pool and drive in movies

Tom In Cincy

Tom In Cincy

AKA SactownTom
Silver Member
Is the pool room going out like the old 'drive in movies' all the major cities have at least drive-in movie somewhere within a short drive.

Pool Rooms maybe going in that direction. When you have a city that is in the middle of a Metro area of greater than 1 million people, why is there only 3 or 4 major pool halls?

Sacramento has 3-4 rooms. (over a million in the greater metro area)
The Bay Area has 5-6 major rooms. (close to 8 million in the greater metro area.
Los Angeles has maybe 10 rooms for the 15+ million ppl that live in a 100 mile radius (mostly north and east of downtown)

Not that many Drive-ins.
 
Tom In Cincy said:
Is the pool room going out like the old 'drive in movies' all the major cities have at least drive-in movie somewhere within a short drive.

Pool Rooms maybe going in that direction. When you have a city that is in the middle of a Metro area of greater than 1 million people, why is there only 3 or 4 major pool halls?

Sacramento has 3-4 rooms. (over a million in the greater metro area)
The Bay Area has 5-6 major rooms. (close to 8 million in the greater metro area.
Los Angeles has maybe 10 rooms for the 15+ million ppl that live in a 100 mile radius (mostly north and east of downtown)

Not that many Drive-ins.
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Dallas: No decent major rooms... 3-4 that could even be considered pool halls
 
Pool is never going to die.

Pool Halls may cause they dont have an attraction but charge like they do...lol

5 dollars an hour are you kidding? (I have seen 10 per person) I have a hard time paying over two dollars an hour for a game like pool.

How about this for size.

If I want to go swim in an olimpic sized swimming pool that is worth millions of dollars it would cost me less than 5 dollars a day.

How about if I wanted to play Basketball on a full size court. 5 dollars a day.
Their courts cost them millions to build while our court isn't worth as much as the cue that some pleyers use. And they want how much for an hour???

Why would you expect pool halls to last they dont have anything to offer. Pool is worth 2 dollars a day. That is it, and if they charged that then pool would grow...People that came to play would spend money on food, and drinks, and the doors would never want to close. The biggest sport today is World of Warcraft. The game sells over 9 billion dollars worth of air every month and they charge less than 50 cents a day to play their game.

I love this game more than anyone I have ever met. I love pool to my core. I just can't stand many of the people involved in the game, and very few pool halls have a clue where they are in the spectrum.

If ten is the value of a rock concert then pool is a two right next to watching some bum play a five gallon bucket with sticks (this is where free starts.)

Pool halls are dying cause most the people that can do something to help are stuck with their own head up their own a$$. Thinking they are cool. They think that it's the economy that is hurting them. It's not, it's their lack of value that is hurting them. Pool could be something great if it realized it is not all that great right now.
 
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JamisonNeu said:
Pool is never going to die.

Pool Halls may cause they dont have an attraction but charge like they do...lol

5 dollars an hour are you kidding? (I have seen 10 per person) I have a hard time paying over two dollars an hour for a game like pool.

How about this for size.

If I want to go swim in an olimpic sized swimming pool that is worth millions of dollars it would cost me less than 5 dollars a day.

How about if I wanted to play Basketball on a full size court. 5 dollars a day.
Their courts cost them millions to build while our court isn't worth as much as the cue that some pleyers use. And they want how much for an hour???

Why would you expect pool halls to last they dont have anything to offer. Pool is worth 2 dollars a day. That is it, and if they charged that then pool would grow...People that came to play would spend money on food, and drinks, and the doors would never want to close. The biggest sport today is World of Warcraft. The game sells over 9 billion dollars worth of air every month and they charge less than 50 cents a day to play their game.

I love this game more than anyone I have ever met. I love pool to my core. I just can't stand many of the people involved in the game, and very few pool halls have a clue where they are in the spectrum.

If ten is the value of a rock concert then pool is a two right next to watching some bum play a five gallon bucket with sticks (this is where free starts.)

Pool halls are dying cause most the people that can do something to help are stuck with their own head up their own a$$. Thinking they are cool. They think that it's the economy that is hurting them. It's not, it's their lack of value that is hurting them. Pool could be something great if it realized it is not all that great right now.
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Not to be a smart a$$, but the rents, electric, phone, sewage, insurance, plus our own personal bills require some of us to charge what we do, or we can`t pay the monthlys.

I always told my customers that if they can guarantee my 8 tables will be busy all day I would only charge $2.00 per hour , these days it just aint gonna happen.

Then there is the summer when 1/2 your business goes outside all the time.

highrun55, a soon to be out of business room owner.
 
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Thanks for the memories Tom.:DThere has'nt been a drive-in theater around me for over 10 years.Those were the days..........:smile:
 
As Tom already knows, there is still (1) Drive-In Theatre in Sacramento ... just East of downtown on US50, with (4) screens running each night ... I have NO idea how they can still be holding on but, somehow, they are ...
 
It sounds to me like you are getting ready to close the doors to your room. I am very sorry to hear that. From the bottom of my heart I cant stand to hear of another pool hall going under..One I never made it to hurts more.

Do you think your place is going under?

If you really believe that you're place is going under then why not try what I am saying.
 
JamisonNeu said:
Pool is never going to die.

5 dollars an hour are you kidding? (I have seen 10 per person) I have a hard time paying over two dollars an hour for a game like pool.
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I feel the same. I am a member of a pool hall and pay 8 dollars for the day. I have also seen $10 an hour which means they get zero dollars from me. Considering that I typically play for 8 hours at a time they can either get $16-32 dollars from me at $2-4 dollars an hour on a regular basis, or they can get absolute zero from me.

If I owned a pool hall the tables would certainly not be the only draw. Hypothetically speaking I would have cheap tables, cheap beer/liquor, a few video games and a few other things. Cheap prices bring the cheapskates out. For example I went out to Santee Cooper a coupla years ago and the guys wanted to go to a strip club. Normally I don't care one bit for em because the beer is expensive. I got there and beer was $2 a bottle. I automatically liked that place more than the other bars in town because it cost less to drink the same.
 
gunzby said:
If I owned a pool hall the tables would certainly not be the only draw. Hypothetically speaking I would have cheap tables, cheap beer/liquor, a few video games and a few other things. Cheap prices bring the cheapskates out.
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So, you would want to bring the cheapskates to your pool hall? I guess cheapskates are better then no skates, but I would try to bring in people that like to spend money.
 
Table rates

In defense of the room owners I have to say this. I have played pool in many different states and I have never asked for the rate. Gas prices have gone up does that mean you walk to work every other day? Everything we enjoy or need has gone up in prices electric,gas,water,food etc.... Yet room owners should give away there tables. I don't own a room but I am happy to go in and play for money so I don't care what I pay for that service. Brunswick, Diamond ect........ make excellent home tables then it's a one time charge. Or take up checkers!:smile:
 
Depends on what you consider a room, in the LA/OC area there are literally dozens and dozens of rooms, most of them being small 6-10 table rooms catering to a specific ethnicity. sure the big rooms are few and far between, but sometimes smaller places aren't so bad.
 
JamisonNeu said:
It sounds to me like you are getting ready to close the doors to your room.
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I am confident that Hard Times Sacramento is alive and well and will
remains so in the foreseeable future ... I am there at least once a week
for Tournaments and have heard no talk of closing ...

Tom hosts very good Tournaments and I recommend every player in the
greater Sacramento Metro area to participate in those Tournaments ...
 
Str8PoolPlayer said:
I am confident that Hard Times Sacramento is alive and well and will
remains so in the foreseeable future ... I am there at least once a week
for Tournaments and have heard no talk of closing ...

Tom hosts very good Tournaments and I recommend every player in the
greater Sacramento Metro area to participate in those Tournaments ...
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Read the whole thread I think the guy I am talking to pretty much said he is almost under. His signiture said something like former business owner.

I was trying to post a comment related to highrun55's post.

Here I will put a link that makes my point for me...The rates at Six Flags during the summer in NY state.

http://www.sixflags.com/greatEscape/tickets/index.aspx

I think the point is. Do you really think that a pool hall can compete with this...Do you know why six flags has so many visitors a day? It is because it's a fair price for a huge amount of entertainment.

Pool has very little to no entertaining value that is why the pool halls are becoming more and more empty. Cause the only thing they offer in competition to real entertainment is the prices.

Sad day when I can go to an amusment park for the same price as a drink, and a few hours of pool.

Same product. Pool Halls are only giving 2% of the value of six flags charging equal amounts. Even to the extent that once you pay for your ticket at six flags you are done paying for the day after three hours of pool you just bought your day pass to six flags, and you just got started.lol They arent even close to done with your wallet yet.
 
I don't think it will ever die but it won't be like it was. When I was a kid I gravitated to pool because there wasn't much else to do. Now the kids have video games, the internet, and a bunch of other stuff to do.
 
Still trying

JamisonNeu said:
It sounds to me like you are getting ready to close the doors to your room. I am very sorry to hear that. From the bottom of my heart I cant stand to hear of another pool hall going under..One I never made it to hurts more.

Do you think your place is going under?

If you really believe that you're place is going under then why not try what I am saying.
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It`s not definate yet, the landlord hasn`t told me to get out, but I can`t make the rent money now.
I have so many specials going on and they still don`t play, im almost giving the place away.
There is no extra money to do much else.

Started BYOB still nothing, and anyone that knows me will tell you im a nice guy and treat my customers with much respect.

99% of my customers smoked and when Penna went non-smoking it hurt me too !!
I haven`t given up yet and i`ll keep trying till the man says get out.

Thanks for the kind words

highrun55
Mickey Scott
 
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It could easily die, but I sure hope it doesn't. We have now had 2 pool rooms close in the last few months, and I know at least one more that is "week to week".

The thing is that pool rooms used to be the place where folks went to hang out when times were tough, but not anymore, it seems. Many of the pool rooms have discounted table times during the days in order to bring some folks in, but too many of those who come in don't eat or drink there. That is also the problem with the league players...eating and drinking are WAY down, and so the pool room suffers. If things continue, before long, there won't be any real pool halls, only a few sports bars with a 7' table over in the corner.

As pool lovers, it is up to us, and folks that we know. If you hang out at the pool room, have a sandwich and a couple of drinks...either alcoholic or not. And don't be fooled completely that cheap table time will bring people in and the room will be saved. Only if the players eat and drink will the pool room survive. However, for every dollar that the pool room makes on "table time", it takes approximately 3 times that much in food sales to equal due to the cost of food, kitchen help, utilities, etc.

So if you play all afternoon for $5, and you eat and drink around $15 worth, the pool room MIGHT have $10 of "real" money out of you....but they still have to pay rent and help.

Joe
 
rossaroni said:
So, you would want to bring the cheapskates to your pool hall? I guess cheapskates are better then no skates, but I would try to bring in people that like to spend money.
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Cheapskates are better than no skates. And the people that like to spend money also know a deal when they see it.

For example when I was a cook I would make twice as many sirloins on a Monday night than a Saturday night. The reason is because they were on special on Mondays. Transfer that to beer sales. Say that I could charge $3 a beer like everyone else and sell 100 beers a night at that price while paying $1 per beer to stock it which comes out to a $200 profit. Instead I sell for $2.25 and word gets around to where I am selling 200 beers a night because I get in more people and they'll drink a few more because it's easier on their pocket. This comes out to $450 or a $250 profit. Because I have more people coming in I am also selling more food and have more tables full.

Sometimes less is more. Rich people don't get rich or stay rich by blowing money.
 
gunzby said:
Cheapskates are better than no skates. And the people that like to spend money also know a deal when they see it.

For example when I was a cook I would make twice as many sirloins on a Monday night than a Saturday night. The reason is because they were on special on Mondays. Transfer that to beer sales. Say that I could charge $3 a beer like everyone else and sell 100 beers a night at that price while paying $1 per beer to stock it which comes out to a $200 profit. Instead I sell for $2.25 and word gets around to where I am selling 200 beers a night because I get in more people and they'll drink a few more because it's easier on their pocket. This comes out to $450 or a $250 profit. Because I have more people coming in I am also selling more food and have more tables full.

Sometimes less is more. Rich people don't get rich or stay rich by blowing money.
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It's not that people are cheapskates (or no skates), right now, they just don't have money, so the discretionary spending gets cut. Instead of coming to the pool room and drinking $3.00 (or $2.25) beer, they are staying home and drinking Cook's beer for $4.50 a 6-pack.

Your logic is perfect in a normal economy, but this is a recession, and the normal rules are not applying. Unemployment around here is running around 10%. This is really not a true number, though, because it does not indicate the very large number of folks who have been cut back in hours...many to part-time, so they don't have benefits, etc. All too many of us (pool folks) are cutting the corners in the pool room. It is a vicious circle. We cut back, and the pool room suffers and, eventually, fails.

Joe
 
Bamacues said:
It's not that people are cheapskates (or no skates), right now, they just don't have money, so the discretionary spending gets cut. Instead of coming to the pool room and drinking $3.00 (or $2.25) beer, they are staying home and drinking Cook's beer for $4.50 a 6-pack.

Your logic is perfect in a normal economy, but this is a recession, and the normal rules are not applying. Unemployment around here is running around 10%. This is really not a true number, though, because it does not indicate the very large number of folks who have been cut back in hours...many to part-time, so they don't have benefits, etc. All too many of us (pool folks) are cutting the corners in the pool room. It is a vicious circle. We cut back, and the pool room suffers and, eventually, fails.

Joe
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Oh I agree totally. My ideas were for a normal economy. It does apply in this economy as well though. Some of the most successful bars I've been to have cheap ways to have fun in there. Three that come to mind had either pool tables, beach volleyball courts or bocce ball courts. All had fairly inexpensive beer/liquor prices.

*edit* Another good point is in gas stations. You have one gas station directly across from the other that is selling gas for one penny less. You will see that gas station take on much more business even though you may only save about 20 cents on a tank of gas.
 
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