Mixed Use Rooms?

Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fargo 1000 on VP4
Silver Member
The "pool hall" where I play in Chicago is unusual in my experience because it's a mixed-use business: a pool hall in one room and a small cafe/comedy club in the other. I've never seen this combination of businesses before, but it seems to work - the cafe is a student hangout (with wifi for homework, netbrowsing, etc.) that turns into a comedy club at night, both of which keep the place from becoming a graveyard when the pool tables aren't hopping and draw people into the pool room that otherwise wouldn't be curious.

What other unusual businesses have you seen combined with pool? What other business (besides the usual bar) is especially well suited to combine with pool?

pj
chgo
 
Hi Patrick,
This is the sign of the times, many poolrooms are offering different choices to bring in the paying customer. It is happening all over the country. Down here in Florida Texas Holdem is the new craze and you can usually find a couple tables in the poolrooms to bring in new clientel. I've even seen dance floors (theo they are now out of business). I am also considering Texas Holdem after many years of just offering "old school pool". Is it a good thing, I personally don't like it, but we have to change with the times to pay the bills.
 
Lucky

poolhall maven said:
Hi Patrick,
This is the sign of the times, many poolrooms are offering different choices to bring in the paying customer. It is happening all over the country. Down here in Florida Texas Holdem is the new craze and you can usually find a couple tables in the poolrooms to bring in new clientel. I've even seen dance floors (theo they are now out of business). I am also considering Texas Holdem after many years of just offering "old school pool". Is it a good thing, I personally don't like it, but we have to change with the times to pay the bills.
Click to expand...

I would put in poker tables in a heartbeat if it was legal in California.
The state has a moratorium until 2011 and good luck after that getting a license. But no problem with the Indians.
 
nfty9er said:
I would put in poker tables in a heartbeat if it was legal in California.
The state has a moratorium until 2011 and good luck after that getting a license. But no problem with the Indians.
Click to expand...

Well, that's the thing, there doesn't seem to be money (from the players) involved so it isn't breaking the law. I sent my son out to do reconnaissance last night. There are organizations who will take their equipment to bars/poolrooms and for a setup fee they will hold the games. My son ended up winning immediately and has an invitation to a game in another city in February. The group was Big Slick. I've also talked to people from the Final Table. Their set up fee is much more.
I'm wondering if it can be done without an organization and no money.
Such as holding games with some type of prizes but no money. I may talk to the lawmakers to see what I can and can't do.
 
I am in the process of opening a multi purpose room. (16 tables > half 7' > half 9') Large projection TV on the wall, and I have a separate "Function" Room to have available for birthdays, club meetings, etc...and I have Great food for luncheons, and the basic HB's, nachos, fries and dogs for the kids in the evenings. Beer and wine will be added later (60 - 90 days to get a license).
Of course, the usual tourneys, league teams, etc. As of the moment, I plan to be open on Fridays and Saturdays > Midnight until 6am with a $20 special price ...all pool included and you buy your own food and drinks.
The population of the area is about 100,000 with minimum competition. (only 3 other pool tables for the kids in the entire town!) It's going slow for obtaining the financing...I need to purchase the kitchen equipment, I have the pool tables and most of the room items.
 
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ajrack said:
I am in the process of opening a multi purpose room. (16 tables > half 7' > half 9') Large projection TV on the wall, and I have a separate "Function" Room to have available for birthdays, club meetings, etc...and I have Great food for luncheons, and the basic HB's, nachos, fries and dogs for the kids in the evenings. Beer and wine will be added later (60 - 90 days to get a license).
Of course, the usual tourneys, league teams, etc. As of the moment, I plan to be open on Fridays and Saturdays > Midnight until 6am with a $20 special price ...all pool included and you buy your own food and drinks.
The population of the area is about 100,000 with minimum competition. (only 3 other pool tables for the kids in the entire town!) It's going slow for obtaining the financing...I need to purchase the kitchen equipment, I have the pool tables and most of the room items.
Click to expand...

Heh Jackson,

Glad to hear. Let me know when its open - name and address. I have some good friends in your area who are long distance truckers whose only r&r time is playing. They stop at my place every couple months on their way through so we talk pool. I will pass on the info to them --- good people --- and you may already know them.
 
Ditto

poolhall maven said:
Hi Patrick,
This is the sign of the times, many poolrooms are offering different choices to bring in the paying customer. It is happening all over the country. Down here in Florida Texas Holdem is the new craze and you can usually find a couple tables in the poolrooms to bring in new clientel. I've even seen dance floors (theo they are now out of business). I am also considering Texas Holdem after many years of just offering "old school pool". Is it a good thing, I personally don't like it, but we have to change with the times to pay the bills.
Click to expand...

Mixed use rooms are a different way of saying "multiple streams of income". Almost every business model today encourages this. In pool rooms, you have to divide you income in as many ways as you can handle. This also means changing with fads, offering new products when they come out, serving a new drink combo or appetizer that gets hot. I get asked SO MANY times why pool rooms arent like they used to be in "The Hustler". I want to smack these people. If "The Huster" was more realistic they would have the pool room boarded up from being out of business. Its a MOVIE, people! Texas Hold' Em, Buffalo hot wings, dart machines, Yager bombs, the list goes on and on. Playing pool rarely pays the bills. In my room it accounts for 9% of our income. Which means if I wanted it to account for 100% of my income like the movies...I would have to charge about $45.00/hour per person for pool. Thats what I need to break even. Pool rooms are closing very fast in this country. Only the people willing to work for peanuts and be open minded to new ideas will be the ones who survive. I am wanting to put in a ping pong table next. Gotta keep trying.

*waves at Tracy*

I started to go on a rant but took my medicine and calmed down. :)

I salute all my fellow room owners for contributing on this forum. It helps my sanity sometimes to realize I am not alone in this very tough business.
 
The squeeze is on

Hi, I opened almost 4yrs ago with 16 tables mixed 9s and 7s. First year and a half was great guns and profitable. Then quite a downhill slide. The place is 6000sq. ft. . We are in the process of converting half of it into a nightclub, dance floor, DJ booth, stage for band, lots of lights that do crazy things and cages for the girls to dance in. I do wish pool would be enough, it used to be and to be truthful I liked it better but the bills gotta get paid. Two things that are working pretty well are. Private parties for local businesses, they tell me which side they want and if it pool then how many tables. They put up a credit card with a $$ limit. I wristband their group and the bartenders just add it up till they get close to the limit then I go and ask whoever is in charge if they wanna go over (they always have so far) and how much. You have to go out an get them though as they won't come to you. Xmas parties are a real hit.

The other thing I do is sell ad space (signs) on the lights above the tables. Dosen't work as well as the parties but I keep em cheap and they aren't too hard to sell.

Hell who knows next year I may have a waterslide. All I know is that just pool isn't enough unless your in a pretty good sized city..



Orion
 
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