A Sneak Peek at a Lucky Break

Though the tables are draped in plastic and signs of work in progress are littered throughout the space in the form of empty boxes and scatter tools, it's clear, billiards in Red Bank are likely only weeks away.

James Hertler, co-owner of the soon-to-open pool parlor Lucky Break Billiards on Front Street, opened the doors of his business to a quick sneak peek recently, allowing a look inside of a place destined to help fill an entertainment void that currently exists in the downtown.

Currently in the process of turning one of Red Bank's most attractive interiors into an even more attractive interior - one that includes an authentic and newly installed tin ceiling - Hertler said work on the space is nearly complete. Then it's just a matter of having the borough sign off and the place is ready to open.

The tables have been built, cues, still in plastic, line the wall and everything looks ready to go, though Herlter will tell you there are plenty of final touches that need to be addressed before his doors open to the public for the first time.

The Red Bank Zoning Board . The pool hall will be located at 14 W. Front Street at a storefront that most recently served as the HQ for Monmouth County Democrats during the past election cycle. The hall will likely wind up with six or several pool tables and a shuffle puck board, along with a pay-by-the-hour system, when it opens. There's even talk of adding a classic skeeball machine, though that may not be for some time.

The look Hertler is aiming for is classic, though not stuffy or intimidating in the way classic pool joints, with walls lined with pictures of unknown billiards greats shrouded in dim green light, tend to be. 

"I am not going for a certain demographic," he said. "I don't want anyone walking in here saying 'this isn't the place for me.'"

When Lucky Break Billiards opens it will give Red Bank visitors another entertainment option, Hertler said. Currently, there's only one other place in town where visitors can drop some cash on active entertainment, and that's just a few blocks down on Broad Street.

“I think there’s a big gap in what people can do here,” Hertler, a Red Bank resident, said in a previous interview. “There are plenty of restaurants, there are plenty of bars, but there’s really nothing in between. How much can you eat; can you drink? There’s no place to just have a good time and a conversation with friends.”