Johnny Archer's New Room

[Fatboy]

Has anyone played there? I saw vid pop up covering the layout etc. Reason I am asking is it looks like they went with some of the brand new Brunswick tables. Wonder how they play......

Play great. All new tables. It’s a great joint. Biz is doing great. Good crowd, not low life or tweakers.

I speak to Johnny every night and he is there working his ass off 7 days a week. He calls me in the way home.

His sons soccer team is 14-0 this year, runs in the family.

All good news

Fatboy

 

[cueman]

We went back to Johnny's room again last night and played a couple of hours on a seven foot table.
The food was good as usual. Every table was full when we left at 10. There were only a couple of tables open when we got there. The floor waitresses were dressed more appropriately than last time. Most were just wearing t shirt this time instead of super low cut blouses trying to show everything. I am glad they made that change.

 

[ChrisinNC]

The 9' tables are ruthless and demotivating to any player below a C level. They’re obviously set up for one pocket. Anything down the rail not hit PERFECTLY has no chance, even more so than a diamond. Even slow rolling shots that should have fallen, while barely glancing the rail, have no chance. I could say a lot more but give me an accepting GC4 with 4 1/2 in pockets and I’m happy all day.
I want more big tables that are more receiving of ‘that was good enough to go’ shots.

I would think for a sports bar type room with numerous recreational players / diners, that the 9-foot tables would not have been set up so tight. As I recall though, the room is mostly 7-foot tables. So I guess if there’s only a few 9-foot tables, they are set up tight for one pocket and for the higher skilled serious players?

 

[Mark V]

The best comparison I can make is a double shimmed GC4 with lively rails that will accept nothing but a perfectly hit ball down the rail. Don’t get me wrong, the table plays fair, it’s just up to a very high standard. It’s a gold crown that has evolved to the modern game. If you’re used to playing on a 4 1/2 pocket GC4, it will take a bit to adjust. They were obviously set up for 1 pocket.

I know that he plans on adding more big tables in time and hopefully they will be more forgiving for those who want to play 8/9/14.1.

 

[maha]

glad he is doing well. its a sports bar not a pool room.

 

[tableroll]

Boy has the state of pool changed - new rooms opening with only 3 nine footers. I get it, I understand it, and I wish all the new room owners all the best in their businesses. This is just an observation, a room here in SW Florida just took out all the larger tables and installed Diamond 7 footers as well. Nine foot pool in the U.S. is dying a slow death, maybe it is almost dead, I don't know - but, to me, it is sad.

There was always something magical as a teen when you approached the bottom or top of a stairwell and heard the click of the balls and then after a few more quicker steps looked out to a room full of those 9 foot Gold Crown I tables - then that unmistakable smell of a pool room! There really was no music, no bar, no food, and almost never a woman in the rooms that I frequented as a kid - it really was just pool Mister - and there were no shorty tables in sight for sure!

I think that the scarcity of 14.1 play since the COM movie and ESPN's need for a fast game to replace 14.1 were the first warning shots fired in the direction of 9 footers in the U.S. Then, the internet and video games grabbed attention spans of our youth and shortened their mind's vision of what is needed to master the large table.

When even a pro player needs to affix his name to a room now dominated by shorties, we know where pool has gone here in America - again, I say, to me, this is very sad . I wish Johnny "All the Best" - sincerely, but sadly.

Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. Nothing like it!

 

[Fatboy]

There will be more boxes in time.

Yes it’s a sports bar more than a pool room, but pool will always be the “main” activity in addition to sports and a few other things in time. Months not years.

Actually a better way to describe it is it’s a fun place to go hang out and do what you enjoy doing. A atmosphere, a party, a place to socialize.

There will 100% be more improvements coming. Equipment is expensive and adding one piece at a time isn’t a plan. Most important is keeping the vibe positive and having a good group of people. That’s best for the customers and biz as well. That’s what Johnny has worked hard to create.

There will always be a place in that room that set up for pro level pool, no matter the future changes as that’s in Johnnys DNA. The 2 9’ tables spaced out now is beyond great for serious pool. But serious pool isn’t enough to build a biz around these days.

It’s working good, will get better/ he’s there fine tuning things and making changes. It’s taking on it’s own life as all biz’s do as they mature.

More to come. Maybe a sign(on the building) someday lol

That’s all I can say for now, Johnny appreciates his employees and customers as well. He’s in a good spot, making the transition from pro pool.

Best
Fatboy

 

[maha]

see whats happening here:

a pool room no longer can support a room all by itself to make it worthwhile for a new owner. and combine that with the present population to not feel its a social place. so to make it work you need pool, games, great food, drinks, music depending on the crowd, and friendly service.

and most of all , an owner or owners that actually care and are on the premises to look after their investment.

this place so far is doing it all right. if they can keep it up then with profits not squandered open up another room and possibly look towards franchising it. over time in the future as things go.

 

[Fatboy]

see whats happening here:

a pool room no longer can support a room all by itself to make it worthwhile for a new owner. and combine that with the present population to not feel its a social place. so to make it work you need pool, games, great food, drinks, music depending on the crowd, and friendly service.

and most of all , an owner or owners that actually care and are on the premises to look after their investment.

this place so far is doing it all right. if they can keep it up then with profits not squandered open up another room and possibly look towards franchising it. over time in the future as things go.

If the formula is there it could be reproduced. It’s a bit early to say-imo.

It’s a tough biz, one or 2 bad things, mistakes, the wrong crowd shows up and the party is over-no pun intended. With the owner there and aware of that-won’t happen. With multiple locations-not so sure.

Mite be just be a one shop operation which is great as it’s doing well and it’s future is secure as any business.

Time will tell on more locations. Main thing is getting the first one dialed in 100%. That still needs some more work & time. Which is happening and building a core staff as well-there are some great people working there. Which makes the place have that great vibe which keeps it busy. It’s not automatic, but the location did perform better than expected at first.

More to come…..

 

[L.S. Dennis]

I've owned my share of small businesses and always made a decent living running them.

My take on such things. 1- It's nice to be your own boss. 2- When you own a business it owns you too. If you don't pay attention to what's going on EVERY day you will fail. You will put in the hours and there is no 40 hour work week for the boss! 3- If you own a business where you enjoy being there, you are successful!

The bottom line for me is that I never got rich owning a poolroom, but I made a better living then I would have working at a regular job, like an accountant which is what I was trained for. Or a poolplayer for that matter. Many good poolplayers did very well for themselves by opening their own poolroom or sports bar!

All I can say is good luck to Johnny and Rodney! I hope they hit a home run there. Both are great guys and a credit to our sport. ALL of us have skeletons in our closet that we would prefer to leave there. And all of us have been assholes at one time or another. That's a fact Jack!