Who is the she?Glad you liked the SPM article. I wrote it.
Palmetto Billiard Academy - New Room in South Carolina
- Thread starter iusedtoberich
- Start date
Yeah, shame it shut down. I was going to drive up the East Coast for something unrelated and wanted to stop in.
Based on what i read/heard they blew all their $$ just getting it open and no back-up funds on hand. Monthly nut was killing them. No alcohol either and that's BIG $ maker for a lot of places. If you don't own your spot i don't see how any one can keep a room open with current rent prices. It looks to me like they really liked the 'idea' of having a room but did not do the needed homework/groundwork to run one.
Up the coast? Thought you were in Philly? This place is down in S. Carolina.
I'm in Atlanta and Philly both, and sometimes drive between them instead of flying.
Thanks….very interesting. I’ve really wanted to own a small room for years and there were times and opportunities when I could have accessed the finances but I knew it was a huge no win without drinks…if I was rich, I would have done it and just ate the cost cause I wanted it so bad. But didn’t happen. Thx again.
I wonder if it was a cashflow issue, and if the timing had worked to open in the winter months (pool season), if that slight adjustment would have allowed enough cashflow to survive a full year. Then go from there of course.
Another new room. I told you so! 
Damn, closed down already. My experience in opening a new room (did it four times) that it took about six months of heavy promotion/advertising to drive new business to your location. After that word of mouth took over. You need to get over that hump. My last room at Hollywood Park was dead the first month or so and I was getting worried. Three months out and we were busy on the weekends (Friday thru Sunday). Six months out, packed every night!
Damn, closed down already. My experience in opening a new room (did it four times) that it took about six months of heavy promotion/advertising to drive new business to your location. After that word of mouth took over. You need to get over that hump. My last room at Hollywood Park was dead the first month or so and I was getting worried. Three months out and we were busy on the weekends (Friday thru Sunday). Six months out, packed every night!
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InsertCleverNameHere
Well-known member
not sure the SF but somewhere around $15-19 per. If I had to ballpark it without the facts I'd guess they were paying around $11-12.5k per month in rent alone. Not to mention all other expenses. Tough to swing it with no alcohol sales or anything else really. Hate it for them but just was never going to work.
Thx for sharing. Did you ever own a room with no alcohol sales?Another new room. I told you so!
Damn, closed down already. My experience in opening a new room (did it four times) that it took about six months of heavy promotion/advertising to drive new business to your location. After that word of mouth took over. You need to get over that hump. My last room at Hollywood Park was dead the first month or so and I was getting worried. Three months out and we were busy on the weekends (Friday thru Sunday). Six months out, packed every night!
In southern Kentucky there have been at least 6 small rooms opened fairly recently. Usually two three or four tables ish. Rooms don’t survive long. Most are set up pretty nice. Diamonds. Have a crowd in tournament night but other than that nothing or not even open.
Damn near impossible to make it on pool time alone. Alcohol, and maybe food too, are necessary to make any money. I know some places forgo the alc. but its not many.
In PA the rooms generally do not serve alcohol. The liquor licenses are all consumed, and the only way to get one is for someone to sell you their's (From what I've been told).
Some rooms do ok, but some struggle for sure.
Some rooms do ok, but some struggle for sure.
If you were rich you wouldn't want it that bad.
But you all can BYOB in PA, right?
The ability for patrons to consume while playing has benefit$ to the room.
Oh, and here's the predator carom table.
Not sure how many are actually made though (think Diamond's 9' carom table).
They predator tables were used in at least one top level pro event in Vegas.
Yes. The room I grew up in was no BYOB. It was PACKED every night of the week with middle school through college kids.
In the early mid 2000's when the economy went to shit, it was struggling along with the other rooms. At that point, the owner changed it to BYOB. I don't know if that helped or not, but the room survived the slow down.
Actually on second thought, my feet would hit those skirts on probably half the shots! Yikes. It sure looks nice, imo, but would not be functional.
I don't think it was smash hit with the players either and think I recall hearing on one of the match vids that initial setup required tweaking...multiple times. Not unheard of for an on the go table, imo.
I did see one match where a point scored that was impossible, based on the approach line into the corner (roll-off issue).