We were lucky to catch up with Eric Granahan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Eric, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Our company started more than 20 years ago, with Sean working at a small pool hall in Laurel, MD. In those days, each pool hall had a small assortment of cues, cases and accessories for purchase. With the growth of amateur leagues and pool novices, many people were too intimidated to visit these types of places to purchase equipment.

We started with a pop-up model for sales at one small bar in Laurel, MD. Eventually, we developed a following of people who would invite us to set up our pop-up store at their local bar/hall, so that more people could see and touch the latest equipment. We firmly believe that there is a need for a “brick-and-mortar” store where people can see equipment, test equipment, compare equipment and ask questions concerning the technological improvements of the equipment.

Recently, we were invited to set up a semi-permanent pro-shop inside of a new pool hall in Bowie, MD. Center Pocket Cafe and Billiards has 24 seven-foot tables and 5 nine-foot tables, providing us an opportunity for us to see hundreds of people each week to discuss this pool equipment. Internet shopping for equipment can be a positive experience, but we prefer to meet with people and allow them to try it out before they commit to buying.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

The company started with an idea between Sean and an early partner that cues, cases and accessories could be set up in a pop-up sale model. Unfortunately, Sean’s early partner became ill (and has since passed away) and was slowing down. Eric joined S & T Billiards seven years ago on a part-time basis. He was a middle/high school math teacher and preparing for retirement. Each person bringing a different background and skill set to the company. But we all bring a love and passion for the game to our business. We listen to our customers as well as other family members to help us move our company forward. We have supported many local pool tournaments in the DMV, but we especially focus our support on the Juniors (pool players under 18). We provide equipment to our young players who are just getting started. We host an annual tournament with support from two American companies that build cues here in the USA, McDermott Cues and Viking Cues. Our tournament pairs a junior and an adult of their choosing, with prizes, t-shirts, hats (giveaways) and awards for all. Center Pocket provides food for the day and the kids just have fun playing pool. It is a great sight to see.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

We treat people fairly. Customer service is more than a phrase to us, we both have spent many years trying to make sure that we treat people as we wish to be treated. This is a strong message that we heard as kids growing up. Both of our parents worked in retail and had us working at an early age. ** Treat people as you with to be treated
** Do a job the right way and you will never need to fix things
** If you can help someone, do so. But, do not expect that it will be reciprocated

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

We believe that hand-delivering an item to a customer is better received than just shipping an item. We have been known to drive an hour or more from our store to deliver an item to a customer. When you deliver, it is a chance to talk with that person and other people that they may be with to find out if there is a new product that we should be on the lookout for. Several of these delivery trips have drawn the attention of the bar/hall owner and we have been invited to set up a pop-up sale at a new location. So many people purchase items on the Internet, only to be disappointed because it was not exactly as expected. Sometimes people just do not know all of the questions that they should ask when placing an order. With pool equipment, the more information that you have, the better decision you can make.

Contact Info:

• Website: sandtbilliards.com