He Built Billiards Club From Scratch

By LAURA KINSLER The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jul 14, 2007

NORTH TAMPA - James Hahn always dreamed of opening his own billiards club.

He fell in love with the game as a child growing up in rural Georgia. Hahn chose Tampa for his first club.

He gambled on a space on Nebraska Avenue and splurged on 17 regulation-size tables. There was new equipment and cold beer. The only thing lacking was customers.

"It went belly up," he said.

Hahn was down but not out. A move around the corner, to the former Service Merchandise store on Fowler Avenue, gave him a second chance.

"I found some partners who thought I had potential," Hahn said. "They were friends of the family who believed in me."

Over six months, Hahn has transformed the empty space into the Bulls Club. The space was large enough to accommodate the tables, plus a large bar, dance floor, game room and VIP room.

With the opening of the Bulls Club, the former shopping center - shut down in 2002 - is completely redeveloped.

Franz Gessner was one of the first customers. "It looks pretty nice," he said. "It's a big club. It looks like it's going to do very well."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Bulls Club

WHERE: 1251 E. Fowler Ave.

WHEN: Open from 1 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily

HOW MUCH: $4 per hour to shoot pool; $1 draft beer

INFORMATION: Call (813) 975-0402.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.