Starting a Pool Hall

1) What is your target clientele? Is it the hardcore pool players, families, or college students? Nearly every decision you make will need to be weighed with this question in mind. You don’t want to offer gourmet food if you’re targeting the college crowd!

2) What kind of space will you be renting? Your rent will be a significant portion of your monthly expenses so make sure to balance the needs of space, location, and price.

3) What else will you be selling? Food? Alcohol? Retail billiard supplies? Pool tables? Pool players will gladly pay for food and drink while they’re in your establishment. Retail items such as cues and cases can increase your gross sales very quickly.

The following steps will help guide you as you prepare to open a billiards hall:

Write Your Business Plan

A business plan is your idea on paper and is essential for helping to determine the viability of your business. When forecasting your revenues, take into account that sales can be very seasonal. Also, consider how the pricing of your pool table rentals will affect your overall sales. Lower pool table rental prices will bring in larger numbers of people which in turn, increases your overall sales of food & drink. Don't set your prices too low or you can lose out on the substantial income that your pool tables can directly generate over the long haul.
Try:  Bplans.com and restaurantbizplans.com provide sample business plans for different types of restaurants.

Choose a Memorable Name

The name of your pool hall will invoke expectations and a mental picture to new customers. When considering names, think about the image you want to project for your business. "Rack 'n' Roll Billiard Club" sounds like an upbeat pool room, while "Black Tie Billiards" seems more classy and upscale.
Try:  Look for inspiration by browsing the names of other pool halls at the Pool Halls Database.

Organize and design the layout of your space

Where you locate your service counter, pool tables, and other furniture is extremely important. Try to lay the room out in such a way so the primary flow of traffic does not interfere with the pool players. If you're selling retail items, it will be helpful to have them easily accessible from your service counter.
Try:  Here are some floor plans from existing pool halls: The Charlotte Room is a smaller facility while Jillians (pdf) in Seattle has more than 30 tables!

Select Your Pool Tables

For standard pool tables, you essentially have three styles from which to choose. There are the coin-operated bar tables, classic furniture-style pool tables, and modern-style pool tables. You want to select a table that will draw people in to play and will complement the interior of your pool hall. If your interior contains beautiful woodwork, choose a classic furniture-style table. If you're designing a contemporary theme for your pool hall, go with a modern style table. Leave the coin-operated tables to the local bars and wow the crowds with a higher quality table.
Try:  Take a look at Connelly, Olhausen, or Brunswick tables for high quality, furniture-style tables.  The best coin-operated tables are made by Valley.

Plan your menu

Don't consider opening a pool hall without some form of food and drink. Pool players always want something to drink (usually beer or soda). If you can keep them around long enough, they’ll eventually get hungry as well. The revenue from food and drink sales will be very important to your business.
Try:  Take a look at what other pool halls have done.  Kendrick’s Billiards offers café-style foods while Q Master Billiards has a classic American restaurant menu.  A standard bar menu of deep-fried foods always works. 

Stock Your Retail Inventory

Selling retail items can have a huge impact on your revenues. You never know when someone will walk in off the street and purchase a $500 cue. Make sure your cue inventory covers a wide range of price points.
Try:  Developing a relationship with a reputable wholesaler like CueStix International can lead to good discounts on retail items.

• If you have the space, consider selling pizza. Everyone loves pizza and the profit margins can be very good.
• Going with an upscale theme creates higher expectations for customers. You can charge more for everything, but customers also expect top notch service.
• Alcohol-free billiard halls can be successful, but beer and pool have a long history together. Pool players like having a beer and the happier they are, the longer they'll stick around.
• Your rent will be a significant portion of your monthly expenses. Shop around to find the best combination of visibility, parking, square footage, and rent amount. Don’t rent the first place you find without comparing it to other spaces!