Dim lighting, brick walls, blues music and the sound of colorful numbered balls crashing into each other aren't what you would expect inside a dollar store. But a trio of pool enthusiasts have transformed the former Gwendalands Dollar Store at 750 McGraw in Bay City into just that: Who's Who Billiards. Andy Kreger, Kevin Riegler and Lupe Rosas opened the new pool hall in November. They wanted to o
ffer something area bars couldn’t compete with and attract players of all backgrounds as the only strictly billiards establishment in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Rosas started playing pool when he was a teenager and, since retiring from General Motors in 1991, has been able to focus more on the game. He has traveled more than 15 times to Las Vegas to play in tournaments and won multiple titles. He said his passion, combined with opportunity, made for a good business choice.
“There was a lot of call for pool. You never have a pool hall around here, you don’t see any pool halls,” Rosas said. “There are none. There’s no place you can go and have fun.”
Transforming the old dollar store was a challenge, though. The previous owners left product and shelving, which Kreger, Riegler and Rosas had to clean out. The new owners also created a bathroom and redecorated the building to better suit the needs of a pool hall.
“I remember going to pool halls with my dad when I was little and you couldn’t see from six feet up because it was always smoky and it was dark and it was just always a dark atmosphere,” Kreger said. “And that’s what we went for here. We wanted the lights and the actual look and feel of an older pool hall.”
In addition to bringing a unique business to the area, the group decided to offer Diamond tables. The brand is considered by many, including Kreger, Riegler and Rosas, to be the best professional tournament tables available.
“These tables are perfect,” said Jon Carnahan, a player on the Wednesday night league. “You can take any kind of shot you want, any speed you want, and it will do exactly what it’s supposed to do. I actually drive from Saginaw to Bay City just to play on these tables.”
