LEWISTON – Dave Lebel thought his life was pretty well settled last summer.

His business, Schemengee’s pool hall, was doing well, and his wife, Kathy, was expecting their first baby.

Then the city decided his business had to relocate.

A settled life? Scratch that.

“We couldn’t afford the extra stress, but we did it,” said Lebel, sitting in his establishment’s new digs. Schemengee’s moved a mile-and-a-half from its old location in the R.I. Mitchell building to its new, expanded home at 551 Lincoln St.

The former machine shop was being used as storage space before Lebel sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars converting it into a restaurant, bar and pool hall. Now, 16 pool tables dot the 7,200-square-foot interior, with 13 TVs mounted on the walls to give the players a reason to look up occasionally.

A full kitchen offers lunch and dinner specials, and a custom-made bar serves a range of liquors, as well as wine and beer. Schemengee’s grand reopening Friday will kick off with food and drink specials, free pool until 6 p.m. and a diamond pendant giveaway.

“We decided when we jumped into this, that we would go at it full strength,” said Lebel of the upgraded amenities.

Not that it was easy. Each 1-ton pool table had to be taken apart (three to four hours each) then moved to the new location in sections. The three pieces of slate that form each table’s playing surface weigh 300 pounds apiece.

“There’s 900 pounds of rock on every pool table … that took a while,” he said.

But he and Kathy are pleased with the results. Especially the landmark murals painted by local artist Clint Magoon that covered one wall in the old location.

Magoon recreated two of the prints from the famous series of dogs playing poker and pool by artist Arthur Sarnoff in old location. He’s now gone one better, adding a panel that shows a dog ripping the felt surface of the pool table with an errant shot.

“I was a little nervous about that one,” said Lebel, with a laugh. “It’s called Jack the Ripper. I didn’t want to give anyone ideas. It costs $500 to recover a pool table.”

The three panels anchor the far wall of the pool hall, stretching 12 feet high and 60 feet long.

“People always comment on it,” said Kathy, who said the couple approached Magoon while he was working on a mural in Luiggi’s for the original panels. When they learned they’d have to relocate to accommodate a downtown revitalization project, they knew they wanted to recreate the Magoon murals.

“Absolutely!” said Dave, who, with Kathy, enjoy pointing out some of the nuances of the paintings.

The unexpected cost of relocating prodded the couple into expanding the business by offering things like full bar service, private function rentals, Wi Fi and lunches.

“We’re hoping to draw a lunch crowd from places like Geiger’s,” said Dave.

But the heart of the business remains pool. Dave is a certified instructor and referee for competitive pool and there are three leagues connected to Schemengee’s. Tables rent for $8 per hour.

It’s a relaxing way for people to have a little fun, they said. They should know. The Lebels first decided to buy into the pool hall business when, as newlyweds, they realized they were paying $150 to $200 a week playing at a local hall.

“We couldn’t fit a pool table into our home,” explained Dave.

They bought Schemengee’s from its previous owner in 1998. Now they have a 20-year lease at the new location, a reflection of their commitment to the business.

“We used every penny and then some,” said Dave of the low-interest loan they got through the city to help them relocate. “We’re here for the long haul.”