Jarred Miller of Elkmont grew up watching and shooting pool. He looked up to professional players like national and world champion Steve Mizerak, who attended Athens State University back when it was Athens College.

Miller was a sponsored player in his early 20s, and while competing and going to different venues he took notice of some things he liked and others he didn’t when it came to the venue.

That led him to develop a mental image of what he thought a billiards place should look like, and now Miller is trying to bring that vision to life on The Square in Athens.

He is in the process of opening Limestone Legends Billiards on South Marion Street in a location that formerly housed Athens Renaissance School. The storefront is just down from The Broken Brush, which is owned by his wife Jessica Pratt-Miller.

“I am so excited to open Limestone Legends Billiards to bring additional family-friendly entertainment to downtown Athens,” Miller said. “I don’t really want to open an old smoky pool hall. I want it to have a nice, inviting atmosphere from a more professional standpoint. Being nonsmoking is a big thing for me.”

Miller said he is still working on some of the details and getting permits. He said the new business will feature food, but the ability to sell alcohol on the premises is still in the works and will depend on obtaining permission from the City of Athens through a license.

Miller said Limestone Legends will offer around seven pool tables total with both pay-by-game and pay-by-hour options available.

“If you are a good player, coin games can go pretty quick, so I wanted to offer both,” he said.

Miller said he has been looking for a location for the “last couple of months” before learning Athens Renaissance was moving out of the satellite office on The Square. He contacted the building’s owner and now has the ball rolling on opening the new business.

Miller said he is currently unsure of an exact open date for Limestone Legends but is trying to have doors open by the end of this year at the latest.

“Ever since Jessica and I got together we have been talking about doing this,” he said. “We felt like there is a need for some more family-friendly entertainment in Athens. This felt like the perfect time to try and do this, so we decided to go on this new adventure.”

“This is like a dream come true for Jarred,” Pratt-Miller said.

Miller said he will offer beginner and intermediate billiards classes once the business is up and running. He said he plans to have one wall of the building set aside to honor legends of Limestone County, whether it be farmers, business people, officials or billiards players. Miller said that idea is what inspired the name Limestone Legends Billiards.

“We are thrilled that he is creating a family-friendly atmosphere for a game he has loved since childhood and wants to share with other families,” said Tere Richardson, executive director of Athens Main Street, which works to promote the downtown Athens area. “I think it’s going to be an interesting attraction and and an opportunity to learn a game that has been loved by many people for many years. Athens has a long history of billiards players.”

Richardson said as of now the upper floor above where Limestone Legends is going is still available for rent. She said the 1,500-square-foot space has been renovated and is ready to move into.