Is it getting worse? Why Brunswick?
I just got news that Brunswick is pulling the plug on their Brunswick Home & Billiard stores in Denver. I guess back in 2003 they thought opening company owed retail stores might be a good idea. They opened 2 stores in Denver and one each in Chicago and Boston. Now that times are tough they are closing the two in Denver. No idea about the other two locations.
Brunswick has been the market leader for pool tables and game room furnishings since 1845 because we offer the industry’s largest selection of high quality product, backed by a lifetime warranty and supported locally by the best dealer network in the business.
We offer something for all tastes and budgets, from legendary heirloom-quality furniture, to traditional yet durable pool tables starting at just $1,499. All of our products are installed in your home with the same level of world-class service and attention to detail. Don’t be fooled by competitors who arbitrarily inflate their retail values so they can offer the perception of huge savings and then use independent contractors to coordinate your installation.
There are real reasons why families and professional players for over 161 years have chosen Brunswick over the competition. With Brunswick you get the best products and service at competitive prices everyday.
Man bites shark! Can Twin Cities pool survive?
The last year has been tough on pool in the Twin Cities. This week another casualty: Q-Sharks in Burnsville. Word is they closed their doors July 1. Andy and Don opened it in May of 2000, I believe. Don sold out to Andy several years ago and Ken purchased the whole deal about 18 months ago. I was always impressed with the look and feel of the place. The one and only pool room to feature all Diamond pool tables in Minnesota. That is until they had to try to cater to the league players and swapped out numerous 8 footers for a mix of Diamond and Valley bar boxes.
They tried the old standard of adding beer and wine. Not enough to keep them afloat. Sad.
This is the latest in a string of closures in the Twin Cities. I smell another auction coming our way. The bidding began six months ago with longtime pool table sales outfit Ace Billiards in Plymouth closing up shop. Even though Jeff’s modestly sized showroom in a less than flashy building just one block off Highway 55 didn’t make business sense. I spoke to him as he was clearing the last few items out of his space and he was surprisingly upbeat. He continues to be an active table mechanic and thinks he’ll be just fine without the overhead of rent and huge inventory.
Just this April, Eddie’s Billiards in Maple Grove had a well publicized internet auction. Eddie’s had a long run in what should have been a nice niche in the Twin Cities. The Northwest corner of the metro area had no pool room since the demise of Brianne’s in the early ’90’s. As an aside, many of the tables from Brianne’s went to City Billiards/New City which went under last year.
All of this change is part of the billiard business, I know. What troubles me is that there are not any new rooms popping up to take their place. We need to replenish the dwindling pool player population. Joints come and go, but they are going at an alarming rate and not coming frequently enough. We’ve got to support existing pool rooms and give entrepreneurs a reason to open new pool rooms. I shudder to think what might happen if any more establishments close down. I wonder, what are the odds are on a new pool room opening up before one closes down? Brrrrr!
Could The Corner Pocket (formerly Doc’s), Jimmy’s Pro Billiards, or Fat Boy’s be the next on the auction block? Let’s hope not. Play some pool this summer, please.
Mike
Would you use a forum?
I’d like your advice. Would you use a simple forum on this site?
Take a look as some sample topics I’ve started and please let me know what you think.
Loading ...-
Random Photo
