Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120700354#Comment_120700354

Had foreign friends visiting Dublin recently and the place was full of trad bands. Had to keep pointing out that this is not actually the norm in an Irish pub.

Geuze

I'm curious, in general, what are people's opinions / feelings on how Wetherspoon pubs are doing in Ireland?

I have been in the 3x Dublin city centre pubs, maybe once or twice each, but I am not a regular, so I don't know how they are doing.

What about the 3x Dublin suburban pubs in Swords, Blanch and DL?

Any updates on the Aston quay site?

Thanks.

L1011

Aston Quay has been canned.

Blut2

General thoughts from me and most people I know who've been to them a few times:

• They're not as nice as a 'normal' Dublin pub but at 1/2 to 1/3rd the price the value is incredible. You do sacrifice by having no music, and no decent TVs for sports usually. Slightly too big and bright too in some of them (or some areas of some of them), it can be a bit canteen like.
• The bar service is usually slow because its all young staff, but ordering on the app instead is fantastic.
• The selection of drinks is very good - lots of beers/spirits you wouldn't get in normal pubs, its great to be able to try new things for a change.
• Some of the buildings (like Keavan's Port or the 40ft) are architecturally very impressive.
• The crowd can be young or slightly rough in some of them, sometimes. Though the security staff are good and I've never seen any fights.
• The food is cheap but not good

Overall they're not somewhere I'd go every night, or even for a full night usually, but its definitely great to have them in the country - they're offering something different to any of our more traditional pubs. They're at the very least a really good option for going in for a few drinks to start the night.

They seem to be doing very well too, they're consistently very busy every time I'm in one.

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121080156#Comment_121080156

Pity.

Any update on Galway? Other than what is reported in media.

Black Sheep

Had a pint in The Silver Penny on Abbey St.

There's already a weariness to the interior, the fittings have been battered pretty well, in however long they've actually been opened.

Every time I go, there's a middling queue at the bar for service, no matter what time of the day it is. I don't know if it's that they are busy around the clock, my impression is it's the sort of place where the staff are constantly fire-fighting some issue or other. Half of them seem to be always trying to fix some issue with taps, IT or food orders.

Having hung around a bit, doing my time, I got a pint of Dungarvan Black Rock on cask which was immaculate. I mean, this thing was the perfect temperature, and really fresh tasting.

On the way out, got to observe the substantial Nigerian doorman in action. I can only assume he is a man who loves his job, and takes seriously the instruction he has probably been given to be pro-active. He was like a whirlwind, checking IDs, haranguing drunks causing blockages in the doorway and making people queue in an orderly manner at 5.30pm to be given the once-over by him. In fairness, that's what a door like this needs.

Hotblack Desiato

I've never managed to get anything on cask in Keaven's Port, always out of everything.

duffmann

In the Grand canal dock place last night after work. Had the Thursday curry special and pint. €14. Place full. Mostly non native after-work crowd.

2011abc

There’s no arguing with a double Dingle Malt for five euro something

donaghs

Are there any Irish weatherspoons recent price lists online?

i.e. the standard range of beers they have

can find any myself.

Ohmeha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121225505#Comment_121225505

No not online. Download the Wetherspoons app, all prices for food and drink in all of their ROI pubs can be viewed

BeerNut

Man your pumps, Cork, Waterford, Carlow and Galway, Wetherspoons are leaving.

https://www.irishtimes.com/property/commercial-property/2023/10/18/jd-wetherspoon-seeks-10m-for-pubs-in-cork-waterford-carlow-and-galway/

Hungry Burger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252839#Comment_121252839

I think the one in Waterford only opened in 2022…

Geuze

I wonder what is the reason?

Not busy enough?

thesandeman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252998#Comment_121252998

Brexit coming back to bite Tim Martin in the arse.

Beechwoodspark

It’s interesting they are holding on to the Dublin region sites but completely closing up outside Dublin.

Have to ask, are the Dublin sites much more popular?

Maybe they get more UK tourist business which wouldn’t be the case down the country?

Hungry Burger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252998#Comment_121252998

I’d say the margins aren’t workable around the country, I don’t know what the prices are in Dublin but I’d imagine people will pay 4.20 for a pint in Wetherspoons there and still think it’s good value.

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253020#Comment_121253020

But there are JDW pubs in cities the size of Cork in the UK?

Hungry Burger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253023#Comment_121253023

Drink is a lot cheaper in the UK still though.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253023#Comment_121253023

There are sometimes multiple JDW pubs in towns smaller than Carlow in the UK. The city/town size is not the issue

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253010#Comment_121253010

The trade suspects they will diverse themselves of the Dublin pubs at some point in the future.

It has been a very costly failure. I remember one comment by a publican "Irish people don't go into their pubs in Britain - what chance do they have of getting them into pubs here"

He was talking about their pubs not attractive as a regular place to go, hence they fall off the radar as a place to meet up.

L1011

They've also previously put their unfinished Dublin development site - Aston Quay - up for sale.

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253045#Comment_121253045

I do go to Spoons in the UK, great value.

I am not in Dublin often enough to know the full story, but the two occasions I have been in the Grand Canal Dock pub, it was packed.

Both Abbey and Camden streets were also busy.

I visited on Thur PM, Fri PM or Sat PM, so maybe I am not seeing gthe full picture.

irish_goat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253045#Comment_121253045

That's simply not true. Spoons in Belfast gets a good crowd. It might not be the place to spend the full evening but it's busy all day. Plenty of Irish people go to Spoons in the UK as well. The Silver Penny seemed to be busy enough when I was in as well, with a good mix of locals and tourists.

Speak Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252983#Comment_121252983

And always very busy. I wonder will they stay open until sold (if ever) or close regardless.

BeerNut

I wouldn't read too much into the reasoning behind this. The company opens and closes pubs all the time, and closures tend to happen in groups, as they did for all the NI branches west of the Bann. Doubtless there's an algorithm that takes in all the factors and decides whether a specific pub, or a category of them, is viable or not. It might be an expensive mistake looked at individually, but for a company that size, it's just another cost of doing business. They'll make it up somewhere else.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253117#Comment_121253117

The Dublin pubs are holding their own due to the diverse nature of the Dublin population and the reason they are not being sold now. But when the right offer comes along, it will be taken.

I pop into wetherspoons in the UK too. Mostly for quick meeting or a pint before a train. But when I lived there, I did not know anyone that frequented it as a "regular" location for a night out. A lot had to do with the general dreariness of the place. In solihull they have a large pub and its about 20% cheaper than a nearby competitor. The competitor would be far busier as the blandness of the spoons makes it unattractive for an evening out, but ideal for a cup of tea in the morning.

Tazz T

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253020#Comment_121253020

^This. The prices in the Great Wood in Blanch seem to go up everytime I go in, but at 3.80 a pint of Strongbow (2.75 a year ago), it's still briliant value compared to anywhere else and the pizza isn't bad. Grand for a pint and a pizza on a Saturday afternoon or sitting out during the summer. No brainer in Blanc SC as there is no competition.

JVince

They are estimated to be taking a €4m-€5m hit on the portfolio. That's assuming they get the €10m. Ouch.

BeerNut

On an enterprise value of about £2.5bn it's not much of an ouch. Holding on to properties that aren't paying their way would risk a bigger injury.