On June 15, local pool legend Jimmy Wetch’s Central Avenue pool hall celebrated its 25th year in business with an unusual event: “Play Pool with a Cop.” More than a dozen of Columbia Heights’ finest were on hand at Jimmy’s Pro Billiards as part of the anniversary, and the cops played civilians and each other for nearly two hours. The idea came from Wetch and CHPD Officer Bill Monberg, with a nod from Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula. Monberg said the department “sometimes likes to work outside the box; we’re always looking for new ways to connect with the community.”
The mayor said she had stopped in several weeks ago to shoot a few games with friends, and called it “a fantastic experience.” After leaving her business card, Márquez Simula met Jimmy over coffee and was impressed to learn that he’s been running the place for 25 years. “He mentioned wanting to host an event called ‘Play Pool with the Police’ to celebrate the milestone, and it’s great to see that it’s finally happening this week.”
Jimmy himself has had an interesting life (he has a 1,000-word Wikipedia entry). Born in St. Paul in 1968, he began playing pool at age 13, and it quickly became his obsession. His skill level rose so rapidly that he won the Minnesota State Championship in 1985. Around that time, he left Humboldt High School and became a road player, shooting for high stakes in Texas and elsewhere, sometimes with thousands of dollars bet on a single game. But in 1994, he left that part of the pool world to turn professional. He played in multiple tournaments, was ranked sixteenth in the world by the Professional Billiards Tour and named their rookie of the year. In 1995 he won the Huebler Cup, and came close to beating Efren Reyes, considered the world’s best pool player. That year Wetch was ranked fifth.
Wetch said it wasn’t possible to live on tournament winnings alone, and in late 1997 he bought an existing pool business at 4030 Central Ave., formerly an appliance retailer. Asked about how the business fared over the past quarter century, he said it had sometimes been a tough road. Pool playing rises and falls in popularity, and the statewide smoking ban in 2007 hit pool halls and other businesses, with or without alcohol, hard. Wetch said when he opened Pro Billiards, there were 17 pool halls in the Twin Cities; now there are five.
Eventually the business did get a liquor license, and Wetch said the license, along with his idea, “I’ve got 22 pool tables; why not 22 different beers and 22 different burgers?” helped to stabilize income. He also partnered with the American Poolplayers Association’s Hennepin County APA League, allowing for amateur league play there most nights.
Wetch said one of the issues he continues to grapple with is parking, saying, “What I learned is when I have younger customers, they don’t really care where they go, as long as they’re with a crowd. Older folks who want to come in and eat, they want to pull up front and park. And my parking is very limited.”
Márquez Simula said when she was growing up, her parents were part of a pool league and even had a table on their front porch. She added, “I truly appreciate having a place like Jimmy’s Billiards in the area. Not only does it draw people from all over the metro, but the food is also fresh and delicious. Running a business for 25 years is an incredible achievement, especially considering the challenges of the pandemic. It’s inspiring to see Jimmy’s dedication and passion for his business, and I wish him continued success in the years to come.”
After the event, Officer Monberg said, “This was a fun, interactive, family-friendly event that we have now deemed the ‘First Annual Pool with a Cop,’ as we plan to make it a yearly thing.” He said the department was grateful to Wetch and his staff. “They rolled out the red carpet, and provided outstanding food!”
Columbia Heights Police Chief Lenny Austin, Sgt. Jason Piehn, Officer Trevor Norlien, Sgt. Jackie Urbaniak, Officer Andrew Nightingale, Officer Guy Juran, Intern Alan Berete, Captain Matt Markham, Officer Bill Monberg, Officer Tony Miller, Officer Troy Vaughn, Officer Ricardo Basurto-Ayala, and owner Jimmy Wetch on the pool table at Jimmy’s Pro Billiards. (Photo by Mark Peterson)
