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What happened to the Pub??

ardinn

For those of you who have left the pub scene and taken up home-drinking, what were your reasons?

What would you like to see happen in your local that would get you out again?

What do you think the local means in your area / or should mean?

Do you believe people have been forced into their homes by drink-drive laws / the smoking ban?

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ardinn

Gaunty wrote: »

Actually it is illegal for a publican to buy his spirits or bottles of beer in a supermarket and then put them up for resale.

No it is not. But it is legally required for us to obtain a vat reciept, which from tesco may take a while, (2 days ish) and they often refuse to sell volume when purchasing while looking for a vat invoice so it make it very difficult!

Imposter

k99_64 wrote: »

Usually the 'not for individual resale' on the bottle shows that they were purchased from the whole-seller for cheaper as they were going to be sold in multi-packs.

That's nothing to do with law - it's to do with the deal the company that makes the product has with the seller of the product.

Have a similar sized bottle without the 'not for individual resale' sticker and offer it to anyone who complains but at a higher price. See which the customer takes!

ardinn

Gaunty wrote: »

Some pubs do already. In fact in my pub we don't even charge for the mixers like white/red lemonade, orange, blackcurrent, lime etc. The cost of those is covered fairly easily by the cost of the spirit itself at €3.50. It pays to 'shop around' so to speak when it comes to pubs. You'd do it if you were grocery shopping, why let yourself be ripped off when it comes to your drinking.

This was all fine a few years ago when splashes and cordials were given free of charge to pubs. Suppliers do not do this anymore due to diminishing sales.

Darando

btw - could never understand why some pubs charge 70c - €1 for a pint of blackcurrant (cordial etc..)...now that is money grabbing. As i said earlier- most people are happy when they "think" thay are getting a bargain.

rubadub

k99_64 wrote: »

Usually the 'not for individual resale' on the bottle shows that they were purchased from the whole-seller for cheaper as they were going to be sold in multi-packs.

Those labels have no legal bearing at all though, the pub is free to sell them separately if they want, this has come up many times in the consumer issues forum.

ardinn wrote: »

I have an off licence - But is isnt a tesco or a dunnes - soooo

Yeah, exactly my thoughts, so what? Many offies have deals on a par with supermarkets.

The poster you originally replied to had said

A-Price My local off licence sells 10 cans for 10 euro while the local pub charges 5.50 for one pint of equivilent lager. No contest.

My local offie has had carslberg for €1 a can for the last month or 2. Almost all offies have cans for under €1 these days

ardinn wrote: »

All these offers by the way are coming from England at the moment - Not saying there is anything wrong with it but id rather be buying the irish stuff

The €1 carlsberg I mentioned is brewed in james gate, fully intended for the Irish market. All of the €1 heineken bottles I see around are always the 4.3% one intended for the irish market. Some deals are from the UK, like the 300ml bud you might see- but certainly not "all" as you claimed. This again is showing ignorance, and I do not believe you are actually ignorant on these matters, I believe you are feigning ignorance to try and bolster your points.

Also that poster said "equivalent lager", I don't think he specifically meant the exact brand, but similar run of the mill yellow piss that pubs serve up, like bud, heineken, carlsberg, miller.

ardinn wrote: »

a) They have limited quantities one person can purchase these days and b) Im not going to support the below cost selling of alcohol from a corporation determined to close every pub/offie/local shop/newsagent/etc etc within 10 miles of its location.

I have never seen limits in my local tesco, I have bought 10-15crates at a time and regularly see others doing it. You only have to check the bargain alerts forum, there are rarely limits set in place.

I don't understand your logic on the below cost selling. They are making a loss on selling it to you, and you gain. You are up money, and tesco are out of pocket. Also you have taken loads of tescos own stock, which otherwise might have been sold to punters who might not go to your pub if they could have bought it in tesco. You would not be supporting the below cost selling, you would be taking advantage of it and in a way discouraging them from doing it again. Say tesco were prepared to take a loss on 2 pallets of beer to get people in, if you bought it all they will check figures and see this below cost selling is not the great marketing tool they think it is.

ardinn wrote: »

Cans cost less than bottles to purchase

Very strange that most are sold for more than bottles then. Most (Irish) bud, heineken & carlsberg I see usually costs more in cans to the end customer. Makes sense since in general they are 500ml vs 330ml.

ardinn wrote: »

I corrected and explained this comment soon after it was made, please read whole thread,

I did read your comment on the cans not being €5, the very fact I quoted you should have made you aware that I had read it, so please read my post properly I think you missed my point entirely.

I saw your reply said you buy snacks, you seem to eat snacks at home drinking and in the cinema -so why do you leave out the price of snacks in the pub?? I think we all know the reason you did it, you are purposely exaggerating the costs to try and make the different activities sound around about the same price -but you are fooling nobody. You appear to be asking for reasons but not really wanting to hear the answers.

ardinn wrote: »

And snacks costing €20 - €25 in a pub - please tell me you are joking!!

You were allegedly spending €6-8 on snacks in the offie for your few cans at home. Therefore I logically assumed you would eat snacks in the pub as you seem to be very fond of them and have no problem paying €30 in the cinema for them. I would expect €8 worth of snacks bought in a shop to cost about €20-25 in a pub, the markup on crisps and peanuts are ridiculous in many pubs. So I am not joking, though again I think you were exaggerating, I certainly would not spend €20 on snacks in a pub, but I imagine you could do it with ease. I could say the same thing to you €30 on snacks in the cinema -please tell me you are joking.

ardinn

rubadub wrote: »

I would expect €8 worth of snacks bought in a shop to cost about €20-25 in a pub, the markup on crisps and peanuts are ridiculous in many pubs. So I am not joking, though again I think you were exaggerating, I certainly would not spend €20 on snacks in a pub, but I imagine you could do it with ease. I could say the same thing to you €30 on snacks in the cinema -please tell me you are joking.

I will respond to the rest of the post in a while as i dont have the time at the minute but on this, the cost of snacks in both our pubs is the exact same as the local shops - We also own a shop so I know! we charge 0.65c in both places for crisps - the local shop near the wexford pub is 0.75c.

So I am not joking and you are completely incorrect in what you say about the cost of snacks in pubs compared to shops. You would consider €8 worth of snacks in a shop to be €20 in a pub. By that logic a packet of crisps in a pub would come to about €1.50 and peanuts to about €3.50. Complete rubbish.

the_syco

ardinn wrote: »

By that logic a packet of crisps in a pub would come to about €1.50 and peanuts to about €3.50. Complete rubbish.

But that IS the price of a packet of Tayto/Pringles in pubs in Leixlip/Maynooth.

Your Airbag

I for one go out every Saturday night and visit about 6 pubs and then a club at the end of the night.

Table Top Joe

Des wrote: »

D. Blaring thump-thump music. No thanks.

This is reason numero uno for me not going out as much anymore,i go out with several different groups of friends,the main ones though always goes to these pubs,drives me spare,they seem to think it makes for a better atmosphere or something and think im just being grumpy,they think "quieter" pubs are for old people i think,ive gone home many times if im in a pub and i cant hear what someone is saying whos standing right next to me,its ridiculous,a pub near me has a timer set on their music from 9pm every Fri and Sat night to make it very,very loud,its incredibly frustrating

charlemont

SORRY NOT TONIGHT.........why ? wrong colour skin. wrong accent. wrong clothes. too mu ch to drink...HYPOCRITES i laugh when i hear publicans look for sympathy

Table Top Joe

Gaunty wrote: »

Now after reading all that i imagine some people will be thinking that we must be a very busy pub with such value on offer and being in a prime location in the center of my town. Well you'd be wrong, the majority of people still go to the overpriced pubs in my area, pay €5 for pints and God knows what for their spirits and mixers. So i have no sympathy for people giving out about pub prices. As long as eejits keep going to the overpriced establishments every weekend they have no reason to lower their prices. Until people become more vocal about it and more careful where they spend their money then the odd greedy publican will continue to give all publicans like myself and the OP a bad name.

Really feel for you here,its baffling how people can be happy to go to these terrible,loud,expensive inpersonal pubs when theres a proper one across the road! theres 5 pubs near me,one of them is fairly small(about average size for a rurul pub id say),it has music on all night,loud enough for you to hear it but nowhere near being loud enough to interfere with a conversation,the staff are friendly and know your order after you've ordered once,its clean,reasonably priced(cheapest around in fact)etc....and its the quietest pub in the area! to be fair one of the other pubs does well and its more old fashioned,but the most successful 3 are the loud expensive ones where your crammed in like sardines,unfortunatly for me these 3 are where my friends like to go most nights

Does anyone here actually like pubs with really loud music? serious question

Table Top Joe

charlemont wrote: »

SORRY NOT TONIGHT.........why ? wrong colour skin. wrong accent. wrong clothes. too mu ch to drink...HYPOCRITES i laugh when i hear publicans look for sympathy

Yeah the arrogance of some bouncers doesnt help either,myself and 5 other guys walked up to the door of a pub a few weeks ago and got stopped,"not tonight lads",the most any of us had were 2 pints and 2 of the lads hadnt drank anything! purely down to the fact that we were 5 guys i think,but we're all late 20s and were well dressed,one of my buddies who works in a bar was stunned,a lot of pubs do themselves no favours

Blisterman

I've studied in England for 4 years, and there's a very big difference in drinking culture. Specifically young people.

Nights out
In England:
Go to a local pub. Pay £1.50-£2 a pint. Have about 5 or 6.
Go to a club. Free in. Couple vodka and Red bulls. £2.50 each
Total cost of night £15

In Ireland:
Drink at someone's house, cause pub's too expensive. 5 or 6 cans at €1.50 each
Go out to a club. €10 in. Ask at the bar how much Vodka and red bull is. Have tap water.

See the problem?

koHd

rubadub wrote: »

Very strange that most are sold for more than bottles then. Most (Irish) bud, heineken & carlsberg I see usually costs more in cans to the end customer. Makes sense since in general they are 500ml vs 330ml.

I actually always see the opposite. For some reason it's more to buy bottles in and offo than the can version. Which I always find strange, since there's more in a can. Bottles would suit my drinking pace better.

But cans always are better value for money except when Tesco sell a big box for a ridiculously low price on one of their offers. But as mentioned, they're most likely making a loss on those offers to get people into the shop that might then buy other stuff.

Saruman

Table Top Joe wrote: »

Does anyone here actually like pubs with really loud music? serious question

Certainly not me. That is why I find Sunday afternoons the best time to be in a pub to be honest. The music playing is easy listening and at a low volume.

pa990

Table Top Joe wrote: »

..............
Does anyone here actually like pubs with really loud music? serious question

I stopped going to my regular pub, because the music that was always at an acceptable level, got louder and louder, seemingly in corolation with the the downturn in the economy and pub trade.

It just wasn't enjoyable anymore to have a drink and a chat there.
I was constantly asking people to repeat themselves.

I've since done most of my alcohol drinking in the comfort of my own home.

I only occasionaly go to pub's now, generally only for special occasions, ie birthdays etc

ardinn

charlemont wrote: »

SORRY NOT TONIGHT.........why ? wrong colour skin. wrong accent. wrong clothes. too mu ch to drink...HYPOCRITES i laugh when i hear publicans look for sympathy

It is illegal to serve you if you have had to much to drink, Some places have a dress code, Regards accents they probably tell you no before you speak to them and therefore you have either had too much alcohol or dont meet the dress code (if applicable) If your the wrong colour skin then report it!

In matters where people are refused entry to a premises and you believe there is no good reason, ask to speak to a manager or head of security and politely explain there is no good reason for stopping you, Be calm, and not aggressive or forceful, - if you have a case then generally you will be let in - but if your speech is slurred due to consumption, you stink of beer or you have had trouble in the past on the premises then you have no right to enter and the establishment is well within their rights to refuse entry.

Also doormen in many towns are now linked, letting others know who is causing trouble etc. So if you are not behaving everywhere you go and you are refused entry somewhere else - they are also well within their rights to refuse entry, if they believe you are a danger to staff or customers.

worded

marceldesailly wrote: »

An example from last night why I tend to avoid most pubs.

Choice of beers.
Draught:Coors light,Miller,Becks,Bavaria,Heineken,Carlsberg,Guinness,Cider.
Bottles: Coors light,Miller,Corona,Heineken,Cider

I think this list is probably representative of the majority of pubs, a sad fact i'd say.6 lagers that taste of nothing and a stout not much better. So I'll buy a nice bottle of beer...oh no I can't do that either!

If I'm going to a pub I expect to be able to buy a beer that tastes of something,or have a choice. It's pretty depressing walking to the bar and to be faced with the choice above. Is it not a bit depresing for the publican too?

I like a bottle of Pauliner. Its frequently served in pubs in a warm glass just out of the dish washer and the bottle has been chilled for a few minutes, if at all.

Great, so it was brewed to perfection and then served at the wrong temp for 5.20 euros.

Did I ask for it to be heated FFS!

Table Top Joe

pa990 wrote: »

I only occasionaly go to pub's now, generally only for special occasions, ie birthdays etc

That was me for most of last year,i just got really fed up of it,one of my buddies who likes the same pubs as me(decent music,not chart rubbish and at decent levels)broke up with his girlfriend a few months back so i have a drinking buddy again....yay!!:D

I wasnt really expecting anyone here to like those pubs but most people obviously do or they wouldnt go to them,the atmosphere in our pubs was the envy of publicans around the world at one stage,now you could be anywhere in Europe when you drink here,damn shame

rugbyman

Ardinn,
i have just skipped through this thread. I like the way you have come on here looking for info.
Clearly the pub trade is in trouble, with many reasons, customers having less disposable income, minimum wage, high rates,water charges, and perhaps the biggest is the prices paid for pubs in the last ten years.
Even pubs that have been owned for a long time and standing less money suffer.
I would never have dreamed that once booming, good pubs
would now have half a dozen customers.
I have no solution to offer you, just that I understand your position.
Thanks for coming on here.
Rugbyman

Saruman

Ardinn I think you are a publican from what I have read so where is your pub? Is it in the sticks, City centre or suburb?

If you are looking to make it different then, well there have been many suggestions but I will condense what I think makes a great pub.

Firstly drinks choice. If you are in a good location, especially a city centre location then traffic is not a problem so you need to make yourself stand out. Get in and promote beer from Irish breweries. Not Guinness, Carlsberg, Heineken etc as none of them are Irish. I mean actual Irish breweries like Porterhouse, Carlow, Galway Hooker, Dungarvan, Trouble Brewing, White Gypsy, Whitewater, Hilden, Franciscan Well and others....
Some of them like Franciscan Well or Carlow will actually commission a beer to be made for you. If you get new beers in you must promote them. Don't expect average Joe's to decide to give them a go.

Secondly is advertise. I don't mean take out ads I mean advertise your wares. Put a full drinks menu outside your pub or in your window so people can see what you have. Once inside make sure there is a drinks menu available on pretty much every table listing off all the drinks and include descriptions, country of origin etc.

Thirdly is atmosphere. Keep it nice and relaxed for the most part. If you feel the need to increase the tempo and volume when it gets late on a Friday and Saturday night then that's fine I think, just not every night and not all the time.

Fourthly is price. Don't rip people off, obvious I know. I have no problem paying €4 - €5 for a pint of micro brewed beer and sometimes I can get them cheaper even in the pub. Don't increase prices after a certain time if you can avoid it as it is just seen as dishonest among people, even if you advertise the fact it is still seen as wrong by punters.

Fifthly is entertainment. I think TV's are great for when there is a match on but there is no need to have them on all the time, unless you have a separate room you can turn in to a dedicated sports bar.
Also I think free Wi-Fi is a big draw for people, especially professionals who want a relaxing drink, check email and maybe do a little work.

Sixthly is web presence. This is only useful if you become a beer specialist bar promoting Irish or world craft beers but it is very easy thing to get a website put up with pictures, opening hours, contact details and a full menu of your drinks and food if you serve it. If you are in a good location your tourism may increase even if it is only from a small sector of people like myself. Beer Tourists who travel the world and then write about beer and bars we have been to on blogs etc. It is huge in the US and there are a lot in the UK as well. Keep the website simple, avoid flash as it is very hard to update.

Lastly, and I have no idea if this is economical but snacks are a mans best friend in a pub. In the US and around the continent when you go in to a bar they give you free snacks and keep them coming. A bowl of peanuts or crisps etc. Salty snacks basically. On the one hand it might be seen as trying to keep people drinking by making them thirsty but on the other I think people will appreciate it a lot more and Irish people as a whole absolutely love free stuff.

IrishWhiskeyCha

Another question to the Bar owners/managers. Why do ye put up with the suppliers prices? Especially if they are proving bad value in comparison to the rest of the retail market (Loss leaders asside). Why do alot of bar owners feel obligued to buy those baby split bottles and make their customers feel ripped off. Now I know some of ye don't and offer other forms of splashes but it really is not the norm. If the Pub trade in conjunction with the Vintners Association started on the supplers you might be able to reduce your costs. I see musgraves had to close some of their operations but no wonder. The stuff they were selling to the corner shop was the same price as the supermarkets. Now that is not right. A local independent supermarket in Galway decided to buy direct from the North and they are now undercutting Tescos & Dunnes in a lot of lines. You can't blame them for feeling ripped off by southern suppliers/wholesalers and something is very wrong if they can under cut the big boys by sourcing in the North.

The morale of the story is that this country is totally over priced in every retail sector and the whole sector needs to get a grip. The retail sector cried over people flocking to the north but the fundamental problem was not the customer going to the north but te customer getting ripped off.

In my opinion the whole issue is one where the whole supply chain is not responding to the economic crisis. You can be sure that some manufacturers and wholesales have not gone out of their way to reduce prices. But they in the long term they will lose out from dropped sales.

We really need a total over haul of the entire system from start to finish.

That is something that will take time to sort out. So as well as looking at your paying customers you should also be looking as a customer yourselves at how ye can get the better deals from your wholesaler/ supplier.

I'm sure it is probably very much a shut shop but if the Vitners associaion asked all their member for one week not to do businees with suppliers that would send a shock to the suppliers. The suppliers in turn would need to deal with the manufacturers ... now I'm talking of Diageo and Pernod ricard not the small guy. These massive companies and wholesales are the ones that really need to be targeted if you say you can't compete with offlicences.

Saruman

ardinn wrote: »

Before I go on I will state that the Bars we have are in Carlow (rural village) And (Wexford) Large village with 2 bars 2 hotels and plenty of restaurants - I dont have experience of the dublin trade so bear that in mind should I post in relation to pricing etc.

I missed this earlier so now I have a better idea of where you are.

Carlow obviously has its own brewery so get them in. Instill some local pride in local beer.

The Wexford pub does not have a local brewery as such since Letts is long gone but there is Waterford so you still have regional pride, even if it is a different province

Like I said earlier though, you will never push anything new if you don't promote it. Big chalk boards with specials, maybe get some T-shirts from the breweries and have staff wear them to promote the beer.

The big problem when it comes to promoting new beer in Ireland is that we are as a nation very brand loyal. Get national pride going and remind people that it has been a long time since Guinness, Murphy's and Beamish have actually been true Irish companies.

Pixelcraft

I've lost any sympathy I would have had for publicans before. See, I remember the laughable 'price freeze' the VFI brought in, and without exception every pub I went to before that was implemented raised their prices in anticipation of the move. There's few industries I can think of that shows this kind of contempt for its customers.

Anyway, to answer the question - like the others, for me it's choice of beer. I regularly visit the porterhouse and other pubs that stock great beers. I do drink more and home with friends though. I'm not sure there's anything pubs can do now to counter that, peoples habits have changed - and as we see, take years to form, to be honest you guys blew it with the gouging that went on.

koHd

Saruman wrote: »

Ardinn I think you are a publican from what I have read so where is your pub? Is it in the sticks, City centre or suburb?

If you are looking to make it different then, well there have been many suggestions but I will condense what I think makes a great pub.

Firstly drinks choice. If you are in a good location, especially a city centre location then traffic is not a problem so you need to make yourself stand out. Get in and promote beer from Irish breweries. Not Guinness, Carlsberg, Heineken etc as none of them are Irish. I mean actual Irish breweries like Porterhouse, Carlow, Galway Hooker, Dungarvan, Trouble Brewing, White Gypsy, Whitewater, Hilden, Franciscan Well and others....
Some of them like Franciscan Well or Carlow will actually commission a beer to be made for you. If you get new beers in you must promote them. Don't expect average Joe's to decide to give them a go.

This is a great point. I always find it shocking that Irish pubs don't have much in the way of Irish beers. lager especially. The only pub I love to go to in Dublin City centre is The Porterhouse. Mainly because they have unique, Irish brewed beerss. It's also nice flicking through their beer booklet and having the odd fruity European beer. The O/H loves The Porterhouse for the fruity bottled beer selection. The booklet with a description and history of each beer is a great touch.

thelynchfella

For me, i dont really mind the price of beer so long as i feel i'm getting value for the money i'm handing over.
I'm in dublin, I dont go to my local, the only bars i go to are in town where i have a choice of beers. I'd happily go to my local if they stocked O'Haras stout, or Galway Hooker, or Friarweiss, or just a decent ale whether its on tap or bottled.
As for asking your local to get a beer in for you. Surely it's up to the publican to do his research and not rely on customers to come asking him what beer he should get in. Personally, if a pub doesnt have a type of beer i like i'll happily just go elsewhere.
Ardinn, I think what you are doing is right, in that your going out looking for answers yourself, doing your own market research. And for it i hope your business is a success. Don't knock the idea of getting in Irish craft beer, especially since you are in Carlow and have a really great brewery on your doorstep.

Steodonn

ardinn wrote: »

It is illegal to serve you if you have had to much to drink, Some places have a dress code, Regards accents they probably tell you no before you speak to them and therefore you have either had too much alcohol or dont meet the dress code (if applicable) If your the wrong colour skin then report it!

In matters where people are refused entry to a premises and you believe there is no good reason, ask to speak to a manager or head of security and politely explain there is no good reason for stopping you, Be calm, and not aggressive or forceful, - if you have a case then generally you will be let in - but if your speech is slurred due to consumption, you stink of beer or you have had trouble in the past on the premises then you have no right to enter and the establishment is well within their rights to refuse entry.

Also doormen in many towns are now linked, letting others know who is causing trouble etc. So if you are not behaving everywhere you go and you are refused entry somewhere else - they are also well within their rights to refuse entry, if they believe you are a danger to staff or customers.

But this makes going out more hassle. Why should I go out when there is a chance I might not get in ? . I can go to a friends house knowing I will have a great time less hassle and cheaper

the_syco

I actually had quite a long detailed report, but then Opera crashed. Holy fúck, I'm pissed off right now :mad:

Saruman wrote: »

Secondly is advertise. I don't mean take out ads I mean advertise your wares. Put a full drinks menu outside your pub or in your window so people can see what you have.

Fridges at eye level behind the pub is a nice idea. It allows people to see what you have, and if people ask what you have, the barstaff can ask if they like cider/ale/beer, and show them the relevant bottles. Porterhouse I think does this.

Saruman wrote: »

Thirdly is atmosphere. Keep it nice and relaxed for the most part. If you feel the need to increase the tempo and volume when it gets late on a Friday and Saturday night then that's fine I think, just not every night and not all the time.

Look around, and see what age group fills the THUMP THUMP THUMP music clubs nearby. If it's 18-25, maybe go for the 22-30+ age group, by not playing so much latest hits sh|te, and play music that is at least 10 years old. Get a few bands in that play the easy listening music, and get a rep of a pub has bands, but is chilled. Get the people who don't goto the other pubs to come to yours, and maybe some of the fickle crowd as well.

Saruman wrote: »

Also I think free Wi-Fi is a big draw for people, especially professionals who want a relaxing drink, check email and maybe do a little work.

Put a password on it, put the password behind the bar, and change it every so often, so that little johnny down the road doesn't download all sorts of porn with your broadband. Also look into capping the Wi-Fi, so that people can browse the web, but not stream videos. Streaming videos kills the speed, and stops people from browsing the web, if two or three people are doing it.

Saruman wrote: »

Sixthly is web presence. This is only useful if you become a beer specialist bar promoting Irish or world craft beers but it is very easy thing to get a website put up with pictures, opening hours, contact details and a full menu of your drinks and food if you serve it.

Local pub does this www.ryevale.ie - you can do a more basic version yourself by just reading a quick tutorial on making a website. Have a picture of the front of your bar (people may forget the adress, but not forget what your place looks like), and tourists doing a search in google of bars in your area will see your site, and goto it.

Saruman wrote: »

Lastly, and I have no idea if this is economical but snacks are a mans best friend in a pub.

May not be economical giving one per pint, but if you do a "free bowl of peanuts with every round of 5 drinks bought" it may be. It'll also ensure they're eaten, as in a group of 5, there'll always be at least one who'll eat them :P

irish_goat

Any pub that does craft beer or decent European ones will get my custom, if I'm Dublin I generally make it my mission to get to a Porterhouse and will hassle my friends to go there. Aside from the great beer they're also lovely pubs (and not too expensive). Usually I'm going out in either Derry and Maynooth though and there's pretty much no option for microbeers in either place apart from a Wetherspoons pub in Derry. Also a beer menu is great, gives you something to read if you're waiting on someone and it encourages you to try other stuff.

Good staff are essential too, in Maynooth each pub is generally busiest on a specific night of the week. My fav pub is the one everyone goes to a Monday and I try to aim to make Monday my night out (and convince others to go out Monday). Simple reason is because the staff in the Monday pub (O'Neills) are the best. .

Every pub should have newspapers if they're open during the day.

With regards to free pub nibbles, I was in a bar in Surrey on a Sunday afternoon that laid out plates of crackers and cheese on the tables, which was lovely and probably didn't really cost them much.

nachoman

I think good food can be a big draw, I go at least once a week to my local to try some of its delicious pub food.