I made this thread to help people who'd like to run a bar business (while having pool tables), and to get further advice and evaluation if I ever decide to open a bar myself. I'd like you to tell me if this bar would be successful and if there are things I should change. I made simple schematics in paint to help you get the point. However, please note that the place may not be so big, there could be less tables to sit, and maybe less games and two instead of three pool tables. It would greatly depend on the money I would be willing to invest. So this is how my fictional bar would look like, and pool would be one of key figures in this business:
So you're probably wondering what's up with all those colors. Let me clarify:
• Grey – tables and chairs
• Brown - doors
• Blue – tap room (food and drink)
• Dark green – pool tables
• Light green – table soccer
• Orange – darts
• Black – betting machines, poker machines etc.
• Purple – flipper (or any other game, could be another betting or slot machine as well)
So, this bar would be a medium-sized place, located in or near city center (or in some other high-traffic area), with a TV, music and air conditioning. It would serve a large selection of drinks (alchohol and coctails included) and food. It would probably open at some time in the morning and close at 1 or 2 am (sometimes would work longer, especially on Saturday). There would probably be four or five bartenders working in shifts. As seen on picture, there would also be tables outdoors. Besides food and drink, our income would also come from different betting, poker and other machines, along with table soccer, darts, flipper etc., games which always attract the mob. I'd do my best to find a cheap yet effective way of advertising the place, though people would most likely come in since it would be placed in a high-traffic neighborhood.
Now to the pool part. I would probably try to get 2 or 3 7ft bar boxes, a set of bar cues and other pool equipment. It would all have to be cheap, maybe used, but not damaged. That would be my tactic not only for pool related stuff, but for the entire bar (including soccer, darts and remaining games) – get the cheapest, used items to minimize initial expenses, and rather have a larger place with more items of average quality (and low prices for food, drink and games), while maintaining a nice, pleasant atmosphere. Back to pool. I'd have coin op tables instead of table time system. The pool room (and the game room) would be partially isolated from the rest of the bar in order to prevent players being distracted, and to avoid people getting hit with flying CBs while having a drink with their dates. All types of players and all rulesets would be welcome. Damaging the equipment or bothering other players wouldn't be tolerated in any way. I'd try to keep some good players there regularly and give them free coins if they help and teach beginners. Speaking of free coins, I had this idea... When people order food or drink, they get 1-3 free coins per item they ordered, depending on the price of the item (the coins would also work for darts/soccer/flipper if they don't want pool). I'd also organize weekly low-fee tournaments for all players, with the dominant bar ruleset. Rewards wouldn't be especially high, but it would keep players getting back and winning another tournament.
What do you guys think? With a little luck, I think the variety of games, especially the pool room, the tournaments and the betting machines, would attract a lot of customers, who would then order food and drink, which would be my main source of money after all. Classic pool rooms are difficult and risky business today, especially outside the US and maybe Canada and a few Euro states, while a versatile bar like this could stand a much better chance of surviving and prospering, while keeping pool in town. Having a place with 3 pool tables where people could play without paying too much cash, along with low-priced tournaments, would be a potentially good addition to the pool scene in the area.
So you're probably wondering what's up with all those colors. Let me clarify:
• Grey – tables and chairs
• Brown - doors
• Blue – tap room (food and drink)
• Dark green – pool tables
• Light green – table soccer
• Orange – darts
• Black – betting machines, poker machines etc.
• Purple – flipper (or any other game, could be another betting or slot machine as well)
So, this bar would be a medium-sized place, located in or near city center (or in some other high-traffic area), with a TV, music and air conditioning. It would serve a large selection of drinks (alchohol and coctails included) and food. It would probably open at some time in the morning and close at 1 or 2 am (sometimes would work longer, especially on Saturday). There would probably be four or five bartenders working in shifts. As seen on picture, there would also be tables outdoors. Besides food and drink, our income would also come from different betting, poker and other machines, along with table soccer, darts, flipper etc., games which always attract the mob. I'd do my best to find a cheap yet effective way of advertising the place, though people would most likely come in since it would be placed in a high-traffic neighborhood.
Now to the pool part. I would probably try to get 2 or 3 7ft bar boxes, a set of bar cues and other pool equipment. It would all have to be cheap, maybe used, but not damaged. That would be my tactic not only for pool related stuff, but for the entire bar (including soccer, darts and remaining games) – get the cheapest, used items to minimize initial expenses, and rather have a larger place with more items of average quality (and low prices for food, drink and games), while maintaining a nice, pleasant atmosphere. Back to pool. I'd have coin op tables instead of table time system. The pool room (and the game room) would be partially isolated from the rest of the bar in order to prevent players being distracted, and to avoid people getting hit with flying CBs while having a drink with their dates. All types of players and all rulesets would be welcome. Damaging the equipment or bothering other players wouldn't be tolerated in any way. I'd try to keep some good players there regularly and give them free coins if they help and teach beginners. Speaking of free coins, I had this idea... When people order food or drink, they get 1-3 free coins per item they ordered, depending on the price of the item (the coins would also work for darts/soccer/flipper if they don't want pool). I'd also organize weekly low-fee tournaments for all players, with the dominant bar ruleset. Rewards wouldn't be especially high, but it would keep players getting back and winning another tournament.
What do you guys think? With a little luck, I think the variety of games, especially the pool room, the tournaments and the betting machines, would attract a lot of customers, who would then order food and drink, which would be my main source of money after all. Classic pool rooms are difficult and risky business today, especially outside the US and maybe Canada and a few Euro states, while a versatile bar like this could stand a much better chance of surviving and prospering, while keeping pool in town. Having a place with 3 pool tables where people could play without paying too much cash, along with low-priced tournaments, would be a potentially good addition to the pool scene in the area.
