Inverness snooker centre boss insists: 'Hard work will pay off if you stick to your beliefs'
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Q How would you describe your business to a stranger?
A The 147 Pool and Snooker Centre is the longest established leisure facility in Inverness dedicated to cue sports. Our second-floor premises in Union Street has seven snooker tables, six pool tables, two darts boards and a relaxing, fully licensed bar area with two TV screens for live sport and a jukebox system containing over 200,000 recordings. Our tables and equipment are high quality and in excellent condition, constantly cleaned and maintained.
We have an adults-only policy and you can just walk in for a table. We pride ourselves on providing a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for locals and visitors whether coming in for a game or just to relax and chat.
Q What inspired you to start the business?
A My family have been running the 147 for 36 years this month. It was established as a members’ club in 1983 and my father and mother, Ian and May Mackenzie, bought it three years later. He was a great pool enthusiast and was a founder member of the Inverness Pool League in 1977.
I inherited his love of the sport and began working at the 147 when I left school, cleaning the tables and equipment and learning how to play pool and snooker. Over the years I took on more responsibilities and was the manager for the last six years before my parents retired. I was a keen player, and it was a natural progression when I took over running the business 12 years ago.
Q How has your business developed?
A We made gradual changes over the past 30-odd years and adapted to changing times in the sport and demands for facilities. The 147 has not been a club for about 15 years and we are open to the public – players can either just walk in from the street or book a table in advance.
Snooker was all the rage in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s because of TV coverage and at that time we had 10 snooker tables. It was so busy it was difficult to get a table at the weekends. But interest in snooker has dwindled in recent years, although pool is still very popular in Inverness.
So, we reconfigured the centre by reducing the number of snooker tables and adding more for pool as well as increasing the size of the bar area.
We have five teams in Inverness Pool League as well as our own snooker league and a team in the Moray Snooker League. Our darts team plays in the local league.
Q How are you moving forward post the Covid-19 pandemic?
A Lockdown was tough but gave us the opportunity to upgrade and improve the facilities. I am involved in the Inverness Pool League and with hospitality being so badly affected we were worried there might not be the previous interest in it, but I’m delighted there are 22 teams competing this year.
Q What lessons have you learnt from your time in business?
A Hard work will pay off in the end if you stick to what you believe in and move with the times to give customers what they want.
Q What’s your vision for Inverness city centre?
A It is very pleasing to see the work completed on the Victorian Market and the fine job that’s been made of the redevelopment of Union Square with the new shop fronts and flats on top. Inverness is moving in the right direction and the castle project will be a great tourist attraction.
Q Can you tell us something interesting about yourself?
A I have been playing pool to a decent level for over 30 years and in 1990 I was 19 and the youngest member of the Inverness team that won the prestigious Scottish Super League – the only team from the North of Scotland that has won that title.
Small Business Focus is presented in association with Inverness BID
