Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

kingtut · 27-03-2019 05:22PM

Anytime I've been in the Blackrock one it's at 80% capacity (that's evening times). I'm guessing during the day it's a lot quieter.

Blut2 · 27-03-2019 06:04PM

My experience having been about once a month in the Blackrock Spoons since it opened is at the weekends in the evenings its usually 80-100% capacity of the tables. No people standing around though, but most suburban pubs wouldn't have many people standing around either to be fair. I'd say its doing well enough financially.

Hotblack Desiato · 27-03-2019 06:48PM

Tim Martin's a farking idiot* if he thinks the EU have anything to do with excise rates.

* other reasons for him being a farking idiot are available

bennyineire · 28-03-2019 01:42PM

Idbatterim wrote: »

Galway would be a prime spot. Tiny “ city “ centre ... also no plans for one in Limerick?

There are strong rumors locally in Galway that Spoons bought a building in Shop St. last week

Idbatterim · 28-03-2019 01:47PM

BeerNut wrote: »

6,164 square metres. The original planning permission for a hotel on that site had 165 bedrooms.

You can see some of the architect's designs for the interior here.

Is the room count being reduced because of the pub ?

L1011 · 28-03-2019 02:11PM

Idbatterim wrote: »

Is the room count being reduced because of the pub ?

Its a completely different design to before so its not possible to do direct attribution really. The pub is going to be quite large, though.

Muahahaha · 28-03-2019 09:32PM

Blut2 wrote: »

My experience having been about once a month in the Blackrock Spoons since it opened is at the weekends in the evenings its usually 80-100% capacity of the tables. No people standing around though, but most suburban pubs wouldn't have many people standing around either to be fair. I'd say its doing well enough financially.

Fair enough, I've been in the Blackrock one a few times on a Saturday/Sunday around 4-6pm and its been relatively dead. Good to hear it does better later in the evenings

bennyineire wrote: »

There are strong rumors locally in Galway that Spoons bought a building in Shop St. last week

That'll be interesting. Is the building currently a pub? If not then Id expect a lot of objections from the Galway pub mafia. They wll not be happy about a Spoons opening up, especially not on Shop St.

L1011 · 28-03-2019 11:16PM

The old days of effectively requiring consent from other licence holders are gone and planning authorities are getting better at just ignoring Oh Noes The Competition! complaints. Thankfully.

Blut2 · 28-03-2019 11:37PM

Muahahaha wrote: »

Fair enough, I've been in the Blackrock one a few times on a Saturday/Sunday around 4-6pm and its been relatively dead. Good to hear it does better later in the evenings

A large part of the clientele whenever I'm there seems to be younger people having their predrinks before heading into town, or locally to the Wicked Wolf or Flash Harrys when it has/had a late license. Late teens through to mid 20s. They wouldn't be there at 5pm though I'd guess - more like 8/9pm on-wards.

Its interesting I think because I know when I was in that demographic we would never predrink in pubs due to the cost, we were always in houses. But my father's generation did back when it was much cheaper to do so. So Wetherspoons really is changing the pub market with its much lower prices.

Stephen15 · 28-03-2019 11:58PM

I quite like the upstairs in the 40 Foot due to the view and the balcony but I don't really understand why smoking is prohibited there considering it's an over 18s only area so it's not like people would be enjoying a family meal there especially in the evening. The downstairs is a bit crappy though. The bar staff are pretty slow mind you could be waiting ages for a pint on a busy night.

L1011 · 29-03-2019 12:02AM

The 40 Foot feels like drinking on a ferry. Airports have more coming and going to them.

I've had some good times drinking on a ferry, tbh, but it not something I'd specifically seek out.

Weirdly, the converted nightclub (The Great Wood) is the one that feels most like a proper pub to me. Went past today about 4 and every outside seat was rammed in the sun; has had an OK crowd and atmosphere at the most random times I've gone in.

Stephen15 · 29-03-2019 12:06AM

L1011 wrote: »

The 40 Foot feels like drinking on a ferry. Airports have more coming and going to them.

I've had some good times drinking on a ferry, tbh, but it not something I'd specifically seek out.

It can get busy on Friday/Saturday night. I was there a few weeks ago on Paddy's weekend when United were playing Wolves and they had it on a big screen upstairs and it was packed.

L1011 · 29-03-2019 12:08AM

Stephen15 wrote: »

It can get busy on Friday/Saturday night. I was there a few weeks ago on Paddy's weekend when United were playing Wolves and they had it on a big screen upstairs and it was packed.

Ferries get busy too!

Technocentral · 02-04-2019 02:22PM

Speaking of 40 Foot, will be there this evening first time in a Spoons in about two years, what cask ales do they have these days, still Ghostship?

BeerNut · 02-04-2019 02:52PM

Still Ghost Ship, and Abbot's. On Saturday there was also Ilkley Ruby Jane, Gadd's She Sells Sea Shells, Flack Manor Flack Catcher, and spring festival specials Shepherd Neame Hop County and Boxing Cat/Banks's Contender.

Technocentral · 02-04-2019 02:55PM

BeerNut wrote:

Still Ghost Ship, and Abbot's. On Saturday there was also Ilkley Ruby Jane, Gadd's She Sells Sea Shells, Flack Manor Flack Catcher, and spring festival specials Shepherd Neame Hop County and Boxing Cat/Banks's Contender.

Cheers, haven't tasted any of those apart from Ghostship and Abbots

BeerNut · 02-04-2019 02:57PM

Looking at Untappd, the line-up seems to have changed not long after I was there.

Technocentral · 02-04-2019 03:11PM

Cheers, didnt think to look on Untapped, Tripadvisor has them as closed on a Tuesday, obviously a mistake?

irish_goat · 02-04-2019 03:25PM

Technocentral wrote: »

Cheers, didnt think to look on Untapped, Tripadvisor has them as closed on a Tuesday, obviously a mistake?

It's open Tuesday aye. Google Maps tends to be more reliable than TripAdvisor these days I find.

Technocentral · 02-04-2019 06:26PM

On cask now of the ones you mentioned BeerNut are Seas Shells and Ruby Jane, plus they have Hen in Black, Crafty Fox and Hideaway, Id say place is about 40% blokes in their early 20s (at the latest) in tracksuits, no hassle and quiet enough though, loving the Hen in Black stout myself. A steal at 2.60 for all the ask ales too.

n97 mini · 02-04-2019 11:41PM

Technocentral wrote: »

On cask now of the ones you mentioned BeerNut are Seas Shells and Ruby Jane, plus they have Hen in Black, Crafty Fox and Hideaway, Id say place is about 40% blokes in their early 20s (at the latest) in tracksuits, no hassle and quiet enough though, loving the Hen in Black stout myself. A steal at 2.60 for all the ask ales too.

You can install the app on your phone and see the prices/availability of the regular beers without even needing to go into the venue.

I've noticed myself that, depending on the night, the clientele varies. Thursdays and the 40 Foot will be wedged with students. Same night in the Great Wood sees a lot of Travellers.

Stephen15 · 15-04-2019 02:26PM

I was in Blackrock Wetherspoons for the first time the other night man the bar staff there are bad was waiting the guts of 15 mins to be served not because there was a big queue but because there were only 2 staff plus what looked the manager behind the bar DL are bad but not this bad. I presume the reason why Guiness isn't served is because the bar staff probably wouldn't be able to pull a good pint as most are students rather than professional bar staff as they are selling most other brand name beers now such as Budweiser, Carlsberg and Heineken.

Some of the clientele seemed a bit on the rough side DL seems to attract more so a young student type crowd whereas this gets a bit of an older crowd. Also some idiot got sick right in the middle of the floor when I was there which the manager had the unenviable job of cleaning up.

irish_goat · 15-04-2019 04:25PM

Stephen15 wrote: »

I presume the reason why Guiness isn't served is because the bar staff probably wouldn't be able to pull a good pint as most are students rather than professional bar staff as they are selling most other brand name beers now such as Budweiser, Carlsberg and Heineken.

They don't sell Guinness because they couldn't get Diageo to sell it to them at a decent price. I assume Heinken were only too happy to offer Beamish at an attractive price.

The days of "pulling" a good pint of stout are long gone as well.

Creamy Goodness · 15-04-2019 09:19PM

If I remember correctly around the time of the first spoon’s opening it was also mentioned that they didn’t want Guinness to be sold cheaper there as they wanted to keep the price the same across Ireland.

Subcomandante Marcos · 15-04-2019 09:25PM

Spoons were importing Guinness from the UK originally, publicans had a meltdown about, diageo international threatened to pull guinness from their UK pubs if they didn't stop importing (much cheaper) kegs from the UK and selling them in Ireland.

These kegs were brewed in Ireland btw, exact same kegs that are sold to pubs in Thomas Street... sold for far less in the UK, even accounting for VAT and excise differences, purly because they can price gauge in Ireland and like lambs we'll just put up with it. Heineken International on the other hand had no problems price matching uk and Ireland for the same of increased business form 'spoons.

Result was spoons just stopped selling Guinness in Ireland because they refused to pay substantially more for the same kegs in Ireland, and they're dead right. VFI/IVF cartel of course instead of asking why Diageo are ripping them off, had a meltdown that someone was able to undercut their prices.

BeerNut · 15-04-2019 10:07PM

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

Heineken International on the other hand had no problems

Heineken had big problems but blinked first when JDW faced them down.

Geuze · 29-04-2019 01:01PM

Any update on the opening date for the Abbey street pub?

I was in 4 JDWS last week, all in Scotland.

Some prices from towns outside Glasgow:

Real ale = 1.85 - 1.99, so approx 2.20-2.40 euro

Guinness = I think I saw 2.55, so 3 euro

Aspall Premier Cru cider 7% 50cl bottle = 2.99, so 3.50 euro

Chicken/bacon panini + chips + pint = 5.49, so about 6.50 euro

Geuze · 29-04-2019 01:05PM

Some prices in pubs in Glasgow:

G&T 25ml = 2.90

2G&T 50ml = 3.95

Real ales and keg ales = 1.99 - 2.49

Guinness = 3.29

Punk IPA = 3.79 pint

Phoenix3 · 29-04-2019 09:09PM

Abbey street is still on schedule for 31st May.Thats from 1 of the managers that will be moving there.

Geuze · 26-05-2019 10:34PM

Phoenix3 wrote: »

Abbey street is still on schedule for 31st May.Thats from 1 of the managers that will be moving there.

Any updates?

Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

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