Whinging Publicans

[Lex Foutish]

I heard a few vintner spokesmen on different radio stations today, blaming everyone and everything, except the price of drink in pubs, for their woes!

Matt Cooper gave his guest an example of the huge cost of taking his family for soup and sandwiches etc, in a Co. Limerick pub, while on his way to Kerry for a family holiday.

Does anyone know of any publican who has said, "Flip this! I'm dropping my prices to get more customers into my pub."

Not too many, I'd say. The vintner associations seem to give the impression that they'd rather go out of business than do so.

There was a small country pub a few miles from the village I lived in when I was growing up. The owner wasn't a member of a vintners' association and he was cheaper than all the other pubs around and did quite well.

If anyone knows of any pub going their own way on it, I'd be interested to know how they're doing.

 

[z104]

On the news last night they mentioned a village that had 15 pubs but only has six now.
I was thinking, for a village six pubs is way too many.
I think it's probably a good sign that people are not wasting their time getting wasted as much.

As per Lex above, I do know a publican in Limerick that dropped his prices,( Was doing well, pup well supported) A group of nearby publicans approached him and said that he shouln't be doing that . He took their advice, put up the prices to the "correct price" and was out of business within 6 months.

 

[Ciaraella]

There was an interview on Drivetime yesterday about the Vinter's conference and the overwhelming text responses to the show were very unsympathetic. And rightly so as far as i'm concerned. €10.90 for a bacardi (no mixer) and a pint in dublin city a couple of weeks ago, totally overpriced as far as i'm concerned.

 

[Pique318]

On the news last night they mentioned a village that had 15 pubs but only has six now.
I was thinking, for a village six pubs is way too many.

That was Ballygar, Co.Galway. If I lived there I'd hope for as many pubs as possible. J/k

Pubs aren't allowed to lower their prices to get people in during quiet times, as it encourages binge drinking, apparently. The Portobello was in the courts recently about this very issue.

 

[VOR]

I enjoy going to a pub and meeting up with old friends and making some new. The pub trade needs to cop on though to the ridiulous pricing of soft drinks in particular and alcoholic drinks in general.
If I go in to watch a champions league match on a tuesday or wednesday night I expect one of two things. Either the pints should be cheaper or finger food should be complimentary.
Otherwise, I'll stay at home with my €1 tiger beer and cook some ribs from Dunnes, thanks very much.

 

[Ciaraella]

Otherwise, I'll stay at home with my €1 tiger beer and cook some ribs from Dunnes, thanks very much.

Well said. We have sky sports at home. At first i thought it was expensive but when you think that my boyfriend and i stay home, watch the match together with cheap beer and home cooked dinner rather than take away on the way home from the pub it works out much better. Especially because if you go to the pub for a match it's unlikely you'll leave straight after. Who can blame people for preferring to have their few drinks at home these days?

 

[Caveat]

Who can blame people for preferring to have their few drinks at home these days?

I hardly ever go out.

Aside from the prices, I prefer to choose my own company, drink at my own pace, listen to music that we all agree on and have nice food to accompany our evening - whether it's a meal or finger food. It's a no-brainer for me - I don't like sports so I'm not missing out on any big screen atmosphere or anything either.

I have almost no reason to go the pub anymore. If it was cheaper I might be tempted occasionally though.

 

[Ciaraella]

I was never much for nightclubbing or pubs at the weekend anyway but even weekday pub nights have died a death. We have alot of friends in same situation as us in terms of buying houses, weddings, kids etc so now the group of lads will have a poker night in one house or watch a match in another. Much cheaper and as you say Caveat you can tailor the food and music to your own tastes.

 

[Lex Foutish]

Yes, we all seem to be thinking along similar lines. I'd love to see what would happen though, if pubs broke away from the vintners' associations and fixed their own prices. But, with current drink driving laws, things would never return to the way they were, especially in rural areas.

As a matter of interest, when you do go out "for wan," how much are you paying for your favourite tipple? I pay €3.60 in the local pubs here for a pint of Beamish.

 

[callybags]

It's all very well saying pubs should reduce prices to get more customers in.

There comes a point though, when it becomes unprofitable to operate.

The bottom line is that there are too many pubs for the number of customers willing to pay what is necessary to keep the pubs in profit.

The very same thing is happening the hotel trade.

 

[Lex Foutish]

With regard to VOR's and Ciaraella's posts above, I know a few guys who take turns hosting Champions League matches in their houses. They each bring their own beer and order Chinese or pizza or take away from the chipper. The host only has to provide hot plates and drinking glasses. They always have a great night for well less than what the beer would cost them in the pub.

 

[z104]

I pay 4 quid for guinness in Limerick but was in Dublin recently and was charged 4.60

 

[TarfHead]

There's a piece in today's METRO about a pub in Dublin not being allowed to sell pints for €4.00 during the afternoon - some form of 'happy hour'.

We were in Donegal on holiday 2 weeks ago and I was charged €3.90 for a pint of Guinness & €4.00 for a pint of Carlsberg in a restaurant.

How can €4.00 be a 'happy hour' price ? At that level he's already at the same margin as the Donegal restauranteur. Charging €4.00 and claiming that he's doing someone a favour is scalping, IMHO.

 

[Lex Foutish]

I pay 4 quid for guinness in Limerick but was in Dublin recently and was charged 4.60

I spent a few weeks in Kerry recently and Guinness was €3.80 in all the pubs. I'm always flabbergasted by the price of drink in Dublin when I go to matches, concerts etc.

Callybags, you make good points but hotels will rarely miss an opportunity to screw the punter when they can. My friends are being quoted ridiculous amounts to stay in hotels in Dublin the weekend of the All Ireland Final.

 

[markpb]

Pubs aren't allowed to lower their prices to get people in during quiet times, as it encourages binge drinking, apparently. The Portobello was in the courts recently about this very issue.

That's a line that the vintners are spinning. Pubs are, of course, allowed to reduce their prices, they're just now allowed to reduce the prices for a small part of the day - ala happy hour. A similar pub which was offering €2 drinks was not reprimanded by MEAS because they were €2 all day long.

How can €4.00 be a 'happy hour' price ? At that level he's already at the same margin as the Donegal restauranteur. Charging €4.00 and claiming that he's doing someone a favour is scalping, IMHO.

Comparing prices in Dublin and Donegal is like comparing apples and oranges. The publican in Dublin pays higher rent, rates, insurance and possibly wages so the prices will always be higher - possibly not as high as they are now but expecting them to be the same is naive.

 

[Lex Foutish]

That's a line that the vintners are spinning. Pubs are, of course, allowed to reduce their prices, they're just now allowed to reduce the prices for a small part of the day - ala happy hour. A similar pub which was offering €2 drinks was not reprimanded by MEAS because they were €2 all day long.

Very good point, Mark. The vintners' spin doctors on the radio get under my skin to the point that I find myself shouting at the radio! The guy on with Matt Cooper yesterday really brough out the worst in me.

 

[z104]

The more the vintners complain the less I go to the pub.

 

[Lex Foutish]

The more the vintners complain the less I go to the pub.

I've turned that way also.

 

[VOR]

With regard to VOR's and Ciaraella's posts above, I know a few guys who take turns hosting Champions League matches in their houses. They each bring their own beer and order Chinese or pizza or take away from the chipper. The host only has to provide hot plates and drinking glasses. They always have a great night for well less than what the beer would cost them in the pub.

I got in Setanta and ESPN. A friend has Sky Sports. We alternate to watch the match depending on the channel it's on. We even have our "lucky" seats and glasses. Sad I know.

If he is away I watch the Sky Sports games online.

It has meant that we go to the pub a lot less than we once did. Having said that, I do enjoy having the 3 pints in a pub with friends watching a game. The craic and banter is always good. I just wish it was a cheaper night out. I prefer Guinness so a good pub is always my preference.

But money is money and the 24 bottles of tiger/miller/coors light for €20 in Dunnes/Tesco keeps me going for 4 matches!! And no taxi home.

 

[Ciaraella]

As a matter of interest, when you do go out "for wan," how much are you paying for your favourite tipple? I pay €3.60 in the local pubs here for a pint of Beamish.

Our local is pretty reasonable. €2.50 for a bottle of Stella is a permanent price. Several bottles (Miller, Coors) have been reduced to €2.95. They also do pints of minerals and Shandy's for €2.50 which is pretty good seeing as splits are one of the most overpriced drinks in a pub in my opinion, and i can never understand how pubs get away with charging full pint price for a Shandy. Another one they're pretty good on is that a glass of beer etc is exactly half the price of a pint as it should be. Plenty of places charge more than half. Bottles of Wine are pretty good too, €15 for a bottle of Carmen.