New Pool Room Need Advice

[nichollss]

Thinking about opening a new pool room with about 11 9' Diamond Pro Am tables in it. The location is in south Georgia. Seeking any advice for success. I will serve beer and deli type subs and probably hot dogs. Keeping it real simple. I would put up a few tv's and a couple of dart boards. I have found a shopping center, beside Walmart, with a space of about 3500sqft. The rent is around 3600 a month. This would be the nicest of all three pool rooms in this town and the best location for higher class business and good parking. You would be able to see the Billiards sign from the expressway at night very easily. Looking for any advice whether good or bad as long as it logical. I would have a shoe in for alot of players that are looking for good equipment to play on. Nothing is guaranteed but I would like to know I was well prepared before I sink my money into something like this.

Also, Roads player would be welcome.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[cueandcushion]

read read read...

My advice is to take a few days and read through some of the hundreds of thread on this forum that deal with pool room business. Some are started by owners and some by players. Pool is in decline right now so make sure your market can sustain another pool room. Also remember that you will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER get rich from owning a pool room. NEVER. If you work 80 hours a week, have some good luck, and make good sound business decisions, you will make a decent living. Above all spend at least 100 hours reading a ton of good advice on these boards. You will be shocked how much knowledge is on this board.

 

[manwon]

Thinking about opening a new pool room with about 11 9' Diamond Pro Am tables in it. The location is in south Georgia. Seeking any advice for success. I will serve beer and deli type subs and probably hot dogs. Keeping it real simple. I would put up a few tv's and a couple of dart boards. I have found a shopping center, beside Walmart, with a space of about 3500sqft. The rent is around 3600 a month. This would be the nicest of all three pool rooms in this town and the best location for higher class business and good parking. You would be able to see the Billiards sign from the expressway at night very easily. Looking for any advice whether good or bad as long as it logical. I would have a shoe in for alot of players that are looking for good equipment to play on. Nothing is guaranteed but I would like to know I was well prepared before I sink my money into something like this.

Also, Roads player would be welcome.

Thanks for any advice.

I agree with Craig from Cue and Cushion, read and re-read the posts here. Also, you will have to re-think the number of tables you are going to put at that location, when all is said and done you are most likely looking at 8 maybe 9 due the location size of 3500 sq ft.

Good Luck

 

[nichollss]

My advice is to take a few days and read through some of the hundreds of thread on this forum that deal with pool room business. Some are started by owners and some by players. Pool is in decline right now so make sure your market can sustain another pool room. Also remember that you will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER get rich from owning a pool room. NEVER. If you work 80 hours a week, have some good luck, and make good sound business decisions, you will make a decent living. Above all spend at least 100 hours reading a ton of good advice on these boards. You will be shocked how much knowledge is on this board.

Thanks for the advice cueandcushion. I did read read read before I posted. I was just trying to get specifics on a few things. I currently make a good living at my current occupation, but I really would like to have a decent upscale place in our town to play at. It someone else opened one up I would still be really pleased.

 

[nichollss]

I agree with Craig from Cue and Cushion, read and re-read the posts here. Also, you will have to re-think the number of tables you are going to put at that location, when all is said and done you are most likely looking at 8 maybe 9 due the location size of 3500 sq ft.

Good Luck

Thanks for the feedback. This is the information that isn't clear for me. Do you think 9 tables would be enough for a decent tournament?

 

[manwon]

Thanks for the feedback. This is the information that isn't clear for me. Do you think 9 tables would be enough for a decent tournament?

No for 3500 sq ft unless you have no desk or nothing else that about all that will fit with the proper spacing.

 

[nineballpaul]

you will be payin over $12 per square foot. Thats a little steep especially since your pool revenue will be restricted by the number of tables. Don't bank on the road players bringing in a lot of bread. Do a business plan before you spend a penny.It is a tough business, but if its ur dream go for it just be careful'

 

[Jack Madden]

I agree with Craig from Cue and Cushion, read and re-read the posts here. Also, you will have to re-think the number of tables you are going to put at that location, when all is said and done you are most likely looking at 8 maybe 9 due the location size of 3500 sq ft.

Good Luck

Craig
How well does your membership work? Do you get a lot of day time players taking advantage of the price break?

 

[manwon]

Craig
How well does your membership work? Do you get a lot of day time players taking advantage of the price break?

Hi Jack, my membership works very well. I recently went up to $65 per month. The membership hours cover a persons pool time from 12:30pm when I open until 6:00pm 7 days a week. I have between 15 and 20 members monthly who play almost every day.

This program is great for bring people in, also many times a week their other friends join them and they pay the full rate. I will tell you contrairy to what others have said about the membership programs they have tried mine works great. I suppose it may have something to do with my location.

 

[Jack Madden]

Hi Jack, my membership works very well. I recently went up to $65 per month. The membership hours cover a persons pool time from 12:30pm when I open until 6:00pm 7 days a week. I have between 15 and 20 members monthly who play almost every day.

This program is great for bring people in, also many times a week their other friends join them and they pay the full rate. I will tell you contrairy to what others have said about the membership programs they have tried mine works great. I suppose it may have something to do with my location.

I know years ago in Phoenix a lot of the business men would come in for lunch and an afternoon game in one of the rooms I played in. They would have jumped at the chance to use a membership. One room operator would get the women in for a free lunch then all the guys would be "right on in"! Glad it is working out well for you --- think it is a good idea.

 

[tk_it_ez]

Hi Jack, my membership works very well. I recently went up to $65 per month. The membership hours cover a persons pool time from 12:30pm when I open until 6:00pm 7 days a week. I have between 15 and 20 members monthly who play almost every day.

This program is great for bring people in, also many times a week their other friends join them and they pay the full rate. I will tell you contrairy to what others have said about the membership programs they have tried mine works great. I suppose it may have something to do with my location.

Manwon, I thought I would throw something out there and get your opinion on it. Do you think the members would bring in more or the same number of friends if nonmembers got a discounted rate when they came with a member? Maybe a $1 an hour cheaper or something. Nothing huge, but just enough to make the members feel special and another reason for them to talk some of there friends into coming in for a few hours.

Do you think that little something extra would be enough to convince more people to become members? Everyone likes to feel special and when someone can get discounts for friends they often feel like they have a "connection" at a place.

Just a thought and I was interested in your opinion.

Nathan

 

[manwon]

Manwon, I thought I would throw something out there and get your opinion on it. Do you think the members would bring in more or the same number of friends if nonmembers got a discounted rate when they came with a member? Maybe a $1 an hour cheaper or something. Nothing huge, but just enough to make the members feel special and another reason for them to talk some of there friends into coming in for a few hours.

Do you think that little something extra would be enough to convince more people to become members? Everyone likes to feel special and when someone can get discounts for friends they often feel like they have a "connection" at a place.

Just a thought and I was interested in your opinion.

Nathan

Hello Nathan, I am uncertain if that would work, I have never tried it. I do agree though that people like to be made to feel special.

I think that is can also be accomplished by the service they receive when they enter an establishment. Making a new face feel comfortable, by speaking with them, and introducing them to other players who frequent your business with like interests.

Nathan I think that first impressions are lasting, so the way the house personnel treat new people is the thing that will be remembered longest.