How a local pool hall stayed open every day for 42 years

After 42 years in January, a well known Yuma staple will have closed its doors.

The Golden Cue, once bringing video game and pool enthusiasts together is now just a boarded up building with a “for sale” sign out front.

Located on 4th Avenue, owner Mary Rodriguez worked day and night to keep the shop open with her husband.

During the entirety of owning the pool hall and arcade, the couple did not close their doors a single day.

“We were here for 42 years exactly until my husband died two years ago, business started going down so we had to lock the doors and close the business,” said Rodriguez.

To her, the Golden Cue was a place for young kids to come and be with friends while staying out of trouble.

“A lot of them would come with their friends and maybe they didn’t play the games but they played pool,” she said.

Mary’s husband came to Yuma from San Luis in the 70s to continue his work as a banker.

He continued that job for two years but Mary says he did not like being away from home that long.

“He liked to play pool and he met the owner of the pool hall in Yuma, where the ice cream store is now, and then the owner wanted to try something else so my husband started looking for a new place,” Rodriguez said.

That led her husband to find the Golden Cue.

Despite the popularity of home gaming consoles, Rodriguez was able to keep their business open.

Mary says her favorite part of owning the Golden Cue was the kids.

“There was always different kids, and they always tried something to see what they could get away with,” she said.

Rodriguez said the state smoking ban that became law was another reason for customers dropping.

“In those days you could smoke in here and this place was just smoke, and the kids would say ‘we get home and our parents get mad, asking us where we’ve been smoking'” she said.

Mary said that most parents knew that the Golden Cue was a safe place for their kids to be.

“There’s no place where kids can hang out now,” she said.

Mary says her husband’s favorite part about owning the arcade was the people.

“My husband would make friends with anybody and he would talk to anybody, and if they needed help he’d help them and he kept the kids in line,” she said.

She said his pleasure was simply talking to people in the Yuma community and playing pool.

Rodriguez is still trying to sell the property as well as the many arcade games that fill the Golden Cue.

Many of the classic arcade games are still in working condition, ready for a new home.

If you are interested in purchasing an arcade game, Mary’s son, Gabriel can be contacted at (928) 287 0242.