The Spot by Jacoby hits the 8-ball for billiards aficionados

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

March 4, 2024

NEKOOSA – Nekoosa residents have noticed a new spot in town – literally known as The Spot. Owner Brandon Jacoby said its name is a nod to a now-closed Wisconsin Rapids-based restaurant owned by his grandparents.

And even though this business isn’t focused on food, Brandon said it is focused on delivering an experience – this one to billiards players throughout North Central Wisconsin and beyond.

It’s something Brandon said he knows well, as he is both the owner of The Spot and president of Jacoby Custom Cues, LLC – which is across the street from The Spot, with strong roots in the community and the billiards space alike.

Brandon said his dad, Dave Jacoby, started the business in 1982 out of his home – moving it to the 309 Market St. location in Nekoosa in 1996.

Brandon said it’s been a labor of love for them both.

Growing up in the business, he said the passion for billiards is in his blood.

As the business grew for Custom Cues for Jacoby, Brandon said space became an issue. Simultaneously, he said he had the idea to create a billiards destination in a building he already owned across the street.

“My vision was to create an environment for playing pool where you could bring your kids, in a good, safe and clean environment,” he said. “I wanted to deliver a relaxed and comfortable pool room experience, where you could come in with a friend and use a table for a couple of hours.”

Brandon said The Spot offers just that, with customers often congregating around the former soda fountain counter and seats from the days the building was a drug store. 

“I kept the stools at the counter in place, and all the cabinetry in the back is original, too,” he said. “The counter is the gathering place. People come in and immediately gravitate toward that.”

Then there are the tables themselves, including a nine-foot Diamond table featuring Simonis 860 Worsted Cloth that’s a pro-level table, seven-foot Diamond tables, seven-foot Valley tables and a full complement of equipment.

“The nine-foot table is the one you’ll see on TV when you watch professional pool,” Brandon said. “We have several elevated options, and the tables are pristine. They are the best tables available throughout Central Wisconsin for sure.”

Brandon said the showroom space for custom cues and other billiard items formerly located in Jacoby’s Custom Cues is now housed within The Spot – which allows more space inside Jacoby’s Custom Cues.

Inspiration

Brandon said the inspiration for The Spot was solidified after a visit to Bayfield in summer 2022.

There, he said he visited a bicycle shop with a retail space in front that also offered an obstacle course in the back where customers could try out bikes.

“It was a cool retail experience, and I was impressed with what they had done,” he said. “It made me realize that the showroom needed an experience to go with it. That’s why I incorporated The Spot as a billiard hall and pro shop.”

Whether someone drives to Nekoosa solely to pick up items in the pro shop or to have other work done at Jacoby Custom Cues, Brandon said that customer now has the perfect place to go to while away a few hours on the tables as well.

“We get people who drive four hours one way to come to the shop and wait while they get work done,” he said. “Before, they would have to find something to do for a few hours, but now they can stay here and use a table. It’s a better customer experience all around.”

Then, Brandon said, there are The Spot regulars, those who participate in leagues or just come in on the regular to shoot a few games.

Every Wednesday, there’s a coffee klatch league of 20-30 people who play pool and then enjoy lunch they bring in afterward.

Brandon said he hosts 8-ball tournaments every Thursday evening, 9-ball tournaments every Friday and welcomes junior league play for ages seven to 20 on Sunday evenings.

Brandon said he also offers “Want to Learn Wednesday” classes, which offer instruction on the game of pool for anyone interested in learning.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re 90 or 10 – almost everyone can play pool,” he said. “I’ve seen people in wheelchairs or missing limbs who can play.”

Brandon said The Spot also hosts special events, such as a combination trivia/pool-playing event and a Halloween costume contest/tournament.

In addition to leagues and special events on-site, Brandon said The Spot and Jacoby Custom Cues welcome a variety of tournaments to the area, including at the local community center. January, he said, marked the 10th annual Dave Jacoby Open, a billiards tournament hosted at the local community center that draws people from all over the United States, as well as Portugal and the United Kingdom. 

“That’s developed into a premier event in Wisconsin every year, with 64 players in the singles and 40 teams in the team event,” he said. “This year, we were full with a waiting list several months before the event.”

Though those visitors to the area come and go, Brandon said the regulars play the tables regularly.

“(Pool is) one of the highest participation activities worldwide even as people’s recreational habits have changed quite a bit,” he said. 

Word of mouth, Brandon said, has been a great tool for spreading the word of The Spot’s existence – which he estimates to be one of maybe 12 or 13 of these destinations in the state. He said he employs a full-time manager, as well as a couple of part-time employees to take care of customers – whether they’re purchasing a game or ordering a drink, as The Spot has a full liquor license.

“If you play pool, you know Jacoby,” he said. “That’s made it easier for us. It would be like if Trek opened its own bicycle shop.”

Brandon said business has exceeded his expectations since opening last summer.

“I didn’t know what to anticipate when I put it together, but it has definitely grown our retail sales and consistently draws more and more people,” he said. “Some days, I’ll walk over to The Spot mid-afternoon only to see every table is rented and people are playing. I wouldn’t have anticipated that. It’s been good.”

Brandon said he is proud of the extension of the Jacoby name to The Spot, as well as giving a nod to his grandparents’ former business.

“In the showroom, there’s a picture of the original The Spot restaurant where you can see that soda counter,” he said. “It’s just cool to tie it all together here.”

For more on The Spot by Jacoby, visit thespotbyjacoby.com.