Your perfect pool hall?

Da Bank

Da Bank

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here in Dallas we are very short on a first class place to play billiards for serious players. We either have rooms that have terrible equipment (dead rails, small tables, shag carpet felt, etc.), have incredibly high rates (Dave & Busters type rates), poor owners/management, too much smoke even for smokers, or is filled with serious gang/thug life that is uncomfortable and dangerous.

While I'm not sure the economy is in the right place for an investment in a small business but the niche is definitely there in Dallas and I am always brain storming on what people really want in a great players pool hall that could be profitable.

So I'm asking you AZers, what are the qualities you want to see in a great pool hall, and let me give you some categories in which you could give an opinion. I don't want to hear fantasy answers that would be totally unrealistic for a business owners (9' Diamonds at $1/hr and free beer lol).

So what do you think works?

Size: Small and cozy, large and roomy, somewhere in between?
Food: Typical bar food at a good price or a bit more sophisticated menu at a price that is indicative of restaurant food? No food beyond snacks?
Equipment: Are 8' tables ever the best option?? Bar boxes obviously needed for league, but how many? Fill the place with 9s? Carom/Snooker a waste of space? Gold Crowns, Diamonds, Olhausen?
Seating: Stadium seating? Stools and high tables?
Smoking: Yay? Nay? Sections?
Other Entertainment: Live bands? Dart boards? Arcade Games? How loud do you like your tunes?
Location: How far are you willing to drive for the best place to play in DFW?

I'm certain there are a lot of areas I am missing and please add any ideas and advice you may have.

I was extremely concerned and dismayed this evening at hearing the total mismanagement of my home pool hall here in Dallas. Their insanely poor treatment of their customers and employees is beyond reason. In the past week the OWNER of this place has pissed off by far the most respected pro pool player and the owner of the billiard product manufacturer for no reason. Both of these guys bring in droves of players into this hall because they have followings, and to piss these guys off is such poor business practice and is detrimental to the pool culture here in Dallas.

The prices have gone up on everything in this pool hall in the past 6 months. In fact, my friend and I absolutely loved the price on a bucket of Miller High Life and it was our drink of choice. They stopped carrying it as soon as we started ordering it because we stopped ordering the more expensive buckets. The owner asked us if they brought it back would we order it again? We said OF COURSE! So what did they do? They brought it back and raised the price from $1.75/bottle to... i'm serious... $3/bottle OF HIGH LIFE!!!! Their rationalization was that the distributor raised the price of high life and they pay the same per bottle as coors light... LOL!
 
My perfect pool room (kinda what I hope heaven looks like) is full of girls. Each just as beautiful as the next. All of them like to play pool, but none of them like to wear shirts (strange, I know). Every day, a different pro walks in and beats me out of all my cash (luckily, I'm rich so I don't have to worry about the money). They serve a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including Slushies. They also serve lobster, shrimp, sushi, and filet mignot. It has a single giant screen TV. It's always playing some variety of nostalgic cartoon I used to watch as a child (i.e. Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Flintstones). Each day a different DJ comes in and spins some trance because I run out best when listening to techno.

I think that's about it.

Edit: Oooops, I forgot about the tables. I don't care much how many there are as long as the one I want is always vacant. But it'll need at least a few of each 6x12, 5x10, 5x10 billiard, 4.5x9, 3.5x7....tight pockets on all of them of course.

One more thing that would be cool, I'd like a resident philosopher/economist/historian/mathematician for some good conversation.
 
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Drew said:
My perfect pool room (kinda what I hope heaven looks like) is full of girls. Each just as beautiful as the next. All of them like to play pool, but none of them like to wear shirts (strange, I know). Every day, a different pro walks in and beats me out of all my cash (luckily, I'm rich so I don't have to worry about the money). They serve a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including Slushies. They also serve lobster, shrimp, sushi, and filet mignot. It has a single giant screen TV. It's always playing some variety of nostalgic cartoon I used to watch as a child (i.e. Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Flintstones). Each day a different DJ comes in and spins some trance because I run out best when listening to techno.

I think that's about it.

Edit: Oooops, I forgot about the tables. I don't care much how many there are as long as the one I want is always vacant. But it'll need at least a few of each 6x12, 5x10, 5x10 billiard, 4.5x9, 3.5x7....tight pockets on all of them of course.

One more thing that would be cool, I'd like a resident philosopher/economist/historian/mathematician for some good conversation.
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any feasible real world suggestions? Perhaps some pool halls you've been too that are really good?
 
The perfect one for me would be a large 40 table room with at least three Billiard Tables, six 8-footers, a dozen seven-footers, two 6x12 Snookers and the rest nines.

Buy a card for the month each month that gets punched at the counter after you play each time. Say a 12 hour a month card cost you $50, a 24 hour cost $75, and so on.

Have good food at reasonable prices. Have a bar at one end of the room that is enclosed from the tables but with glass that those in the bar could see who was in the poolroom. Johnnyt
 
pool hall...

My Ideal Pool Hall would have 33 tables 10 barboxes (Diamond) 10 8' (Diamond) 10 9' (Diamond) 1 9' Gold crown 1 Snooker table, and a 3 cusion table. might mix and match a little more on the barboxes add some valleys. A smalll menu, burgers, pizzas, steaks ,and some finger foods. a full bar, and a pro shop. Rates would be between 5 and 7 an hour, I would also offer a monthly rated for the people that play a lot.
 
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Drew said:
My perfect pool room (kinda what I hope heaven looks like) is full of girls. Each just as beautiful as the next. All of them like to play pool, but none of them like to wear shirts (strange, I know). Every day, a different pro walks in and beats me out of all my cash (luckily, I'm rich so I don't have to worry about the money). They serve a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including Slushies. They also serve lobster, shrimp, sushi, and filet mignot. It has a single giant screen TV. It's always playing some variety of nostalgic cartoon I used to watch as a child (i.e. Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Flintstones). Each day a different DJ comes in and spins some trance because I run out best when listening to techno.

I think that's about it.

Edit: Oooops, I forgot about the tables. I don't care much how many there are as long as the one I want is always vacant. But it'll need at least a few of each 6x12, 5x10, 5x10 billiard, 4.5x9, 3.5x7....tight pockets on all of them of course.

One more thing that would be cool, I'd like a resident philosopher/economist/historian/mathematician for some good conversation.
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this would definitely be the perfect pool room! I am going for this same look in my pool room at my home. Just haven't gotten the women that don't like to wear shirts! :)
 
Well....

No pinball, no jukebox, no bar, just pool .... this is "KENS BILLIARDS"

But in the real world where most pool rooms can bearly get by, I think to be successfull it must have Bar, Jukebox, Food, etc. Maybe even Cherry Masters and poker tables.

I like Diamond tables, with GCV a close second. Again I would have probably 1 billiard table, 1 snooker table a couple 5 X 10, several 9 footers and several 7 foot tables.

I am not a huge fan of 7 foot tables, but leagues can pay the bills, so again a compromise. Checkers sell more than chess.....

As far as setup, the best I have ever seen (not the nicest room) is Shooters in Olathe, KS. It is the size of small supermarket, and seems well laid out and not cramped. Most places try to squeeze too many tables for that time they might be busy. My approach would be the Studio 54 approach and make it perfect and if there has to be a occassional waiting list so be it.

Ken
 
My perfect pool hall....

First it would be it's own free standing building just outside of town and when you pull up at night there would be a neon sign with

Scotty's in script flashing
Pool Hall
When you approch the Mahogany door with gold hardware there would a sign that says... Pool Player's,Character's,Hustler's and a few misfits Only!!

As we walk into the entry way we hear the sound of pool balls artfully colliding and the sound of Frank's voice gently filling the room.

We feel the wooden floor beneath our feet and the soft tone of our stride as we approch with leather case in hand and an ever increasing heart beat and excited anticipation only a pool player would appreciate and understand....I know that this is where I belong.

There would be a thirty foot Mahogany bar with matching stools for the player's, hustlers and part time hookers. The bartender would be...a woman of soft gentle demeanor and with the bite of a rattlesnake and the smile that a man would lie,cheat and steal and offer his soul to have her.....but then.. she is mine.

Ahh the tables.....what else but refurbished antique Brunswick's in the main room...sixteen... no twenty.. perfectly playing tables with Simonis... only the best for my group of ....

The lighting in the room would be that of the evening with really only the antique table lighting casting the warm glow of action,sweat,fear,disappointment, excitement and the vision of the tip on the cueball and the money ball in the hole and the exhileation of winning that which belong's to another.

In the Sanctuary...the heart of Scotty's would be one 9' Diamond with Pro cut pockets and electric blue cloth. This private room is the reason for everything that has to do with pool and that is the test of one man's heart,money and soul in the heat of battle with another. The railbirds,sweaters and stakehorses would be treated to the finest pool in the world and only the best of the best would be allowed to enter or those that have the cash to test there skill and luck....but mostly heart.

Yes, we would would shoot pool, have a few drink's, have a few laugh's and sweet talk the hooker's and experience the rise and fall of many who walk through the door and think and believe they are the best...only to realize the life may be unfair and the only fair and right place to be is at

Scotty's Pool Hall....
Pool Players,Character's,Hustler's and a few Misfit's only!!
 
I am very fortunate that I have the perfect pool hall to play in. Our town is small and there is very little crime or thugs if you will. This pool hall has no riff raff that frequents at any time.

It is small however with the population here it more than adequate with 2 X snooker tables , 5 X 9 footers which we play our eight ball league on and 5 X bar boxes for other players or leagues.

The food is very good and the staff including the owners are fantastic people! Food and tables are reasonably priced and I along with my team mates rarely pay full price at the tables when practicing on off league nights because we are regulars there.

Most if not all of Canada is pretty much a non smoking envirnment for all business's which is great and makes for a clean atmosphere. That being said Jason the owner has a couple of tables and chairs set up out front of the pool hall so the smokers and myself with the odd cigar can have a puff which is not inconvenient at all.

Right now I absolutely love playing pool. Even our opponents in the league!! They are all great people and we all end up shooting the breaze with everyone and the environment is lsuch that we could care less if we win.

I have not alway's had the good fortune of a safe, clean and super great pool hall but at least for the time being I do so I will keep my fingers crossed that if I ever get posted from this town as I am military I will find a similar establishment in my new location.

Cheers.

Paul.
 
Create a room much in the same flavor as Ames. Keep it old style with the best mix of tables for the customer profile you draw. But the room that I would really like to see is one where the owner knows his/her customer, provides a fair rate for use of tables, supports the development of new players, cares about the game, provides good food at a reasonable price and is willing to ask the loud, foul and inconsiderate patron to kindly leave. Sure good equipment is important and turning a profit a necessity, but I don't think it's the room or how its equipped that makes a great establishment. It's the cultivation of the clientel and the character of the owners.
 
It would have to be decently smokie, somewhat rundown (nobody likes smelling fresh paint). It would need to have decent equipment, really surly bartenders and really sketchy bar flies who are constantly bumming cigarettes. Also, it needs to have kinda crappy food and at least a few greasy assed rats scurrying around for the general atmosphere
 
Would like a billiard table - but unless it is in a large city most owners feel a billiard table won't pay for itself especially if you get a waitin list and the billiard table is just sittin there.

Question - re status of pool in Dallas - I thought Bob Vanover, Dick Lane, and CJ Wiley owned large rooms there and they were good places to play.
 
Daily specials (open to 6 or 7 p.m.) are usually a good idea. It is normally pretty dead during the day at most pool rooms, but a $5-8 special during the day brings in some extra customers when it is usually dead. Nightly specials are even better, but most places don't offer them, because they usually have customers anyway, charging the regular rates.

P.S. It is wrong that they raised the price of High Life that much, but $3/beer is cheap compared to some places.
 
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rossaroni said:
Daily specials (open to 6 or 7 p.m.) are usually a good idea. It is normally pretty dead during the day at most pool rooms, but a $5-8 special during the day brings in some extra customers when it is usually dead. Nightly specials are even better, but most places don't offer them, because they usually have customers anyway, charging the regular rates.

P.S. It is wrong that they raised the price of High Life that much, but $3/beer is cheap compared to some places.
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If High Life were 3 biscuits per up here there would be a coup
 
bigskyjake said:
If High Life were 3 biscuits per up here there would be a coup
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I thought the only beers in Montana were Moose Drool, Scape Goat, and Black Star!:smile: You mean people actually deliver stuff to you guys in Montana? I didn't even think there were paved roads there yet!
 
bigskyjake said:
It would have to be decently smokie, somewhat rundown (nobody likes smelling fresh paint). It would need to have decent equipment, really surly bartenders and really sketchy bar flies who are constantly bumming cigarettes. Also, it needs to have kinda crappy food and at least a few greasy assed rats scurrying around for the general atmosphere
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PM me next time you're in Miami. You just named my home pool hall.

Minus the rats.
 
If I ever win the big one my perfect room would look something like this.

36 nine foot Gold Crowns in three rows of twelve with room to roam between them. These would be in the center of the room as you walk in. They would be in rows of twelve and seperated by big comfortable chairs. With GREAT lighting. Call buttons for the wait staff. No one would bother you while you were playing.

12 seven foot diamonds to the left. The bar area would be next to that. This area would have glass seperating it from the nine footers, so the music could be loud and the others wouldn't here it.

To the right on an elevated level by 2 or 3 stairs would be an area enclosed by glass surrounded by seats. This area would have 2 twelve foot snooker tables, and three heated 3 cushion tables. The juke box would only have light music Sinatra and would play low. There would be an educated employee on hand in that room all day, to spot balls, rack and discuss rules. Coffee is free and plentiful.

In the back would be an area of grand stands. This area would have one 7' diamond / one 9' crown / one 12' snooker / one 3 cushion. They would all be covered and kept in prestine condition. They would be used for exhibitions and finals of all tourneys.

The staff would be well groomed and educated. Dressed professionally. There would be the largest pro shop in the country with cue repair on the spot. Part of the pro shop would be set up for a custom cue maker to do his work. You could watch your cue being built daily.

Food would be top of the line. The eating area woul be above so you can eat and watch the action.


NICE TO DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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