New Mid-MO Pool Room

[Aaron_S]

Considering the recent wave of "pool room closing" posts, it's with great pleasure that I am announcing the opening of a new room.

Billiards on Broadway in Columbia, MO is now open for business. Room proprietors Les and Molly Wagner welcome you to come check out their beautifully remodeled room at 514 E. Broadway in historic downtown Columbia. Those of you who were familiar with the former downtown pool room, Columbia Billiards on 9th Street, will find a somewhat familiar setting in Billiards on Broadway, as the pool tables (as well as the recipe for the famous "Billiards Burger", I hear) have been inherited by the Wagners.

Here's an article about the new pool room:

http://www.columbiabusinesstimes.com/1233/2008/04/18/rack-‘em-wagners-resurrect-billiards-hall

I have been in contact with Boone Wagner, who will be the tournament and league director, and he has assured me that tournament announcements will be coming in the not-too-distant future. I will be sure to pass those along as soon as I hear about them.

Have a good day,

Aaron

 

[alstl]

I stopped by last week. If they get an in house league started I might sign up.

 

[Aaron_S]

I stopped by last week. If they get an in house league started I might sign up.

I believe it's in the works. The only thing I've asked about specifically is the possibility of a one-pocket league, and the answer I got from Les was that he wants to do one, and he has some ideas about how it will be structured. I'm assuming that there will eventually be 8-ball, 9-ball, and one-pocket leagues.

Aaron

 

[watchez]

This is interesting because last I talked to Phil (the old owner), he was under the impression that the owners of the building were going to turn it into an Italian Restaurant & were spending boocoo bucks to renovate to make that happen.

I also heard that the buyers of the building paid $750K - that is an enormous amount to invest to get into the pool business in a town that has a smoking ban. I admire their heart. Hopefully the business will follow.

Say hello to my good buddy Martin Schulte for me, if he comes around.

 

[alstl]

This is interesting because last I talked to Phil (the old owner), he was under the impression that the owners of the building were going to turn it into an Italian Restaurant & were spending boocoo bucks to renovate to make that happen.

I also heard that the buyers of the building paid $750K - that is an enormous amount to invest to get into the pool business in a town that has a smoking ban. I admire their heart. Hopefully the business will follow.

Say hello to my good buddy Martin Schulte for me, if he comes around.

The guys who bought the building from Phil are turning it into an Italian restaurant, The Rome. The last time I checked the were still awaiting approval from the city on their plans. The guy who bought Phil's tables opened the new room Billiards on Broadway. Interestingly, there used to be a room not far from where I lived in St Louis with the same name. Harold Johnson was the owner and he now has a new and improved room in a better location.

 

[Aaron_S]

This is interesting because last I talked to Phil (the old owner), he was under the impression that the owners of the building were going to turn it into an Italian Restaurant & were spending boocoo bucks to renovate to make that happen.

I also heard that the buyers of the building paid $750K - that is an enormous amount to invest to get into the pool business in a town that has a smoking ban. I admire their heart. Hopefully the business will follow.

Say hello to my good buddy Martin Schulte for me, if he comes around.

Actually, that is correct. The old Columbia Billiards building is now an Italian restaurant as far as I know (The Rome, I think it's called). The new pool room is in a different building a few blocks northwest of that location. I'm not sure what Phil was asking for his building, but the scuttlebutt was that it was a bit too much to justify for a pool room. A popular Italian restaurant will probably do fine in that location, though. I don't know how much the Wagners spent on their building, but that article said that they spent about 100k on their renovations, so I'm sure their investment is significant. I am hopefully optimistic that the business will prosper.

Martin is one of my absolute favorite people, but I think I have only seen him once since the other pool halls closed. I'm sure he will be around if they start a one-pocket league. I will tell him you said hi if I see him.

Aaron

 

[cueandcushion]

Good luck to them.

Just shows that like most stories it takes a long time for the entire truth to come out. A previous story listed the smoking ban as the sole reason for the pool room closing; making no mention of the $750.000 price tag for the building. I am sure if they raised pool to $10.00 per hour per person they could have made it? Glad to hear about a room opening for a change on this forum though. Our current insurance company wants to label us "high risk" because we allow smoking in our room. Charging a much higher premium of course. If the state doesnt pass non-smoking rules, the insurance companys will end smoking via skyrocketing rates.

 

[watchez]

Actually, that is correct. The old Columbia Billiards building is now an Italian restaurant as far as I know (The Rome, I think it's called). The new pool room is in a different building a few blocks northwest of that location. I'm not sure what Phil was asking for his building, but the scuttlebutt was that it was a bit too much to justify for a pool room. A popular Italian restaurant will probably do fine in that location, though. I don't know how much the Wagners spent on their building, but that article said that they spent about 100k on their renovations, so I'm sure their investment is significant. I am hopefully optimistic that the business will prosper.

Martin is one of my absolute favorite people, but I think I have only seen him once since the other pool halls closed. I'm sure he will be around if they start a one-pocket league. I will tell him you said hi if I see him.

Aaron

Thanks Aaron. It was my confusion on the location of the new room. Glad to hear pool is back in Columbia. I know many of the local players in the area were upset with Phil when he shut down - shown by their no show at the state 9 ball tourney in Springfield.

Martin is the type of guy that if you asked to borrow money from, would borrow it from someone else if he didn't have it himself to give to you just so he wouldn't feel bad. He would have been a helluva pool player if he had stuck with it but I am sure that his life is better off that he didn't.