Rack It Up or Pack It Up?

jason

jason

Unprofessional everything
Silver Member
Fatboy posted that another SF pool hall might be closing its doors for good. Is pool on the decline or is it growing? What is the future of pool? As we know, many of the younger kids would rather play video games than do something physical. I personally don't see that many younger kids playing and without that, it will fade. There are some good youth leagues and programs, but is it enough to keep our sport going another 30 years or 60 years? Not many of us were around in the 50's or 60's but how does it all compare to history? I would like to get some opinions, view points and predictions.
 
jason said:
Fatboy posted that another SF pool hall might be closing its doors for good. Is pool on the decline or is it growing? What is the future of pool? As we know, many of the younger kids would rather play video games than do something physical. I personally don't see that many younger kids playing and without that, it will fade. There are some good youth leagues and programs, but is it enough to keep our sport going another 30 years or 60 years? Not many of us were around in the 50's or 60's but how does it all compare to history? I would like to get some opinions, view points and predictions.
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The fact that businesses struggle to succeed in San Francisco, or anywhere else in California for that matter, shouldn't be taken as a reflection of anything other than how miserable the environment is in California for any kind of business hoping to earn any kind of profit...
 
David in FL said:
The fact that businesses struggle to succeed in San Francisco, or anywhere else in California for that matter, shouldn't be taken as a reflection of anything other than how miserable the environment is in California for any kind of business hoping to earn any kind of profit...
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100%. I wouldn't use Cali as any measuring stick other than how to ruin a state with goofball lefty policies.
 
Yeah, obviously no successful business is ever run out of California. /s :rolleyes:



Seriously though....one hall closure in a place where they didn't own their building and that building was sold isn't really indicative of anything other than an unfortunate situation for that pool hall. It's not even that they're closing because they can't make rent anymore...they were doing fine it seems, but they didn't own the building and the owners sold it. Unfortunate when it happens to your room but it happens.

Locally I've been seeing an increase in younger people playing the game and taking it seriously. It's been great, we've had multiple new people join the league I play in who are in their 20s now. Previously it was like 80% 40+ age group. The pool scene here in Wisconsin is quite active as long as you're okay playing on a bar box (thankfully the league I play in is on 9' tables, some of the only ones in town)
 
garczar said:
a state with goofball lefty policies.
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Tea He..... Well Of course....Granny taught me to always consider the source. 😉 I'm probably on ignore by now. If not this post aught to do it LOL. No political please! And to have a member of the Citizens Forum Patrol say.......oh yes The rules apply to Thee. NOT ME. 🤷‍♂️ 😉 Just playing.
 
Buffalo Billiards an hour north of San Francisco is doing better than ever. The owner has been in the pool business for decades and says he is doing better now than at any time in his pool hall owning career. Waiting lists for tables at prime weekend times, selling tons of food and beer.

Please leave politics in the NPR section, does nothing but add negativity to the main forum.
 
bud green said:
Buffalo Billiards an hour north of San Francisco is doing better than ever. The owner has been in the pool business for decades and says he is doing better now than at any time in his pool hall owning career. Waiting lists for tables at prime weekend times, selling tons of food and beer.

Please leave politics in the NPR section, does nothing but add negativity to the main forum.
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I agree on the NPR aspect but the OP opened the door so he has to expect people's takes. It 100% should be moved to NPR.
 
I hope it goes completely underground.
Rents and space becomes too high, morality police keeping pool halls out of their neighborhoods, bars switching to cornhole.

Then, all the degenerates, gamblers, and pool die hards have to play in each other's basements, garages, workplace tables.

You may only hear whispers of the goings on and wish you could have been there.
 
Didn't mean to turn this into a Cali bashing thread, but definitely noted as I'm aware of the situation out there. Also good to hear that there are some good markets expanding with new young blood.
 
I had been trying to draft this without making more NPR content. Basically, too much is taking the attention of people's extra cash. Cellphone costs, TV/broadband expenses, etc take up much of the money that could otherwise be spent in a poolhall.

It certainly would help to own the building (true for any business). It is hard to earn the revenue to cover loan service and labor expenses.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk
 
I don't see how anyone can afford to run a customer related business with reasonable building size on either coast given inflation / cost of living plus crazy real estate prices and other factors. Here in the Seattle area, we have lost multiple great halls in the last 20 years including the The 211, Jillian's, The Parlor and recently Empire Billiards (hopefully just moving). SF seems to be going the same direction. I think Portland is the one exception with a better retention rate for their halls.
 
bud green said:
Buffalo Billiards an hour north of San Francisco is doing better than ever. The owner has been in the pool business for decades and says he is doing better now than at any time in his pool hall owning career. Waiting lists for tables at prime weekend times, selling tons of food and beer.

Please leave politics in the NPR section, does nothing but add negativity to the main forum.
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Waitlists of over an hour are common at the popular pool hall here in Oakland, too. Bay Area pool is alive and well.

Florida man may think otherwise 🤦‍♂️
 
dhansen said:
Waitlists of over an hour are common at the popular pool hall here in Oakland, too. Bay Area pool is alive and well.

Florida man may think otherwise 🤦‍♂️
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Crown Billiards in San Ramon looks like it is still there (opened in 2004):

www.crownbilliards.net

About Us

www.crownbilliards.net

$10 per player per hour is kind of steep but they have good tables. League and tournament play most nights is the key to success.

Great Entertainer is still going, not sure of their rates.

What hall is in Oakland? Is it safe?
 
Come to Wyoming it's growing like crazy awesome new room Mint Billiards. Half the room is 7 footers the other half is 9 footers.
mint-img-2.jpg
 
jason said:
Fatboy posted that another SF pool hall might be closing its doors for good. Is pool on the decline or is it growing? What is the future of pool? As we know, many of the younger kids would rather play video games than do something physical. I personally don't see that many younger kids playing and without that, it will fade. There are some good youth leagues and programs, but is it enough to keep our sport going another 30 years or 60 years? Not many of us were around in the 50's or 60's but how does it all compare to history? I would like to get some opinions, view points and predictions.
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i assume you mean....IN THE USA?
the way to know is to get the real data on
how many new pool rooms are opening?
how much is league membership growing?
and age demographics of players
i am sure others will come up with what data is needed to make an INFORMED opinion nit just speculation/conjecture.
JMHO
ICBW
 
One of the problems (at least where pool is concerned) is that in California there's a ton of other things to do than play pool. The state has the fifth largest economy in the world, it blows all other states out of the water in this regard. It's not surprising that Family is closing in SF it's just too expensive to have a pool business in that town. SF used to be one of the great pool towns in the US with Cochrans and Palace in the 50's and 60's and then tons of upscale places that opened up after The Color of Money but that resurgence didn't last and most of them closed. There are still some great places to play, California Billiards in Fremont, Jimmy's in Milpitas, Hard Times in Sacramento immediately come to mind.

But if you don't own the building as has been pointed out in the above posts, good luck. There's just too much to do in this state for pool to be of prime focus for entertainment.
 
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