What are your thoughts on the future of pubs/restaurants etc?

413x said:
But then you might as well say cancel football?
I hate football. Over paid, boring etc etc.

If we got rid of everything anyone didn't personally like we wouldn't have anything
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Football is the opposite - paying Sky/whoever to watch football at home is the scam. Going to see the odd football match IRL is actually an experience worth paying for.
 
Sad to read the OP , I think the powers that be have totally misjudged the situation and as usual are asleep at the wheel.
If it all carries on for 6 months it will be armageddon.
Presumably they won't serve food so the price of a pint will double or something.
The only beacon of hope could be a massive house price crash, but I really don't think they'll let that happen. They and their mates have too much invested for that to be allowed.
Hopefully the riots will be limited to city centres, I wonder what pay rise police are getting.
 
It's such a catch 23 situation.

I like going out to a pub etc, but it's so expensive. Particularly alcohol and I like to drink, £5-£6 a pint literally just ruins it for me.

So I don't go, guess what, the pub doesn't get as much business, so they struggle more and can't reduce prices....

I only really ever go to Wetherspoons now, because the beer there is very good (I love Elvis Juice and s of the similar new world IPAs they have) and they don't cost you much more than buying it in Tesco's.....

The food ok the quality is so so, but for the price I never feel like I got bad value for money.

Nothing, ***** me of more, when you go to a pub that want basically £5+ a pint and give you food that is effectively the same quality but laid out in a fancy way and charge you 3 times as much.
 
413x said:
At what point would you call it a day? How bad would it have to get?
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Its difficult to say. We have a responsibility to our staff so wouldn't take a decision like that lightly. We've just taken on a new manager @£45k who should help bring in new trade. We are fairly small so really suit small weddings approx 30 covers. We've done a few this year that have gone down really well. Had a few other private functions that really help.

There are many ways we can change as a business, and a sad fact is the more that close down in our town the more likely hood that we survive. There is still a lot of money in our town. And we cater for those with spare so we've not really taken a big hit yet.
Also signed up for a long term energy deal so have a good 2 years left before having to worry about that. Unless current provider goes under!!!
 
We both eat and drink out a lot and have noticed a few that have closed or have massively increased their prices to a point where you seriously have to admit that if might be a last visit, which is sad as this is not their fault.
We come from a wholesaler and publican background and fully appreciate that costs are costs, but this time we feel it will be the end of many of our favourites and those we have yet to visit.
A very big and real farm shop locally to me this week closed its doors and laid off staff due the cost of its electric going up from £22000 a year to £77000. They had been open since the 1970's and had seen a recession or two in that time.
 
BUDFORCE said:
It's such a catch 23 situation.

I like going out to a pub etc, but it's so expensive. Particularly alcohol and I like to drink, £5-£6 a pint literally just ruins it for me.

So I don't go, guess what, the pub doesn't get as much business, so they struggle more and can't reduce prices....

I only really ever go to Wetherspoons now, because the beer there is very good (I love Elvis Juice and s of the similar new world IPAs they have) and they don't cost you much more than buying it in Tesco's.....

The food ok the quality is so so, but for the price I never feel like I got bad value for money.

Nothing, ***** me of more, when you go to a pub that want basically £5+ a pint and give you food that is effectively the same quality but laid out in a fancy way and charge you 3 times as much.
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I don't think you're their customer anyway.

We eat out a lot, all independent restaurants on our local road. We probably eat out an average of 2-4 times a week for brunch, lunch or dinner. Sometimes we'll go a week without eating out but then others we'll have lots of stuff on, friends/family visiting etc. Generally all produce served in all of then is local too; all meat from the local butchers, veg from the local grocers etc. We spend a fair amount at our local restaurant and as such you get to know the staff, get invited to special events, generally 'sorted out' etc.

Wetherspoons is a hole. We go there at work very rarely just for drinks and yes, that's 'fine', but the food... if you think it's "effectively the same quality" then I dread to think where else you're eating as well.

But really, it's the likes of Wetherspoons that's damaging better independents. The owner is an idiot, they treat their staff like rubbish, they let beautiful buildings fall into disrepair, and cut corners wherever possible. I mean they don't even play music so they don't have to pay the PRS. What corners do you think they're cutting in the kitchen? Can't stand the place.
 
Russinating said:
they let beautiful buildings fall into disrepair, and cut corners wherever possible....What corners do you think they're cutting in the kitchen? Can't stand the place.
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I've seen them restore more beautiful / disused buildings than let them fall into disrepair.

They're cutting no corners in the kitchen, the food is microwaved so what's left to cut?
 
Russinating said:
I mean they don't even play music so they don't have to pay the PRS
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My rock band did gig at the one in Hanley, Stoke 3 times mid week, it lasted around 9 months with different bands before it stopped.
This was somewhere between 2000 and 2008 so I don't know if it was an experiment.

Pre Covid I was in the Hanley one and a bloke walked in with an acoustic guitar and started playing.
Management ran over and told him to stop but he just said "I'm entertaining the people, don't be nasty"
At that point 'the people' turned round and told him to go (words to that effect) because they don't go in Wetherspoons to listen to music.
He came on my Facebook Group moaning about it and every musician and Landlord told him the same but he wouldn't have none.
I think it's great that a venue refuses to have music playing.
 
mattyg said:
Its difficult to say. We have a responsibility to our staff so wouldn't take a decision like that lightly. We've just taken on a new manager @£45k who should help bring in new trade. We are fairly small so really suit small weddings approx 30 covers. We've done a few this year that have gone down really well. Had a few other private functions that really help.

There are many ways we can change as a business, and a sad fact is the more that close down in our town the more likely hood that we survive. There is still a lot of money in our town. And we cater for those with spare so we've not really taken a big hit yet.
Also signed up for a long term energy deal so have a good 2 years left before having to worry about that. Unless current provider goes under!!!
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You should tie up with @mrk, he's a wedding photographer, you guys might be able to recommend each other.


He's a prolific tea drinker though so be careful.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: mrk
mattyg said:
Getting Chef's is an absolute nightmare too. Too many BS CV's out there so you waste so much time sifting through the microwave techs
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This made me chuckle. Literally the past six months for us.

You really need a chef, so you interview some kid who has 2 years experience working in Chef & Brewer while at college. You're intending you offer him a modest wage for a Chef de Partie role. But he wants £35k and a Sous Chef job, with a route to head chef within 18 months...
 
413x said:
We were hearing last year about pubs closing rapidly.

Now you have triple hit of

-punters have less money, its a big saving not to go
-electricity is 4-5x as expensive as it was 1 year ago
-if renting that cost has gone up too.


I expect more to close in the next 6 months than ever before.
It will likely be only the very high margin places that survive
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100% this.

I was talking to my father a few days ago and we were musing that the highstreet has died a death the last 10-15 years but the current cost of living crisis topped with no cap on business rates will empty the highstreet and decimate local pubs etc
 
Russinating said:
I don't think you're their customer anyway.

We eat out a lot, all independent restaurants on our local road. We probably eat out an average of 2-4 times a week for brunch, lunch or dinner. Sometimes we'll go a week without eating out but then others we'll have lots of stuff on, friends/family visiting etc. Generally all produce served in all of then is local too; all meat from the local butchers, veg from the local grocers etc. We spend a fair amount at our local restaurant and as such you get to know the staff, get invited to special events, generally 'sorted out' etc.

Wetherspoons is a hole. We go there at work very rarely just for drinks and yes, that's 'fine', but the food... if you think it's "effectively the same quality" then I dread to think where else you're eating as well.

But really, it's the likes of Wetherspoons that's damaging better independents. The owner is an idiot, they treat their staff like rubbish, they let beautiful buildings fall into disrepair, and cut corners wherever possible. I mean they don't even play music so they don't have to pay the PRS. What corners do you think they're cutting in the kitchen? Can't stand the place.
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I don't go out to eat often because I've basically always been underwhelmed.

I cook a lot at home and can make nice meals, I feel slightly cheated when I go out and pay good money for something I can just knock up myself.

I guess if you can't cook (not directing at you) I can see the attraction.
 
McPhee said:
This made me chuckle. Literally the past six months for us.

You really need a chef, so you interview some kid who has 2 years experience working in Chef & Brewer while at college. You're intending you offer him a modest wage for a Chef de Partie role. But he wants £35k and a Sous Chef job, with a route to head chef within 18 months...
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Comical thing is there are more amateur cooks out there that can cook better than these "qualified" kids
 
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