BeerNut wrote: » Dublin, Belfast, Galway, Cork, Templemore, Dungarvan, Kenmare, Dingle and Waringstown all have their own local beers. Carlow has a large brewery though it is impossible to get a pint of their beer in a Carlow pub. We're not like Germany or Belgium, true. But we're getting there.
southsiderosie wrote: » At my local in Chicago, a pint of craft beer was $3 (Magic Hat) and a meal (burger/fries, large ceasar salad, BBQ chicken) was $7 -8 dollars. My local in Boston was pretty similar, and offered so many different beers that they had a "beer menu" in addition to what was on tap (and written on a giant chalkboard above the bar). My local in Miami didn't have food, but featured 80 beers from around the world at $3/bottle (that was a pretty bare-bones operation, but it's also hidden in the middle of South Beach on an expensive strip of real estate). So you could spend the evening downing Quilmes or a nice Weisse beer for nothing, all while sitting under palm trees watching the beautiful people float by.
Gaunty wrote: » There are reasons the majority of pubs do not have a huge selection of foreign beers on tap.
ardinn wrote: » Look, Pub prices are not there to try and bankrupt you while turning publicans into millionares! They are a generally a fair reflection on the costs incurred + a profit margin (which every business needs) in order to operate. We have 2 pubs and both are struggling. overheads eat any money making ability the business needs to develop and continue. But that said your point is that the cost of €4.00 (average) per pint is excessive? Compared to many other leisure activities I strongly believe it is one of the best value. Cinema Ticket for 2 - €20 + Snacks could come close to €50 (yes it does, I often go and usually in the €45 range for me and the missus) Bowling for 2 for one Hour - €40 Etc Etc Does anyone agree after having a good think about it that maybe the price is not the issue. Im just trying to look at other activities and loosen peoples thinking a bit, not shying away from the fact that most answers will be the price.
abitofacomedian wrote: » Just to take issue with one thing you said Gaunty, not one place in this thread did people claim they wanted a wider variety of foreign beers on tap. the only brands mentioned from from the Carlow brewery and Galway hooker, in fact the only foreign brands mentioned were Smithwicks and Heineken. People wanted more selection on tap, it is depressing when pretty much every pub has the same beers and none of them are the one you want.
Gaunty wrote: » Fair enough, i was actually unaware there was even that amount of Irish beers on offer.
Gaunty wrote: » they don't show up on my suppliers list of drinks.
Gaunty wrote: » I'll look into them, any suggestions of whats best?
Gaunty wrote: » Of course we show the horse racing during the day because there is a bookies across the road and a lot of our regulars love having small bets and enjoyment with their drinks but we find that it helps improve the atmosphere as people are talking about their fancies for each race and getting excited and buying everyone drink when they have a big winner. We rely on our pool table, card games such as poker or knockout 45 and a good regular base for our atmosphere along with bar staff that will join in the craic and know everyones names and favourite drinks even if that person only comes in a handful of times a year. We also offer beamish which has become our biggest seller ahead of Guiness as we sell it for €3.10 (strangely only a handful of other pubs in town have caught on to the fact people prefer it)
Gaunty wrote: » The sickening thing is we are now after drawing up plans to remodel the pub and try to modernise more to be like the other pubs to get more business. It breaks my heart the thoughts that my beloved pub with a fine friendly atmosphere has to be replaced by a soulless money grabbing business but it just seems to be the type of place that people want.
ardinn wrote: » What would you like to see happen in your local that would get you out again?
ardinn wrote: » For those of you who have left the pub scene and taken up home-drinking, what were your reasons?
TomD101 wrote: » You haven't mentioned the most important part of the reason why the price of drink is so expensive in this country - excise tax. It is fairly simple, pubs will struggle until : a) the economy gets back to the level it was 4 years ago (0% chance of happening or b) the price of drink, inclusive of tax, falls significantly ( slightly more chance of happening than a but still unlikely). Unfortunately you are in an industry that has a very bleak outlook for the future. You will need to come up with some creative ideas to get customers in the door that will give you a competitive advantage over rival pubs in your area - otherwise the punters will stay at home with their cheap cans.
ardinn wrote: » I agree, but why should the price of cans go up? Im not trying to shoot myself in the foot but if you want to stay at home and drink thats up to you and you should'nt be penalised for it. Look at the 0.5% decrease in the recent budget that amounted to 15c in the price of a pint, Speaks volumes on the current tax situation.
IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: » and the vintners association should be lobbying against the drinks industry as hard as they lobby the gov. The price of Guinness is quite shocking in comparison to Beamish ... C&C is a disgrace with their pricing for Bulmers and you hear them complain about falling sales.
abitofacomedian wrote: » I'm not in the business so I am not qualified to make this remark it's just an opinion I am throwing out on the internet so feel free to shoot me down. But I think it sounds like your main competition is the off license, not the other pubs on the street. People who would like your pub are the type of people who are currently sitting at home drinking because they think all pubs are like the other five on the street. If you do renovate and become like the other pubs I'm sure that you will succeed in the short term, you can tempt folks away from the other five on the street to drink in your pub. Then again what happens when one of the other pubs does something different, the drinkers who pay for overpriced swill so that they can shout over music at each other are not the type to be loyal to one establishment. So you get into an arms race with the other pubs to attract the fickle drinkers.
ardinn wrote: » Over the course of this discussion I have heard about 100 different brands being mentioned, It would be absolute lunacy to think publicans can offer all these drinks and if we tried to offer at least 10 or 15 someone would come in and ask for the one you dont have. My recommendation here to everyone would be, If you like a drink and would be more tempted to enter a premises if they stocked it, ask!!! Ask the person in charge to get it in! He is not (in these times) going to say no!! Guys for alot of the issues here I have said this - speak to your publican and im sure things you like in a pub that have gone can be brought back and drinks you would like to see on the shelves can be gotten. Drivers can be looked after and minerals be offered to them at reduced prices. I am going to answer every post in this thread, But it's really busy! Must be a relevant issue with everyone. And im up the walls so give me time!
ardinn wrote: » The Vintners are lobbying against the drinks industry - VERY SUCCESSFULLY - And to prove it I will say that the cost of diageo products in England has risen 27% over the last 2 years an 0% in this country SOLELY based on the work done by the VFI.
ardinn wrote: » Bulmers was, if you remember, a very cheap drink about 3 years ago, do you not remember the government targeting bulmers alone for increased vat - Bulmers pint bottles were cheaper than Large Guinneess/smithwicks/Mac and now they are over a € more.
IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: » Fair play and great reply s. Can I ask a question and no need to say how much you pay but can a pub get a box of miller as cheap as say Dunnes sell it or do you have to pay a higher premium to your supplier.
IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: » But remember you a coming off 2 very different markets. The UK market was always been very competitive due to the multitude of breweries and comes from a very cheap price point. The Irish market has virtually 0 competition (in relation to the pint price) as the price of the pint is pretty standard and the price point was already exorbitant. The olny brewery offering any amount of decent pricing is Beamish. You are literally talking double the price at one stage so obviously there was room in the UK market to move but there is not in the Irish market.
IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: » Bottled Bulmers over the last 10 years has been the dearest drink in a pub. I don't drink it but I can remember when it was by far the cheapest pint and it was only available in a pint or half pint bottle. Basically the Pint bottle fell foul of that nasty corporate drinks industry new buzz word ... "premiumisation". Basically making a drink look good and whacking a higher margin on it. All these issues may well be out of the Publicans control but as long as you look after you customer then hopefully they will respond. Sounds like you are really trying you best so good luck with it.
enda1 wrote: » Pints are great, yes, but if you can't have a large range on tap, you can definitely have a large bottle range! Provide a clear menu including prices for pints/halfs, bottles, wine, shots, mixers and dashes Weekly special Food. Whether it be small tapas, or proper cooked meals, at least try something. Proper wine selection, by large bottle and glass. Choose quality over "range", and nothing thrown at you by Diagio or whomever! Turn off the TV except for major sporting event. Manchester united v Derby in the league is not a major sporting event. Charge an appropriate price, fine. But the level of service, cleanliness and toilets in [articular must match this price point! For me the most important thing when choosing a pub is #1 - the choice of beer available. On tap is better but in bottle is a very acceptable alternative providing the glass is correct (read also NOT WARM!).
ardinn wrote: » 1. Bottles of craft beer have about 6 months on them before they expire, You would be suprised at how long it takes to sell 24 bottles of a new product into a local community, Making a menu with even 5 new bottles of beer would results in expired bottles, For smaller pubs anyway. But it is an option im probably going to try.
koHd wrote: » What about a slow phasing in of different bottled beers to see which catches on? Really play off the 'Beer of The Week' type thing. Kind of what Guinness and the like do when they try new brews and test them on the market for a period of time at set time periods for each different variation. maybe have a recommendation box for locals to drop in a beer they want.
Heroditas wrote: » 1. I'm not as old as I was
Anson Vast Superhuman wrote: » I love the way the publicans are crying poverty and hardship - every single publican I know is absolutely f*cking loaded. Example: guy in a nearby village recently bought his 18 year old son TWO flash cars - coming to a total of around €20K. He then rears his head on the radio claiming he's facing hard times and the rec***sion has affected his business badly. What a complete load of toss.
ardinn wrote: » Soft drinks are too expensive, no arguments there. But on Many occasions people have come to me and said that a particular person is driving, can we sort him out, and I usually give 1 + 1 free. Im not making on the coke/7up whatever but there is people about having a pints and Im glad of the business, Has anyone ever tried doing this or am I just a soft touch??
ardinn wrote: » E) + F) I think the problems with most staff is that they are not in a career job! Most bar staff are young students etc or working in between jobs for extra pocket money, Although proper training has a lot to do with it you will probably not see a higher staff turnover figure in the economy than pubs / hotels, and they don't care because they are not staying anyway! My guess is the best people you will find behind the bars are owners/career barmen and they are hard to find, However, a well run establishment will have even those who are not career catering people trained very well and to standard.
ardinn wrote: » G) Well again nothing is cheap, a good beer garden or even nice deck area is going to cost a couple of grand to develop. The money just is not there for most at the minute.
ardinn wrote: » O.k. but why would you go into a pub that you dont like?? (Loud Music, too hot) Go to one that suits you, (this is open for questioning as people go out to meet people and most people are in these places but I cant try and explain everything).
ardinn wrote: » I was also wondering about the cans issue - I personally dont have an issue with it, but some older people see it as a sign of a poor establishment (rough etc)
ardinn wrote: » You must not know too many publicans. Regardless of what he bought his son from what money he had I doubt that he made it in the pub game, I would hazard a guess that this is not his only business. And no-one is crying poverty, just expressing that the industry is down and nearly 150,000 poeple depend on it for a living and that livelyhoods and jobs are being decimated all over the country. That figure was 210,000 3 years ago. So on your other point you say that the recession is a load of toss, his business has not suffered badly, Implying it may have actually improved and the guy's pub is doing really well?? Thanks for the informed opinion.
the_syco wrote: » Have you tried, instead of selling bottles, sell it by the glass? And by this, I mean "splash"? It'd be a shower head type tap with buttons on it for coke/7up/fanta/etc. Local pub had it when I was working there, and still has it. The price is a LOT less, and as the canisters are usually stored with the kegs in a chilled room, it's cold out of the tap. In said pub that I worked in, people were given hours, and thus stayed there longer. Most of the young bar staff who stayed for a few years started off as lounge staff, and became bar staff after a year or so, by which time they have gotten trained on a part time basis during the quite periods on how to be bar staff. Get local people who lived locally from birth, or a young age. These are more likely to stay local longer, and should they goto college, will most likely do so locally, and continue to work at your pub. I have to call bullsh|t on this. A good beer garden is table and chairs out the back of the pub. Sure, you can get epic beer gardens, but mostly they were gardens there before the smoking ban came in, and with a few tables became few good. Some pubs in Carlow have no such garden, and that's neither here nor there, but they did good for a number of years. Now, however, it's not enough, so maybe you should look into seeing if you can make an unused backroom that has only a sheet of tar over the top into a smoking room? I think the Foundry in Carlow (or whatever it's called these days) did something along those lines with it's smoking room. Sure, it's not great, but it does the job.
Anson Vast Superhuman wrote: » I know 6. Might not be all that many but I'm out in the sticks. This guy's only business is his pub; I know that because I know the son well. No-one is crying poverty? Why is it that I am constantly subject to an earful, when listening to radio talkshows, about how publicans are suffering badly and they need to raise prices further? I didn't say anything about the recession. Anson Vast Superhuman wrote: » He then rears his head on the radio claiming he's facing hard times and the rec***sion has affected his business badly. I was talking about his milking of that word as an excuse so he can make even more money. I'm pretty damn certain he's doing really well, he himself bought a brand spanking new Merc. just last year. Now I don't know how you'd interpret that, but I'd take that as a sign that someone is doing well. As are all the publicans I know. You're very welcome.
Anson Vast Superhuman wrote: » He then rears his head on the radio claiming he's facing hard times and the rec***sion has affected his business badly.
ardinn wrote: » Well, Good for them then - I must find out where you live and open up shop there, seems brilliant. Also can you tell me when you last heard a publican say they need to raise prices, And if he is a member of the VFI and has said this on the radio please also let me know. Publican across the country are screaming for the need to reduce prices, with the help of suppliers and the government!! Not raise them.
Anson Vast Superhuman wrote: » He then rears his head on the radio claiming he's facing hard times and the rec***sion has affected his business badly. What a complete load of toss.
Anson Vast Superhuman wrote: » I didn't say anything about the recession. I was talking about his milking of that word as an excuse so he can make even more money. I'm pretty damn certain he's doing really well, he himself bought a brand spanking new Merc. just last year. Now I don't know how you'd interpret that, but I'd take that as a sign that someone is doing well. As are all the publicans I know.
ardinn wrote: » So on your other point you say that the recession is a load of toss, his business has not suffered badly, Implying it may have actually improved and the guy's pub is doing really well??
