Weatherspoons Sold

spankmemunkey

So Weatherspoons has been bought by an un-named buyer, thoughts are its causeway group, all staff are being kept on and it will continue to operate under a new name

Yellow_Fern

I hope that news is correct

Aquos76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121878571#Comment_121878571

It's not and it wasnt at the time the OP posted this either, he jumped the gun....

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121880998#Comment_121880998

It has been, the papers just need to be signed but its sold, same as if i buy a house its off the market but wont go through till my solicitor gets his end sorted.

Brexit the gift that just keeps giving.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121878571#Comment_121878571

It is

Sorry, just so i dont pish on anyones chips here, its been sold and an agreed sale is in place, and was when i wrote my initial post, subject to checks etc etc,

Valhalla90

It is not sold.

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882158#Comment_121882158

Why do you say that? It was a blessing to the city.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882735#Comment_121882735

yes and no, yes it created jobs both directly and directly, but no, its a business model that operates on feeding and escalating societal dysfunctions....

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882735#Comment_121882735

Weatherspoons represent fairly much everything that's bad about the pub trade. It sells cheap beer to the point that it attracts a very low class of punter. In England at many of their outlets they only sell beer in skiffs for fear of glass fights. That's what happens when you sell to people who judge a pub on the price of beer.

It treats it's staff like ****, and it promoted a policy (Brexit) which was guaranteed to kill its trade.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882222#Comment_121882222

As i said an agreement is in place, until the solicitors receive their cheque or keys are handed over its not sold but its sold pending

91wx763

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882788#Comment_121882788

Your last statement there is complete nonsense, the first words are entirely wrong and the second words are an opinion.

Read all about your first words here https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/investors-home/bsr/people

Aquos76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882788#Comment_121882788

There are plenty pubs, clubs restaurants and other establishments that treat their staff terrible, unless you have first hand experience of Wetherspoons then your statement is just your opinion rather than a statement of fact. My son worked in Wetherspoons in town for a year before moving over to the UK to University, he loved the place along with all the staff and management, that management have since left are are now running the spoons in Blanchardstown. He is currently working in another spoons part time in the UK and like the Waterford one, he loves it there too.

This rhetoric about them treating their staff terrible is more often than not pushed by other pubs who are generally put out when a Wetherspoons opens up in an area. Prior to working in Spoon in Waterford he worked in a well established hotel in the city centre and I can assure you, he was treated much worse in there and paid a lot less too. so I think you need to do a bit more research before mouthing off.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121884955#Comment_121884955

Its funny because you criticized the poster for saying they are terrible to work for and went on to criticize a well established city centre Hotel by saying they were much worse to work for and worse paid.(admittedly you did say in your sons experience)

I happen to agree with you on it as Hotels in general are very difficult places to work in, however overall I think it comes down to individuals who are in supervising positions Duty Managers and maybe dare I say General Managers who happen to be the nightmare to work for, so therefore its subjective and maybe just luck or bad luck depending on how you look at it.

I mean, a red flag should be an Employer led great place to work scheme, here fill out that form and give it back to me and tell me how great our company is to work for, that's wrong and shouldn't be allowed on ethical grounds. No one wants to write what they really think on those forms

I write of my experience of weatherspoons. Dirt cheap beer makes for a not very classy establishment with not very classy customers.

Glass fights happen because those not very classy customers end up blind drunk and have violent fights on the premises and outside it - hence real ale in flimsy plastic skiffs. Classy.

The owner is not very classy either as he campaigned for a policy that is slowly destroying his business and hence the sell off of the not very classy Irish weatherspoons.

ArtVandelay76

I was only in wetherspoons a few times but i never got a plastic glass for my drink. Although it's not a patch on a decent irish pub they have a good selection of draught and bottled beer better than most pubs.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121887497#Comment_121887497

Same here. There were a lot of students the last time. Lively but controlled.No fights or any antiscoial behaviour. Maybe the poster is writing of a UK experience.

Aquos76

Exactly, I was giving an example of my son’s experience with both, it wasn’t a statement of fact.

Aquos76

There’s a big difference in sale agreed and sold, anything can happen when it’s in a sale agreed state. When you posted that it was sold, that was factually incorrect. It’s is much closer now to be sold that it was when an initial bid was submitted now. As you are already probably aware, it should be finalised in the coming weeks, and then it will officially be sold.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121888717#Comment_121888717

Sold in principle when i first posted.

aziz

Any word on who bought ( or in the process of buying) it and what’s the plan for it

Aquos76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121889705#Comment_121889705

Word on the street is it's the Causeway Group.

azimuth17

A tragedy if that happens. Everything they own is poorly maintained or in dismal condition. Just look at the Factory or that Pinks Cantina. A shambles, unpainted, unloved, dingy. Wetherspoons spent a fortune on two lovely listed buildings. Vey sad.😥

aziz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121889975#Comment_121889975

Oh goody 🥱

johnnykilo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121890029#Comment_121890029

Exactly! All those Wetherspoon's bashers be careful what you wish for.

Whether you like it or not, the reason Wetherspoons exists allows Students, people on limited incomes, families etc... to get out for a few drinks and some food. The reason it's so cheap is that it's massive, that's their business model. That's the reason there's always a good crowd in there.

Do you think when the Causeway group or whoever takes over the drinks and food are going to remain the same price? Obviously not because they don't have the buying power or economies of scale that having 800+ pubs has. Once the cheap drink goes what reason would anyone have to drink in there.

I think the place will be closed or vastly scaled back within 12 months of anyone taking it over.

spankmemunkey

Guinness taps have already been put in ready for the new owners, not flowing yet till new owner is in place officially, its causeway group.

dzilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121890745#Comment_121890745

Well said.

I never could understand the Wetherspoon's bashing, live and let live, those who do not like it just go elsewhere.

The job that Wetherspoons did to transform 2 old shopfronts was impressive.

I can't see the scale of the building being sustained charging normal prices although Geoffs is quite large aswell so maybe it would, just thinking it may end up getting carved into 3 different bars/restaurants/cafes.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121891398#Comment_121891398

It is a huge place, and i have to say the finish they did on the place was some job, It does sometimes feel like a bit of a land of the doomed when you go in and see some of the punters so i know wat some of the other posters meant, the guards are called quite often too

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121882788#Comment_121882788

The personal views of the owner has no bearing on anything. There is nothing wrong with drinking. I dont believe in low class kinds of people. I visit them in UK and Ireland have never ever experienced anything you describe.

Boooourns

Do the Causeway group own anything that is a decent business?

That Pinks went rapidly downhill, there was a right buzz around the place when it first opened but it's got a bad reputation for food and cheap cocktails.

Speak Now

Shame it's sold, best range of beer in town along side Tullys and Revolution. Way cheaper as well, always found up stairs grand for a few quiet ones and a chat.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121893719#Comment_121893719

A shame to hear that about Pinks.

Haven't been in there in a long time but it was exactly what the town needed, something a bit different. The few times I was in there I really enjoyed it but as I say, it's been a while.

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121893719#Comment_121893719

That coffee shop they have around the corner, NYCD, isn't half bad. But their late night businesses seem to be mostly cheaply put together and badly maintained.

dzilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121895077#Comment_121895077

Upstairs and downstairs is Night and Day, like 2 different establishments.

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121886981#Comment_121886981

Total classist. BTW Weatherspoons as a whole is doing fine. Look at the stock price. The sell off is probably due to rise in interest rates and over investing. We see across the business world from Facebook or Google to local businesses. Wanting power centralized in your capital as opposed to Brussels does not make you non classy person.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121900719#Comment_121900719

Selling Beer at knock down prices - unfortunately makes you non-classy as it attracts a very low class customer which drives out the more refined customer. As a group they are suffering significant supply chain issues and staffing issues due to Brexit which means they are suffering on profits.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121900719#Comment_121900719

By any metric you wish to use Brexit has been bad for Weatherspoons.

johnnykilo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121891948#Comment_121891948

Really? I've been in there about 50 times and while I've seen a few messy people I've never seen any trouble?

nomoedoe

How much did it sell for?

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901851#Comment_121901851

are u there from opening to close 7 days a week? an altercation takes a few minutes and probably resolved/removed quickly.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121895648#Comment_121895648

Greenway Manor was a disaster for years I dont know if it has settled but they had constant walk outs mid shift, i know a few seasoned Hotel workers that walked. dont know if its settled now.

johnnykilo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121906189#Comment_121906189

I'm just saying I'm in there a lot and I've never seen any trouble, maybe you're just unlucky.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121909311#Comment_121909311

Maybe you're lucky?

Wanderer2010

Whatever about the pros and cons of Weatherspoons as a pub in the city at least the debate about its affect on locals is a lot more realistic than the usual local business heads sticking their oar in whenever a pub or cafe closes in Waterford.

Every time rents or rates or some other tax puts pressure on hospitality you have Flash Gordon with his sad face on the News and Star lamenting about how much his businesses will be hit by changes in VAT etc and that he doesn't know how he's going to survive. Give me a break. He has businesses all over Waterford like Boxworks Revolutions Oscars etc and is making millions. He is never going to close down no matter what happens, I'd put my life on that. He's just looking for free publicity when he plays the poor mouth on local media. Same with Cormac Cronin...my business is on a cliff edge..I don't know how I'll survive the winter..and so on. And miraculously both of them have survived despite claiming otherwise the last 10 years.

I would be sorry to see Weatherspoons go. Yes it can get a bit scummy but you don't have to stay all night. It's cheap but decent food and drink. Accept it at its own merits.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121915562#Comment_121915562

I would say businesses in general and the general public will always say this when taxes go up or a penny is taken off them, give them a penny and they say its an insult, take away a penny and they say they don't know how they'll get through this winter, its in peoples nature to complain (when asked) be it a vox pop or whatever, if its a few quid extra in their dole or pension or this or that they say oh its an insult to us sure what can ye do with that, (which ends up costing 100's of millions to the mug tax payer) take the same amount away and they are crying.

Hotels are the same in general, creaming it across the board full every night then moaning about the VAT rates.

Ye cant win is the answer😀

azimuth17

The begrudgery page in full swing. Chips on both shoulders obligatory.

Wanderer2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121915651#Comment_121915651

That's a fair point and I know the industry has to make a public point about changes to taxes etc lest it looks like they are just accepting these changes with no arguments.

However there are plenty of small businesses and cafes etc out there who dont have the clout of millions behind them and they quietly and sadly shut up shop despite their best efforts but you don't hear from them much in the local media. It's always Flash and Bodega saying they won't survive another winter. It dilutes their argument saying this year after year and still having thriving businesses.

It would be nice I'd the other shops got that publicity saying they are only a month away from closing. That might just be the impetus for people to give them more business or a new supplier to reach out etc. People will still be able to buy burgers in Revolutions in 2050!

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121915696#Comment_121915696

I would also agree with you on that one, its always the big organisations who make the big noises (generally) because at the end of the day the squeaky wheel gets the oil, the small businesses just get on with it and suffer on, again I'm talking in general, I'm sure there are many exceptions.

Gillman1998

I think the end is nigh for Wetherspoons. I was in there yesterday afternoon and there was an air of desolation about the place. There were no ales available, no beef burgers, a couple of the other beers were off and there was a crowd of attitudey 13-15 year olds occupying the room up the steps opposite the coffee station. We actually saw people bringing their own drinks in. The place looks and feels doomed - it was certainly our last visit.

As a footnote, we went to Tullys and the music, which is usually reliably sound, was the most dire f-filled rappy shite. we are truly f****d if Tullys loses its way.

PTH2009

Causeway taking over Wetherspoons this week apparently

A lot of stock gone up to Dublin branches

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121915662#Comment_121915662

you seem to know best