by Kristen Wile

Greg Guillorn, co-owner of NoDa bar and restaurant The Degenerate, didn’t need to seek out inspiration for his second concept. As The Degenerate’s spot as a neighborhood hangout solidified and he looked to open something else, he simply dreamed up the kind of place he was often looking for in Charlotte, but didn’t exist: a place to play billiards.

“I’m actually not very good, but I really like playing,” Guillorn says. “And it’s one of the things that, growing up in New York City, you didn’t get a ton of time to do because it takes up so much real estate and everything is smaller there. …So I moved down here and immediately tried to find every bar I could with pool tables. And then I kept not being able to get a table.”

He opened Borderline Billiards & Bar earlier this month, just past NoDa at the Sugar Creek light rail stop in the development where Soul Gastrolounge will be. The space is large enough to house five 9-foot billiards tables, each with enough space around them to allow guests to take their turns without the fear of hitting passersby with their cues.

One of the five tables is set in the front of the bar, with a TV and its own small lounge area. All tables are on a first-come, first-served basis. The pool tables are free to play, with a sign on the wall for guests to get in line for the next available table. Guillorn says he didn’t want to turn away guests who wanted to learn or play casually by charging for the tables.

There’s a row of booths with views of the pool tables that allow for intimate conversation, as well as cocktail tables separated from the pool floor by a standing bar that allows guests to watch the competitions. There are also several dartboards, as well as a stage that will host live music in the future. The design — which was managed by Guillorn’s partner, chef Elinn Hesse — features a lot of dark woods that fit the billiards-room vibe.

The bar reflects both Guillorn’s talent as a bartender as well as an awareness of what hospitality industry members drink. You can order anything from a classic negroni or margarita made to order to a $3 Miller High Life. There’s also a small selection of wines. There’s no kitchen at Borderline, whose name was inspired by the song of the same name by band King Harvest, so guests are welcome to bring in their own food. Guillorn hopes the place will be welcoming to people who are into billiards and looking for regulation tables as well as people just seeking a neighborhood hangout and may hop on a table if it’s available.

“Some people are super into it; some people just like to casually play,” Guillorn says. “So I’m looking to get everybody, honestly.”

A night at Borderline can happen on a tight budget, with drink specials and cheap beers, or guests can order craft cocktails all night. That range was intentional.

“That’s kind of how we structured the drink program,” Hesse says. “The shot and beer, we have those specials; we have that, but we want to also have the cocktails that bring in kind of a different crowd.”

So far, guests swinging by Borderline haven’t had a hard time getting a table. Guillorn purposefully launched the bar quietly, so they can learn a bit more about what the neighborhood wants before broadcasting their presence.

“We wanted to slow roll it, because I’ve been part of a lot of restaurant and bar openings and a lot of times people will be like, ‘Hey, let’s blast the place and get everybody in here,’ and then you get swarmed and then service goes to hell and people have a bad time, bad experience. It’s easy to look at those dollar signs and be like, ‘Well, why wouldn’t we?’ I like to ease in and make sure the staff is comfortable, make sure we’re all good with everything.” 

 For those visiting Borderline, the entrance faces the light rail stop, though there is currently plenty of free parking as well. The bar opens at 5 p.m. daily, closing at midnight during the week and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.