Cue Time Cocktails & Billiards, located at 532 Three Springs Road, is Bowling Green’s largest pool hall.

Co-owner Nicole Hall-Rochester said while bars are common in the city, few have much in terms of games, unlike Cue Time.

Because it features an open bar, Cue Time has a 21-and-up age policy. The age restriction, in addition to the location—miles from campus and the downtown area—are the main reasons you won’t find many college students at the establishment, although there are a few.   

Hall-Rochester worked in hospitality as a restaurant manager and a bartender before her current position, and she said that what makes Cue Time special is its “laid-back atmosphere”, as well as the relationship between customers and staff.

“If we see you enough, we know your name,” Hall-Rochester said of frequent visitors to the bar.  

The people who typically go to Cue Time skew in age from anywhere in the early thirties up to their seventies.

Nichole Shannon, a waitress at Cue Time who goes by “Dos” at work, is also a veteran of the hospitality industry, having worked in serving for about 16 years.  She began working at Cue Time a year and a half ago and said she now considers it home.

Shannon said Cue Time is special because there is something for everyone.

“You don’t like pool?” she said. “We have darts. Don’t do darts? We have music and an awesome bar staff that will keep you going and coming back.”

In addition to recreational games, the pool hall offers leagues for competitive players. Shannon said one of the business’s goals is to keep the game of pool alive.

“It’s an awesome sport, and we’re trying to keep it fresh and relevant to this generation,” she said.

Cue Time has a patio for drinking and smoking, plus themed nights like karaoke and live performances by a wide range of artists. While business typically slows down in the summer, Hall-Rochester said Cue Time remains open and continues to operate for those that do frequent it.

Shannon said she enjoys her job at Cue Time because of the atmosphere it has which she and the other employees work hard to maintain.   

“I love my customers,” she said.  “They’re like family. Once you’ve been [to Cue Time], I try hard to remember your name and what you drink, so when you come back, you feel like you’re home.”

Features reporter Sarah Yaacoub can be reached at 270-745-6291 and [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @SarahYaacoub1.