An Old Colorado City bar arcade is changing course, swapping vintage video games for pool tables as its owner responds to shifting consumer habits and rising operating costs.

Nova West, at 1124 W. Colorado Ave., is being remodeled into Mr. Billiards, a pool hall and bar expected to open in August. The owner also operates The Crooked Cue, a downtown Colorado Springs billiards hall that opened two years ago, as part of a hospitality portfolio that includes the SuperNova arcade bar, The Rabbit Hole, STIR Coffee & Cocktails, Bonny & Read Seafood, Cork & Cask, Shame & Regret, Shrunken Head Tiki Bar, and Liquid Courage Karaoke.

Mr. Billiards will bring a similar concept to Old Colorado City, where the owner said there are few entertainment options beyond shopping and dining. The venue will feature 10 Diamond pool tables — two 9-foot tables and eight 7-foot tables — along with shuffleboard, league play, weekend tournaments, and billiards accessories. The owner said he also hopes to add darts if the space allows. The new business will continue serving food, such as burgers, fries, and other bar fare, from a remodeled kitchen.

The decision to remodel the Nova West space comes as restaurant operators navigate rising expenses and shifting consumer spending habits that have, in the owner's experience, made operating "blue-collar" bars challenging. "OCC has been really slow for the last two years," he said, adding that conversations with other area owners revealed a shared experience: "Our insurance is skyrocketing. Energy, water, everything that we touch in the restaurant business is skyrocketing." He also noted that people are drinking less alcohol now and that alcohol has become very expensive.

Those observations align with broader industry data. According to the National Restaurant Association's 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry report, more than 9 in 10 full-service restaurant operators cited food, labor, inflation, and insurance costs as significant challenges in 2025, while more than 8 in 10 reported higher energy and utility costs. More than 6 in 10 restaurant operators reported lower customer traffic in 2025 than the year before, while more than 4 in 10 consumers said they were dining out less often because of tighter household budgets.

The owner said billiards offers customers an affordable entertainment option, particularly during slower seasonal periods in Old Colorado City. Pool tables also require less maintenance than arcade games, he said — recovering a table each year costs about $300 and he can do much of the work himself, while maintaining aging arcade machines has become increasingly expensive. The Nova West arcade games are currently in storage and will be used at SuperNova as needed.

Mr. Billiards is set to open the first or second week of August at 1124 W. Colorado Ave. No opening date has been confirmed, and it remains to be seen whether the venue will meet that timeline.