Pool Hall on a Shoe String?

TheOne

TheOne

www.MetroPool.club
Silver Member
Most players dream of there own pool hall so I thought it would be fun to see what people thoughts where on how much it would cost to fit out the following basic pool hall:

- 8 Quality 9 ball tables + accessories
- Bar / Lounge Area
- 1 Projection TV + 8 standard TV's
- Small kitchen

Assume the building to be leased is perfect size to accomodate the 8 tables comfortably and a decent sized bar/lounge area. Also assume the building is an empty shell and ignore rentals & other monthly costs.
 
interested in this too :) small bump as im curious to see what this would cost. as my girl curently owns a barr that is working very well, and she was thinking of maybe opening a second barr, and make it a poolhall.
 
TheOne said:
- 8 Quality 9 ball tables
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity and me being a smartass (yes, that's 1 word), are the 9-ball tables different from 8-ball tables ?

Also, the cost of a Liquor license in the particular city you are looking at could be a huge factor in city -vs- city.

Mj
 
MikeJanis said:
Just out of curiosity and me being a smartass (yes, that's 1 word), are the 9-ball tables different from 8-ball tables ?

Also, the cost of a Liquor license in the particular city you are looking at could be a huge factor in city -vs- city.

Mj
Click to expand...

They are in countries such as the UK, Australia etc :)

But yes how great are 9 ball tables, all the games you can play on them, why would u want anything else (well maybe a nice snooker table ;)

Ignore the license etc. just the fit out cost assuming the building is an empty shell?
 
TheOne said:
Most players dream of there own pool hall so I thought it would be fun to see what people thoughts where on how much it would cost to fit out the following basic pool hall:

- 8 Quality 9 ball tables + accessories
- Bar / Lounge Area
- 1 Projection TV + 8 standard TV's
- Small kitchen

Assume the building to be leased is perfect size to accomodate the 8 tables comfortably and a decent sized bar/lounge area. Also assume the building is an empty shell and ignore rentals & other monthly costs.
Click to expand...

- 8 Quality 9 ball tables + accessories
(USED about $8K to 20K) (New $16K to $30K)
- Bar / Lounge Area
(Varies by city and state - Low end $3-$5K, High end $10K-$50K)
- 1 Projection TV + 8 standard TV's
Under $3K
- Small kitchen
(Microve and Toaster Style oven with no hood - $1.5K)


Carpet, Lights, Chairs, Bathroooms, HCP access, Electricians, Plumbers, Carpenters, Licenses, Supplies etc........ an easy $30K on the light end for a total build out.

Basically you need at least $60K for the basics.
 
Afw questions to clarify some things.

1) New or used tables?
2) Does the brand of equipement matter?
3) Is this in the US? If not...where?
4) Is this a beer bar or fully stocked?
5) Is the kitchen for snacks and sandwiches or more hearty fare?
6) Do you want closed circuit cameras for the TVs?

Terry < guessing $16,000 - $32,000 for tables,etc.
$8,000 - $30,000 for bar,tables,chairs,acc's.
$4,000 - $12,000 TVs,etc
$5,000 - $25,000 kitchen
so about $33,000 - $ 99,000 (if you go high end figure on carpet,etc too)
 
u can count 7k for the computer payment system with flat touchscreens. (gf just bought one)
around 75 huiscue's= 1k
8 pair of aramyth balls, with extensions, triangles, etc = 1.5k
placement of the tables = 2k
8 new cloths = 3k
ventilating and humidity system = 2k
ask me to make some exhibition = priceless :D

conclusion,; u cant afford it.
 
All the stuff you talk about is really not that expensive. Tables, T.V's and other things you mentioned shouldn't cost more then $50k if you buy as opposed to lease. The big cost is the rent on this shell of a building, wages, insurance, and maintenance on this equipment. I just bought a great room with 7 tables and it was cheaper then I thought. It was the other things that were higher then I thought. Now I'm broke spending on things that have little to do with pool, like toilet paper and carpetting and straws and lightbulbs and so on and so on and so on. Hmmmmm, anyone wanna buy a room?
 
mind's right about the rent/lease costs being the biggest expense. Of course, you could always set up in the bad part of town, where rents are much less. Downside of that is getting the customers to come. Better to own the building.
As far as equipment purchasing-Your best bet is to watch local liquidatation auctions and see if any billiard places are going out of business. Incredible bargains can be had this way. $50-$75K gets you a hell of a lot at one of these auctions. And if you get more than you need, you can always sell off the surplus for a ROI.
 
Costs

You are just talking about setup costs, right? Not to mention
ongoing investments once you get going? I am just making
a guesstimate, but to have a decent place, I am going to
say $75-90k. I would recommend a SBA loan with enough money
left over for any expenses, rent, etc, for 6-8 months after you
opened. And come out shooting with good local tournaments
to get people in the habit of coming to your place.

Solly ... Terry Young, here in Wichita that owns Rumors Billiards, is
a systems expert, and has a system that records food and drink
items with a max of 3 key strokes, and figures time on a big table,
that he sold Shooters, with setup and maintenance, for $2,800.
It does everything. Terry, by the way, is a 2 time National Champion
in Pool, once for singles, and once for team.
 
ed_droogie said:
mind's right about the rent/lease costs being the biggest expense. Of course, you could always set up in the bad part of town, where rents are much less. Downside of that is getting the customers to come. Better to own the building.
As far as equipment purchasing-Your best bet is to watch local liquidatation auctions and see if any billiard places are going out of business. Incredible bargains can be had this way. $50-$75K gets you a hell of a lot at one of these auctions. And if you get more than you need, you can always sell off the surplus for a ROI.
Click to expand...

An 8 table room, in my opinion, is a waste of time and not apt to make a profit. The bar had better do a heck of a business. Rhino's opened in Cincinnati 3 years ago with 12 tables, a lounge and a good kitchen. They went first class with everything and it cost them over 450,000.00 to get open. The place really took off. They started to have bands on week-ends and the crowds grew enough that little by little the pool tables came out for tables and chairs. Last month the last 4 Gold Crown 4s were taken out. Although the tables were always busy on band nights, which has grown to 5 nights a week, they couldn't make the money that the extra tables and chairs provided for the bar.
10 years ago when Cornfed Reds opened in Columbus OH, it cost over 35,000.00 just for the bathrooms to meet code.
In Ohio, liquer licenses are issued for the amount of population in that community. A d-3 license from the state is about 2,500.00 a year. If there are open licenses were you want to open you just apply to the state, pass the requirements and recieve your license. On the other hand, if there are no open licenses available you must buy one from someone who has one. In real populer areas, this can run as high as a million dollars.
Dick
 
State and local building codes and licensing fees can be a killer to opening a pool hall, bar or a strip club. Often it is nescessary to go before a local city council or building authority and request permission to open an establishment. This gives those who don't want anything like that in their community (count on plenty of opposition) a chance to petition to stop you from starting your business. Here in Louisiana ANYBODY (store cleck,bartenders,etc) serving booze has to get licenced that is a cost in addition to getting a license for the establishment. Sonny Bono once told the story of opening his restuarant in California...his very expensive wall tiles in the mens room didn't meet code...he entered politics as a result of fighting the local town council.

Terry
 
I am seriously contemplating this after my father retires so I have had a few ideas.

Fifteen 9ft tables.
Five barboxes.

Not top of the line equipment, but not crap either.

About 8 TVs on wall mounts placed around the pool hall.

Small oven and fryer for Chicken fingers and pizza and nachos and stuff like that.

No alcohol, want to attract the younger crowd. About 10 arcade games. Smoking allowed of course. I want to dress the place up though, give it a nice finshed look and use some neon and some cool pool pictures on the wall. And have a weekly tournament.
 
Icon of Sin said:
I am seriously contemplating this after my father retires so I have had a few ideas.

Smoking allowed of course.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't count on it......the smoke nazis are strong in Maryland!:mad:

Terry
 
Getting Paid in Quebec

Here in Quebec we have a wonderful company called Lotto Quebec (sarcastic). Bar owners actually make enough to usually pay their rent and a few employees by just having computer lotto machines in their establishments.You just have to wait forever to get them because of the high demand.
 
i have known several very hard working people over the yearsdecades lose their business.....why? some on the high costs of utilities alone......heat and electric bills higher and higher.....the buildings some rented had min.of insulation ..the builder/landlord could care less as he is renting it out.....so to the people that think some pool hall owners are making a great living..i say you should see their utility bills.. Merry Christmas to everyone
 
Mind4Pool said:
All the stuff you talk about is really not that expensive. Tables, T.V's and other things you mentioned shouldn't cost more then $50k if you buy as opposed to lease. The big cost is the rent on this shell of a building, wages, insurance, and maintenance on this equipment. I just bought a great room with 7 tables and it was cheaper then I thought. It was the other things that were higher then I thought. Now I'm broke spending on things that have little to do with pool, like toilet paper and carpetting and straws and lightbulbs and so on and so on and so on. Hmmmmm, anyone wanna buy a room?
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about your problem............i spoke with a business person this summer he said the same thing...........he told me people were STEALING HIS TOILET PAPER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! these all ad up to a person's profits.....
 
cuejoey said:
he told me people were STEALING HIS TOILET PAPER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! these all ad up to a person's profits.....
Click to expand...

Does that mean he's WIPED OUT...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top