The current space in the alleyway/parking lot behind Huong Que. The garage door would be removed, and a standard entrance would be installed for the pool hall on the first floor. Seth Daniel photo
Noticing a serious gap of “third spaces” in Fields Corner for teenagers and families to hang out, businessman Vu Huynh is planning to open a billiards hall next his successful eatery in Fields Corner.
Huynh and his family have operated Huong Que Restaurant at 272 Adams St. successfully for the last five years and he thinks the pool hall will be a positive addition to a commercial stretch that also features bubble tea and dessert spots popular with young people.
“I’ve learned from my 50 years living in Dorchester that this will work,” Huynh told The Reporter this week. “I don’t need to read what’s happening on Wall Street to understand Dorchester people and what they want. This will be a safe place for adults and families, too.”
He added: “I think I’m coming in at the right time.”
The billiards hall would be located on the ground level of a two-story building at 276 Adams St, where the entrance is set back about 50 yards through a small parking lot and alleyway. Huynh envisions removing an existing garage door and installing a new entrance if he wins approval for the initiative from city officials.
The hall would be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week to coincide with the restaurant’s hours. Huynh is considering a set of 8 to 10 pool tables made up of several traditional pocket pool tables and a smattering of “three-ball” tables that are very popular in the Vietnamese community. There would be seating and a few arcade games as well as snacks and appetizers from the restaurant and soft drinks. But no alcohol would be permitted.
“I actually do not support that in the pool room. I don’t want any conflicts. I want it to be enjoyable for everyone and for teenagers and families to come relax and spend their free time,” he said.
Billiards has become a trendy activity, thanks in part to social media, but it has always been a passion in Asian and Vietnamese communities. More recently, out-of-the-way pool halls have become very popular in Boston’s Chinatown and in other neighborhoods as well. Huynh hopes he can replicate that energy in Fields Corner.
“The young people are asking for a place to play pool, and adults, too, and in particular. Vietnamese people love pool,” he said. “It’s what encouraged me to try this.”
No stranger to the game, Huynh said he is patterning the venture from his own time as a youth in Dorchester – where the Boston Bowl pool room was a hangout.
“I can handle a pool cue,” he said with a smile. “Boston Bowl was my clubhouse. I was there at least seven days a week after school when I was growing up in Dorchester. Everybody went there and we would chip in our money to play pool, hang out, and have a good time.”
He has engaged an architect and will be seeking permitting to renovate the space. He has to meet soon with Inspectional Services about zoning, fire safety, accessibility, and construction, and then get on the meeting agenda of the Fields Corner Civic Association (FCCA).
“I hope the community will support it because it’s a 100 percent family environment,” he said. “Hopefully it will work, and people will like it. I won’t be stopping there. I don’t know what’s next – something else will come up after this, too. I don’t plan on stopping.”
Seth Daniel photos
