to get up a diagram.
Click to expand...

got a nephew that lives therer will tell him to pay you avisit!!!!
 
Mike,

You are probably as busy as a one-legged midget in a backside kicking competition; however, could you give us a "how goes it" please?

I wish you nothing but success in your fantastic establishment.
 
Scott Lee said:
Steve...I was in Bozeman a month ago. Did you notice the BIG HOLE downtown...where the building blew up, last winter, from a natural gas leak?

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Hi Scott,
No I didn't see that, but I heard about it (I was working at MSU and never made it downtown!). Amazingly only 1 person died. This type of thing happens at an alarming rate. I remember several other instances when houses or buildings just blew up in the last several years. You never hear of the gas companies being accountable, however.
--Steve
 
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HOB Weert said:
What is the news about this new room, is it packed?

MH
HOB Weert
Click to expand...

Business has been good.

Yesterday was a Thursday. I'll do a case study of yesterday.

There were 14 teams playing league last night. These players pay $12/week for league (8 games) and they have access to the tables--any of the tables-- from 5:00 pm until we close at 4:00 am. So they can show up early and practice, and then to the extent their job/other commitments allow it, they can stay after and match up or socialize or whatever. League matches finished 9:30 - 10:00. I'd say two thirds of the folk are still there at 11:00 and half are there at midnight. Then there's a diehard core doing ring games and barking around till who knows when...

There were three private events yesterday.

One was some kind of family gathering. They had a private room and ordered Fruit Medley Tray w/ Caramel Dip or Vegetable Medley Tray w/ dip BBQ'd Baby Dogs Spinach and Artichoke Dip w/ bread bites andtortilla chips Wings & Drummies.

Another was a business meeting of sorts. They had powerpoint slides going for hours ordering drinks & food sporadically

The third was a group of 20 bankers kicking back after a long training day. They had a pizza buffet in a private room and a rollaway bar. Rory and I did a little trick shot/instructional gig for these folk. They had a blast. We knew they'd be an easy audience when after quick-talking a few things, I set a ball on the table to have Rory demonstrate "stop," "follow," and "draw." I set up a two-foot straight shot and said, "Now Rory's going to hit this in and STOP the cueball to get position for the next shot" Rory hits it in. The audience clapped and hooted and hollered in amazement. Follow and draw really floored them ;-). We didn't even need to pull out the double Miller Lite shot--but we did anyway... Then we set em up to do their own little tournament.

The other tables, the bar, and the restaurant/lounge were all hopping pretty well last night. If an average patron spends $20, then based on our receipts we had 350-400 patrons yesterday.

It's Friday morning now. The weekend is just kinda grab the reins and hold on ... We have three private events scheduled today, one tomorrow, and one Sunday.
 
Mike-

I def need to make it to your spot. Sounds like you have the best room around, anywhere.

Plus, I want another round of 9B, 9B banks and 14.1. Congrats on your room!!

Dave
 
Rory did all that by himself.....WOW.....:-)

You have a outstanding establishment....SPF=randyg
 
I'm glad to hear your room is doing well Mike! It was great to meet you for a bit when you were down here! I'll try to return the favor and visit you up there sometime next year maybe (after the cold months... so like July)!
 
Congratulation on the beautiful place

but like someone kindof already said a place this size needs
one carom table
one snooker table
and a few little bumper pool tables for the kid'eos
 
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