Buying Local Podcast · June 26, 2026 · 22 min

Caribbean Cuisine Meets Billiards in Queensbury, NY | Buying Local #80

In this episode of Buying Local, Mike Nelson sits down with Neelo Jaikeran, co-owner of Queensbury Billiards & Café, to discuss building a family-friendly billiards hall, restaurant, and event venue in Queensbury, New York. Neelo shares how she and her husband, Kevin, turned a passion for pool into a growing local business known for leagues, tournaments, private events, and authentic Caribbean and Guyanese cuisine. Learn about entrepreneurship, community networking, local business growth, and what it takes to run both a pool hall and a full-service restaurant in Warren County. Learn more about Queensbury Billiards & Café at queensburybilliards.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram ! 00:00 Introduction and meeting Neelo Jaikeran 00:49 What is Queensbury Billiards & Café? 01:51 Bringing Caribbean food to Queensbury 03:18 Why Kevin started a billiards hall 04:20 Leaving a banking career for entrepreneurship 04:58 Transitioning into the business full-time 05:53 Wearing every hat as a small business owner 06:49 Networking through local chambers of commerce 08:40 Authentic Guyanese and Caribbean menu items 10:19 Learning the restaurant business from scratch 12:10 Family-friendly billiards and community engagement 13:02 Pool leagues, tournaments, and local competition 15:00 Private parties, team building, and special events 16:44 The challenge of marketing a local business 17:58 Why networking matters for entrepreneurs 19:08 Growth, future plans, and business outlook 19:39 Where to find Queensbury Billiards & Café 21:43 How good is Neelo at pool? 22:19 Final thoughts and community appreciation Connect with Buying Local buyinglocal.us Facebook: facebook.com/buyinglocalny Instagram: instagram.com/buyinglocalny X/Twitter: x.com/buyinglocalny LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/buyinglocal #QueensburyNY #SmallBusiness #CaribbeanFood #WarrenCountyNY #BuyingLocal