Irish pubs closing Down

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516703#Comment_123516703

The pub is buying the bottle of Vodka for similar price as the Supermarket. One shot would nearly cover it at those prices.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516726#Comment_123516726

They are two completely different business models that happen to sell the same product.

Think butcher and restaurant.

fonecrusher1

Pub industry lamenting about 'rising overheads', staff wages, rent etc etc … All true I'm sure but ultimately a lot of people just can't afford it anymore. 'It' being the price of a few drinks in a pub.

We all have increasing overheads - rent / mortgage, food, fuel / power costs, child care and so on … All these increasing financial burdens are slowly but surely edging the cost of the pub back to the bottom of the pile of priorities of things to spend money on.

jj880

Cost of a night out and cost of living in general has jumped significantly since before COVID. Combine that with COVID forcing more house parties / drinking at home many are used to it now and more aware of the difference in cost.

I dont care what the CPI says. A night out is a luxury these days for a lot of people that would have went to pubs every weekend only 6/7 years ago.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516703#Comment_123516703

Bit disingenuous to compare fully preparing your own coffee with pouring a vodka from a bought in bottle and opening a mixer bottle.

It's common in other countries for spirit and mixer deals to be available. Not here.

If publicans here won't offer such options to get people in the door then they shouldn't be surprised when people who drink that type of alcohol don't turn up.

bucketybuck

I never much liked house parties.

If all you do is go to a mates house with your friends, then all you'll ever meet is your existing friends.

Where do you meet new people? Where do you get new experiences?

What if you're new and haven't got that existing friend group, where are you going?

The only people happy with house parties are dry shites already coupled up and no interest in meeting new people.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517399#Comment_123517399

If you dont like house parties that's fine but saying you dont meet new people at them is bizarre.

As far as new experiences go the point is they've replaced the local pub in a lot of cases. For example no-one is suggesting replacing a stag do or wedding with a house party.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517196#Comment_123517196

Bit of an over look. There on the tax situation on alcohol here and 'other counties' people handedly like to jump over that fact as if you can just buy a bottle of vodka and sell it just over cost.

This threads getting worse.

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517399#Comment_123517399

Well when you go to the pub with your mates, you're going there to see them, not loads of other people.

If I'm having people over, sometimes there from different friends groups eg people I went to college with and people I used to work with who may not know each other.

You can enjoy the pub and enjoy house parties.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517484#Comment_123517484

Really, what's the tax situation on the mixer that means they need to charge the prices they do? It ain't sugar tax because they have that in the UK also.

What's the tax situation on the bottle of vodka in the pub versus the supermarket?
Bearing in mind the whinging gombeen publicans got MUP brought in to bring up supermarket prices.

Whatever about paying significantly more for a pint as a premium product, or a properly mixed cocktail - the vodka and coke coming out of the bottle is the same as the one in the supermarket. And people respond entirely rationally to such prices and just don't give their business to the pubs.

At the very least they should be selling simple spirit mixer options for similar price as a pint.

As for "the threads getting worse", you are a long way from justifying that.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516796#Comment_123516796

This is it. I don't resent the pubs for their costs going up. They can't control that any more than I can control my costs going up. I've done as you suggest lots of people are doing, I'm prioritising necessities over luxuries. The threshold for luxuries has fallen in recent years and necessities take up way more of the budget (accommodation, childcare, food and utilities). Things like pubs and resturants and holidays have become luxuries for me.

It's not the pub's fault and it's not my fault. It's just the reality of the situation

Rothko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516141#Comment_123516141

The Ice Storm?

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123516141#Comment_123516141

Brewer Pennsylvania 1981 for me...

(John Updike Rabbit is Rich)

Quitelife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517490#Comment_123517490

In rural Ireland many people would go out with people but also interact with others in the pub , neighbours , parents friends etc etc so the pub was a great way of coming across people from your community you might not see otherwise and have a quick chat with

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123517758#Comment_123517758

It's each to their own. People can still do this if they want but the level of demand clearly isn't there anymore for many rural pubs with the amount that are closing.

As other's have previously said past generations there was an over saturation of pubs, eg, 10 in a small town, now there can be 3 and even then they're struggling. Times are just adapting to the demand sought. It's a shame for the older generation who grew up as pub goers with them being the centre of the community who are losing out, but the younger generations aren't seeking them to the same extent anymore.

elperello

I had dinner last night in a pub in a small village.

Proper good grub served in a separate area to the bar.

About ten in the bar having drinks when I left at about 8.

I could take you to similar places in other villages all over Ireland.

It's business as usual.

orourkeda1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123505253#Comment_123505253

We understand perfectly well the costs associated with running a pub.

Does that make it any less expensive to have a pint?????

fonecrusher1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123518457#Comment_123518457

Yup we all know about the costs because they're quick to start listing off all the overheads. As though we're supposed to respond with complete sympathy and not question spending the guts of 20 quid on two pints.

Excluding some of those really old rural pubs that do actually care about their communities and do actually serve as being more that just a place that sells drink, pubs are a business. They exist to make money through profit. And if they're closing down because people can't afford to fork out anywhere from 7 to 10 quid on a pint its not going to keep me awake at night.

The cost of running a pub. … its not my problem. Just like my mortgage getting paid or my electricity bill or waste / recycling bill isnt the pub owners problem.

dominatinMC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123519531#Comment_123519531

This narrative that pubs are charging 10 quid for a pint is ridiculous. Some pubs, well-publicised ones at that, are doing so. I agree, they are rip-off merchants. We all know who they are. The vast majority of pubs, particularly outside of Temple Bar, are nowhere near those prices. In Killarney, for example - a well known tourist town, you can get a pint for €5/€6. Is that excessive in this day-and-age? I would think not. Each to their own though. But let's not tar all publicans with the Temple bar brush.

fonecrusher1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123519648#Comment_123519648

Its like you're responding to a non existent post but somehow qouting my comment …

I didn't say all pubs are charging 10 euros for a pint and I didn't say anything about Temple Bar. Thats your narrative .. not my own. If you read my comment you'll see I excluded some pubs from what I was referring to and I said 7 - 10 euros. And the fact is in this country you will get some pubs that charge up to 10 euro. Granted its usually less than than 10 but the range I stated is about right. You'll look far and wide to find a decent city pub that does a pint for 5 euro these days. Unless its some sort of kip or maybe a GAA club bar in the middle of nowhere.

Yeah sure there might be the odd place that does but for the vast majority its more than 5/6 euro.

The simple fact is pubs are closing because people cant afford it. Inflation is impacting everyone, not just pub owners.

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123519781#Comment_123519781

Standard price now for a pint for myself and a vodka and mixer for herself is usually €18.

A standard night out for us if we want a meal too is now easily €150.

fonecrusher1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123519834#Comment_123519834

I was just going to say something similar.

Last time i was in the pub I went up and got a pint of Guinness for me and a glass of prosseco for herself and I got a few small coins out of 20 quid. I thought to myself … holy fcuk is this where we're at now??….

Nothing on this green earth can convince me that is a fair or acceptable exchange of currency for goods.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123519976#Comment_123519976

Simple. These women need to start drinking pints. Big creamy pints they've been livin off the mixers for years

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123519976#Comment_123519976

Used to buy a pint of Guinness for €3.80 back in 2007. Adjusting for inflation, thats €4.88 in todays money according to the CPI.

Same pub sells Guinness for €6.50 a pint, and that's considered cheap.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123520014#Comment_123520014

If the price of a pint has gone up way beyond inflation, cost of living, wages etc. allows for then you really need to direct your anger at the breweries not the publicans.

Irish people are great for letting whatever drink producer they are devoted to off the hook.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123520042#Comment_123520042

Heineken is about half the price in Spain, so how much can be blamed on the brewer?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123520057#Comment_123520057

I don't think I ever worked in a place where core beers like Heineken ever went up in price for any reason other than the cost price went up.

If you don't understand why beer is cheaper in Spain than Ireland then you are so clueless on the matter that I just can't help you.

But go ahead and keep drinking your Guinness and blaming the publican as the massive multinational brand fleeces you.

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123520057#Comment_123520057

https://www.drinksindustryireland.ie/diageos-latest-price-hike-is-a-blow-to-publicans-and-consumers/

Diageo has notified publicans that the price of a pint is to increase yet again. This will be the fourth price rise in two years.

Heineken have followed suit with similar price increase while their profits continue to soar. I think we can very much blame the breweries as being a massive part of the problem.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123520073#Comment_123520073

So explain how a cost price increasing by maybe 20 or 30 cents over the past few years results in a €1-2 rise for the consumer.

I get the VAT increases price by a few cents too, but it's a joke to blame everything on the brewery.

"Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, Hophouse 13 and Harp will go up by 6 cent per pint on 3 February  bringing pint prices to well over €6 and even beyond €7 in Dublin.

But industry sources have warned that once VAT, duty and the pub margin are added it will mean 30c extra for a pint “at the tap”."

6cent of an increase plus 23%VAT so extra 1.5c. Excise duty is the same, so I don't know why they mention it.

But the cost to the consumer is 30c for the same pint in the same glass, served from the same tap by the same barman.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123520109#Comment_123520109

The poster above posted this year's brewery increases. But the brewery increase it every year which is how you get from €3.80 in 2007 to 6.50 now.

But no it's all the publican not your beloved multinational brand so don't worry Ireland you can all keep being "a Guinness man" or "a Heineken man"