Won't be bothering with pubs from now on.
Discussion
NDA said:
Landlord said:
Exactly - we sell Warsteiner for £4.20. For a "standard" GP it should be well over £5 but we won't sell at that in order to please our many regulars who drink it. We just have to take the hit.
Trust me. There's no money in wet-led pubs (naturally there are some exceptions but they're rare).
To anticipate the question - we make our money (which amounts to f
k all) on the food. Yes, wine is proportionally profitable but is a small part of our turnover. As are spirits.
I have no axe to grind - but am very fond of my local pub. To be honest, it's not exactly local (30 minute drive), but my local has gone toddler friendly and I can no longer deal with screaming children.Trust me. There's no money in wet-led pubs (naturally there are some exceptions but they're rare).
To anticipate the question - we make our money (which amounts to f
k all) on the food. Yes, wine is proportionally profitable but is a small part of our turnover. As are spirits.As a landlord, what do you think the answer is? I know that some pubs have been hit with massive rate rises, some have suffered a fair bit from the smoking ban. I worry that some great little pubs will close (many already have) and once they're gone, that's it. Gone forever.
It depends on just what you mean by "toddler friendly". If it means they have crayons and colouring books just to make parents lives easier then I'd say it's OK - it's really down to the parents to make their kids behave appropriately. If you mean they've gone full on play area etc. then I'd say that's unfortunately where they think the money it.
We don't actively discourage children at all but we don't offer anything that would be seen as "targeted" at kids/families. It's not something we plan to do either.
The bottom line is... well, the bottom line. Pubs are businesses and need to make a profit. People do often seem to miss that (not aiming that at you - just in general). They see pubs as a venue that should serve them drinks when they want and as cheaply as possible... if not cheaper. They see pubs as having a single cost of sales - the beer - and compare the cost against that of a national supermarket with a turnover in the billions and think they're being ripped off.
Get the formula right and it can be a nice way to make a living (I wouldn't know... we've not got the formula right yet!) but whatever you do, your formula will be wrong for someone. Damned if you do etc.
Landlord said:
That's a tough one. And I totally understand your view on it.
It depends on just what you mean by "toddler friendly". If it means they have crayons and colouring books just to make parents lives easier then I'd say it's OK - it's really down to the parents to make their kids behave appropriately. If you mean they've gone full on play area etc. then I'd say that's unfortunately where they think the money it.
We don't actively discourage children at all but we don't offer anything that would be seen as "targeted" at kids/families. It's not something we plan to do either.
The bottom line is... well, the bottom line. Pubs are businesses and need to make a profit. People do often seem to miss that (not aiming that at you - just in general). They see pubs as a venue that should serve them drinks when they want and as cheaply as possible... if not cheaper. They see pubs as having a single cost of sales - the beer - and compare the cost against that of a national supermarket with a turnover in the billions and think they're being ripped off.
Get the formula right and it can be a nice way to make a living (I wouldn't know... we've not got the formula right yet!) but whatever you do, your formula will be wrong for someone. Damned if you do etc.
I do miss the old 'adult' pubs. A place where people of suitable age could meet to drink, smoke and swear. It depends on just what you mean by "toddler friendly". If it means they have crayons and colouring books just to make parents lives easier then I'd say it's OK - it's really down to the parents to make their kids behave appropriately. If you mean they've gone full on play area etc. then I'd say that's unfortunately where they think the money it.
We don't actively discourage children at all but we don't offer anything that would be seen as "targeted" at kids/families. It's not something we plan to do either.
The bottom line is... well, the bottom line. Pubs are businesses and need to make a profit. People do often seem to miss that (not aiming that at you - just in general). They see pubs as a venue that should serve them drinks when they want and as cheaply as possible... if not cheaper. They see pubs as having a single cost of sales - the beer - and compare the cost against that of a national supermarket with a turnover in the billions and think they're being ripped off.
Get the formula right and it can be a nice way to make a living (I wouldn't know... we've not got the formula right yet!) but whatever you do, your formula will be wrong for someone. Damned if you do etc.
Since the smoking ban came into effect, so many pubs have been forced to become restaurants - and family-oriented ones at that. Now that the precious little angels aren't going to be exposed to second-hand smoke it's become OK to have them in public bars, screaming, running around and bothering drinkers. Especially Sundays, used to be that a pub roast would be an ideal curative for Saturday night's excesses, nowadays not only do you have to put up with the shrieking of the whelps, but their parents having a go at you for using 'filthy' language whilst there are kids present. Agh.
Ordered a couple of pints of Sam Smith low octane "alpine" (?) lager a couple of weeks ago in the Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street in that London, held out a couple of fivers to the barman ... and he only took one of them! I damn nearly fell off my perch. It was like being back at the student union. Except I now get a hangover from a bag of peanuts, let alone a few pints of beer.
vsonix said:
I do miss the old 'adult' pubs. A place where people of suitable age could meet to drink, smoke and swear.
Since the smoking ban came into effect, so many pubs have been forced to become restaurants - and family-oriented ones at that. Now that the precious little angels aren't going to be exposed to second-hand smoke it's become OK to have them in public bars, screaming, running around and bothering drinkers. Especially Sundays, used to be that a pub roast would be an ideal curative for Saturday night's excesses, nowadays not only do you have to put up with the shrieking of the whelps, but their parents having a go at you for using 'filthy' language whilst there are kids present. Agh.
What you're really saying is, for a pub to survive these days they need to be family friendly, gone are the days when there were enough alcoholics around to fill a pub up and keep it going. Since the smoking ban came into effect, so many pubs have been forced to become restaurants - and family-oriented ones at that. Now that the precious little angels aren't going to be exposed to second-hand smoke it's become OK to have them in public bars, screaming, running around and bothering drinkers. Especially Sundays, used to be that a pub roast would be an ideal curative for Saturday night's excesses, nowadays not only do you have to put up with the shrieking of the whelps, but their parents having a go at you for using 'filthy' language whilst there are kids present. Agh.
I find most of the child friendly pubs are the nicer places to be, the ones that are not tend to be very dated and full of old men who stink of fags and mumble the same s
te week after week and swear blind that they don't have a drink problem. Don't get me wrong, I love the odd afternoon in those places, but there is a reason so few are still about.
Have been in one of the local breweries this week, all brewed on site screened off so you can watch the process and £2.50 a pint
http://www.greenduckbrewery.co.uk
http://www.greenduckbrewery.co.uk
Landlord said:
That's a tough one. And I totally understand your view on it.
It depends on just what you mean by "toddler friendly". If it means they have crayons and colouring books just to make parents lives easier then I'd say it's OK - it's really down to the parents to make their kids behave appropriately. If you mean they've gone full on play area etc. then I'd say that's unfortunately where they think the money it.
We don't actively discourage children at all but we don't offer anything that would be seen as "targeted" at kids/families. It's not something we plan to do either.
The bottom line is... well, the bottom line. Pubs are businesses and need to make a profit. People do often seem to miss that (not aiming that at you - just in general). They see pubs as a venue that should serve them drinks when they want and as cheaply as possible... if not cheaper. They see pubs as having a single cost of sales - the beer - and compare the cost against that of a national supermarket with a turnover in the billions and think they're being ripped off.
Get the formula right and it can be a nice way to make a living (I wouldn't know... we've not got the formula right yet!) but whatever you do, your formula will be wrong for someone. Damned if you do etc.
It must be very tricky.... I guess if there's more money from the 'bouncy castle' brigade then that must be an avenue worth pursuing. It certainly seems to be the case at the moment.It depends on just what you mean by "toddler friendly". If it means they have crayons and colouring books just to make parents lives easier then I'd say it's OK - it's really down to the parents to make their kids behave appropriately. If you mean they've gone full on play area etc. then I'd say that's unfortunately where they think the money it.
We don't actively discourage children at all but we don't offer anything that would be seen as "targeted" at kids/families. It's not something we plan to do either.
The bottom line is... well, the bottom line. Pubs are businesses and need to make a profit. People do often seem to miss that (not aiming that at you - just in general). They see pubs as a venue that should serve them drinks when they want and as cheaply as possible... if not cheaper. They see pubs as having a single cost of sales - the beer - and compare the cost against that of a national supermarket with a turnover in the billions and think they're being ripped off.
Get the formula right and it can be a nice way to make a living (I wouldn't know... we've not got the formula right yet!) but whatever you do, your formula will be wrong for someone. Damned if you do etc.
okgo said:
Gompo said:
Which Sam Smith's? Their not particularly amazing cider has been about £4.25 for a year or so if not longer, in some of their London outlets anyway.
The Champion.thebraketester said:
Angel nr. Tottenham Court Road
Cheers, two I've not been in. Your photo reminded me of the 'Smoking Area' in the Lyceum, hence the question thebraketester. I tend to just got in Cittie of York, Lyceum and Chandos when I'm down that way.Edited by Gompo on Saturday 25th March 11:17
Edited by Gompo on Saturday 25th March 11:18
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