Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

https://boakandbailey.com/2016/02/thornbridge-jaipur-and-brewdog-punk-ipa/ is by reputable beer writers.

Waterford spoons finally open.

Every time a site becomes free in Limerick it's rumoured to be a Spoons or a Nandos. There is always talk that they are actively looking but never anything concrete.

There are ads for short team leases of the old offices above Dublin #4 so it may be a bit lower down the pipeline.

There's still at least five pub/public bar owners/operators with more than them (Press Up, Fitzgeralds, Dalata, Benny McCabe, GBB/Bru) and I'm sure there's more I can't think of quickly.

Planning application submitted in Galway.

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/weatherspoons-lodges-plans-for-city-bar-and-restaurant-2/

Permission for development which will consist of a change of use of the former Carbon Nightclub to provide for a licenced premise and restaurant. The development will consist of demolition and refurbishment works at ground floor level including the front elevation at Eglinton Street. and extension to first floor level to include a roof terrace, customer toilets and staff facilities. The works include internal modifications to provide for public house and restaurant uses; the modifications to existing beer garden area at ground floor level; the provision of a roof terrace/outdoor beer garden at first floor level; all associated landscaping, boundary treatments and all other ancillary site development works necessary to facilitate the development on site

Only one way to find out! Stick on the body armour and give it a go 😁

Blanchardstown was also a nightclub prior; just not one with any history of international acts playing in it.

Real ale festival on this week, surely something worth trying at €2.25 a pint.

Speaking for abbey st and Spencer's dock, tick along to busy mon-thurs, very lucky to get a seat Friday/Saturday.

€8 for a double Hendricks Gin & Tonic in the Camden Street Spoons last week, vs €19 or so in any of the pubs nearby. €3.10 a pint vs €6.70 in the pubs nearby. Its no wonder its incredibly popular considering its actually a nice place inside too.

When did the Blackrock one close, hadnt heard about it but not that surprising as it was always a strange location.

Any ideas what price it went for or was that disclosed? And how many pubs is Anderson up to now, is that his third including Lenon & Duke and the Bridge or are there more? I think he was involved with the nightclub in the Plaza hotel in Tallaght at one stage but not sure if thats still the case or what happened there.

I always thought Blackrock was strange for Spoons in that they were setting up in one of the wealthest suburbs with a value offering, it just didnt seem a good fit for that market. And given they set up during the recession its not like they didnt have a lot of choice on location.

They sold it for "in excess of €2.5mn". Which is a tidy profit considering they'd only bought it for €1.5mn 8 years beforehand.

The Blackrock location was doing fine until the Dun Laoghaire one opened down the road I believe. There was enough demand for one Spoons experience, but two within a 25 minute walk of each other out in the suburbs was probably an oversaturated market.

Does the Grand Canal Dock spoons have a decent line up? Have to mix with macro drinkers on Friday, but most of the craft beers are showing out of stock on the app (and seems to be a smaller list of cask than the likes of Abbey Street anyway). Hopefully more lines added for the weekend!?

Was hoping it was the last point, that they restock for the weekend. Although I'd be happy enough with the couple of Brehon's they were showing as on cask yesterday tbh!

1.95 less 23% VAT is 158.5.

The VAT is 36.5 cent.

The excise on a 4.3% ale is:

22.55 *0.568 *4.3 = 55 cent.

There is 103.5 cent left for the pub and the brewer.

How is that possible?

That's on just a couple of loss leaders.

Not sure about here, but their model in the UK is to have a good trade from morning through to night.

Staff and service levels are kept tight and that allows for lower prices as they have lower costs due to the cost spreads been far better.

In the kitchen there is no need for any qualified chef as virtually everything is vacuum packed in portion sizes and needs reheating rather than cooking. So a "cook" is sufficient. Also means near zero waste in the kitchen and combined with average quality ingredients, the margin is in the food.

There's a market for it.

I see you point about bulk buying.

However, you mention huge quantities, would there be huge sales of Dungarvan Copper Coast, Worthington's and Green King in Dublin?

The buying of large quantities at discounted prices model only works if you can sell large volumes.