Private pool club - how many members for a 6 table club?

[BuffaloSlim]

I understand.

It’s similar to pool. If someone said they want to make a career out of pool I’d probably bet against them too. Usually I’d be right. So if fedor came to AZBilliards in 2012 and asked for advice it wouldn’t have been very supportive. I’m no fedor, but running a pool club is no getting to #1 in the world.

So I appreciate where this is coming from. Yet while we have plans for food and drink, merchandise, pro shop, corporate events, and a few other areas that may generate small revenue streams, we don’t need to go down that road. All I wanted was a few opinions on table/member capacity. I’ve called my shot and am down shooting. Im past the point of discussing pattern options.

Wishing you all a happy holiday.

This sounds like it will he an amazing club ... that I wished I lived near lol ... best of luck on your endeavor and if you could please post some pics when your all set up

 

[book collector]

Sounds great for you.

 

[89erZ Billiards]

What size room does it take for 8’ 9’ tables. This is assuming additional space for Bathroom, Streaming Room and other areas needed. What is everyone’s rent per Sq Ft? Do you own or rent the space. How do you calculate the cost of the tables?

 

[fuggles]

What size room does it take for 8’ 9’ tables. This is assuming additional space for Bathroom, Streaming Room and other areas needed. What is everyone’s rent per Sq Ft? Do you own or rent the space. How do you calculate the cost of the tables?

I did some planning for a new room about 20 years ago. It didn't work out. Anyway the numbers I was using were 270sqft for 9ft table and 230sqft for 7fters. This is just for the tables with no overlapping space (because I don't like it when the table space overlaps with adjacent tables). You could squeeze these numbers down a bit if the playing area overlaps. The other stuff you'd have to add, seating, bar, bath ect. The area I was in was $1/sqft for industrial and $2-3/sqft for the entertainment areas. Which is why my plan quickly fell apart. It was becoming a restaurant/bar business and not a pool business.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

I'm opening up a private pool club with six 9' Diamond tables and a 7' Diamond bar table. Not open to the public. 24/7 key access, etc.

How many members do you think this club would support before table availability becomes a concern?

Also, what do you think a reasonable monthly fee would be? I'm in the Minneapolis, MN area. I'll also be running some guided training out of the club (it is going to be designed for people looking to train and improve). Not nightly classes like a dojo, but not just an anytime fitness. I have my plan and ultimately the market will decide, just curious on thoughts of others.

I appreciate the way you are serving members rather than money, it might help to offer tiers of membership, with the leading members able to come to the tables at all hours and others with a more limited membership only on certain days/certain tables.

A great pool club has a good house pro and a special table or two up front with the best cloth and so on. Others have a separate, very private table inside a large space for birthday parties and special events.

 

[DDiabolico]

Quartier – Billardfreunde Baden

billard-baden.at

This is a private pool club in our region (city with population of 25.000). It has around 40 members with 6x 9" tables. Variable rates (base membership + hourly payment during daytime operating hours or a full 24h access flatrate). The most expensive membership is € 1000 per year for an adult + child. Cloth gets changed at least once a year and every member is entitled to keep the club clean (I think the guys who run the club do clean on a weekly basis). It's also mandatory to tell when you're at the club (via Whatsapp or FB group) in case anything bad happens during this time.
There's also a small fridge and a few snacks for little $. They also have teams who compete in local leagues and the club is integrated in our national pool association.

 

[Timkrieger]

Did this pvt club ever get off the ground in MN? I want to do the same thing out here in California, but no matter how I run the numbers, unless you're doing it as a charity, putting your own money in for the love of pool, it just doesn't cover the rent or mortgage, especially out here in California. I enjoyed reading all the advice here though and also the few examples of success like Red Dragon and AZ Snooker. Probably reach out to them to get more advice. Tough to figure out dual usage that would help off-set either rent or mortgage! Opening a pool room scares the hell out of me too b/c I see how lean our local nice pool hall can get at times, probably barely getting by. If I do my club, will likely be set up as a charity and maybe run at a loss for tax purposes. I would have a few commercial tables, 2-4 Diamonds or Gold Crowns in addition to my beautifully restored crown jewels: I have a 10' Brunswick Centennial with 4.5" corners, a 10' Brunswick 6 leg Conqueror with 4.5" corners and ball return, a 9' Brunswick 6 leg Kling with 4.5" corners, a 9' Brunswick Centennial with 4.25" corners and an 8' pro Brunswick Anniversary with 4.25" corners with ball return. And I have a 12' Brunswick 8 leg snooker table as well.

 

[benny-the-blade]

Did this pvt club ever get off the ground in MN? I want to do the same thing out here in California, but no matter how I run the numbers, unless you're doing it as a charity, putting your own money in for the love of pool, it just doesn't cover the rent or mortgage, especially out here in California. I enjoyed reading all the advice here though and also the few examples of success like Red Dragon and AZ Snooker. Probably reach out to them to get more advice. Tough to figure out dual usage that would help off-set either rent or mortgage! Opening a pool room scares the hell out of me too b/c I see how lean our local nice pool hall can get at times, probably barely getting by. If I do my club, will likely be set up as a charity and maybe run at a loss for tax purposes. I would have a few commercial tables, 2-4 Diamonds or Gold Crowns in addition to my beautifully restored crown jewels: I have a 10' Brunswick Centennial with 4.5" corners, a 10' Brunswick 6 leg Conqueror with 4.5" corners and ball return, a 9' Brunswick 6 leg Kling with 4.5" corners, a 9' Brunswick Centennial with 4.25" corners and an 8' pro Brunswick Anniversary with 4.25" corners with ball return. And I have a 12' Brunswick 8 leg snooker table as well.

The best to you, if you decide to give it a go. What part of California?

 

[Timkrieger]

I’m in Yuba City, just north of Sacramento

 

[ChrisinNC]

Did this pvt club ever get off the ground in MN? I want to do the same thing out here in California, but no matter how I run the numbers, unless you're doing it as a charity, putting your own money in for the love of pool, it just doesn't cover the rent or mortgage, especially out here in California. I enjoyed reading all the advice here though and also the few examples of success like Red Dragon and AZ Snooker. Probably reach out to them to get more advice. Tough to figure out dual usage that would help off-set either rent or mortgage! Opening a pool room scares the hell out of me too b/c I see how lean our local nice pool hall can get at times, probably barely getting by. If I do my club, will likely be set up as a charity and maybe run at a loss for tax purposes. I would have a few commercial tables, 2-4 Diamonds or Gold Crowns in addition to my beautifully restored crown jewels: I have a 10' Brunswick Centennial with 4.5" corners, a 10' Brunswick 6 leg Conqueror with 4.5" corners and ball return, a 9' Brunswick 6 leg Kling with 4.5" corners, a 9' Brunswick Centennial with 4.25" corners and an 8' pro Brunswick Anniversary with 4.25" corners with ball return. And I have a 12' Brunswick 8 leg snooker table as well.

Just curious how many of your tables you currently have set up to play on and where, and how many you have stored somewhere, not set up?

 

[Timkrieger]

I have 2 set up currently and the others are stored. I’m looking for space locally to get them all set up. My main practice table is my 10 x 5 Centennial with tight pockets. Here’s a few pics: