History
GROWTH of Billiards
During the past few years, the growth in the billiard industry has been fueled by greater media coverage from movies; TV commercials using a billiards setting; coverage of the Ladies Pro Tour on cable TV; interviews and articles with the pro stars; and the rapid growth of the upscale billiards parlor. Located in attractive urban and suburban areas, these billiard rooms attract upscale clientele, recreational sports fans, and even couples. They typically have modern, attractive decor and offer a broad range of services, such as darts, video games, satellite networked trivia games, specialty bars, and upgraded food menus -- all aimed at making for a fun, social experience.
Billiards is now an established mainstream recreational activity.
- Since 1987, the number of billiards participants has grown by 19.6%, compared with only 12% growth of the U.S. population, and its growth in new players was up 33%
- In 1997, 42.2 million Americans played billiards once or more and 9.2 million played 25 days or more -- i.e. "frequent" players
- In overall participation, billiards ranks fifth among all recreational activities in America and is on the increase
- According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (Sgma)
- The size of the U.S. billiards products market was estimated at $225 million (at wholesale) in 1997 and is increasing at a rate of 5% a year
Trick Shots History
Trick Shots was the dream of Steven Redrick, who with his good friend Jamie Daniels found the first location for Trick Shots in Altamonte Springs, Florida in 1995.
Steve, known as Steve "O" by his friends and those who knew him, started in the billiard industry in 1983 with Click Billiards in Tucson, Arizona. It was in those early years he learned bartending and customer service. He learned every aspect of the business from the bar level to the management level. It is because of Steve's experience and expertise that we have the Trick Shots concept. Since then we have opened five successful locations in Central Florida. Steve’s goal was to become the largest billiard chain in the United States.
Jamie Daniels, starting at a young age, became an elite player in the rooms that he frequented. When he moved to Florida, he started scouting the area for another pool hall to call home; that is when he came across Click Billiards. After becoming a regular customer in the pool hall, he became good friends with the General Manger, Steven Redrick. During the next couple of years, they continually talked about opening their own billiards place. In early 1995, their dream became a reality. Jamie has been indispensable when it comes to finding locations and picking the demographics best suited for new Trick Shots. His strong work ethic and success in motivation of his employees have helped to create programs and policies valuable for the Trick Shots concept. Because of his billiard room knowledge he has also taken an active role in the design element of our locations and the use of space within our locations. Jamie owns and operates Central Florida Power Sports and West Coast Power Sports.
With the help of Scott Smith and his CPA Lance Smith, Trick Shots purchased our first location and remodeled to suit our needs. Scott Smith is a silent partner in the Trick Shots Family. His history of successful businesses and his financial support has been invaluable to Trick Shots, but it was his insistence that Trick Shots have quality locations and equipment that contributed to the Trick Shots personality. He saw the benefits of franchising, and this has led us to where we are today.
Lance Smith owns and operates a successful accounting business in Longwood, Florida. He has been the key figure in setting up the accounting structure of Trick Shots. He has been the driving force behind securing the best leases for the clubs, the best premiums for insurance and financing.
Several months later, we purchased our second location and remodeled it to look like the first Trick Shots. A few years later, we had a clear vision about what we wanted to be so we built our third location using a new design. It was an instant success in the community. We had a waiting list the first night we opened. We have subsequently opened two more Trick Shots with the same design concept and they too have been successful from the start. Our goal was to create a chain of upscale billiard clubs that will improve the image of the billiard industry. Our continuing promise is to offer our customers a friendly and courteous staff as well as a clean and controlled environment where they can work and play. We have created a sound business plan to insure financial stability. However, our real success comes from the image we create with our guests: real personality, warmth and enthusiasm. A genuine hello, a friendly smile by all team members and friendly conversation with a sincere interest is the Trick Shots way. Every job that a team member completes is the basis for our philosophy that the bar exists for the enjoyment and satisfaction of our guest. This special attention to our guests sets us apart from other establishments.
You are about to become apart of a "great team" that offers our guests the finest of service and treatment with respect to create a memorable experience at Trick Shots every time they walk through the door. We will offer you the finest training available to ensure along and enjoyable career with us. You will soon begin to say this often, but for now, allows us to say “Welcome to Trick Shots”!
Steven E. Redrick January 10, 1965 to October 19, 2005 always remembered. 