LuckyLloyd wrote: » I think there needs to be some effort to separate fact from fiction in terms of what the good and bad aspects of the Irish trade are firstly. While there is make belief about 'the great pub atmosphere' being prevalent everywhere, an important distinction needs to be made between: - The likes of Bowes / Nearys / Kehoes / etc; - The likes of The Mercantile / D2 / Temple Bar establishments; - The likes of The Black Sheep / Against the Grain; In the first case, there is something there that the UK can't match and a Weatherspoons can never replicate. These are cosy places with a long tradition that pride themselves on having very professional and able bar staff. You'll get a good pint and an 'atmosphere' in these places. Obviously such things are not to everyone's taste. A Weatherspoon's revolution could squeeze many of these places.
Bloody hell! Some of the stuff there is even cheaper than what it is in my local spoons in the UK!!
Henry Sidney wrote: » How can the UK not match that? We have thousands of pubs like that. Every town has plenty. My local, for example, has been open since 1812, and has only had 20 landlords in that time, all from the same family. There is live music some weekends, no food, and open fire, a great atmosphere, and it stays open till 2am at the weekend. I know of hundreds of pubs like the ones you describe, in fact I can see three of them from out of my office window right now just outside a major city centre.
LuckyLloyd wrote: » No doubt something like Kehoes exists somewhere in the UK but I haven't seen it myself. My anecdotal experience contrasts with your own clearly!
Henry Sidney wrote: » I've been lucky enough to live and work all over the UK and Ireland, and there are great pubs all over both, you just have to try a few hundred to get to the right ones sometimes!
LuckyLloyd wrote: » But be careful with throwing the baby out with the bathwater here
anncoates wrote: » It won't. There will always be a big market for the Neary's/Bowes type pubs you mention. I'm delighted that Spoons have opened here but I'll be spending tomorrow night in a traditional Irish pub.
This is it exactly. Wetherspoons is not a night out type of place. There are two where I live, both decent enough, but they are places you stop for a pint when shopping, or for a few early liveners with your mates. Not somewhere you spend a whole night. They fill a gap in the market, cheap food and booze. Much more fun to have a few early ones there than to do all this pre-drinking at home rubbish that young people seem to do instead of actually socialising.
Idbatterim wrote: » yeah myself and my mates were saying the other day, that if we had a local spoons, we would start drinking there before heading into town, rather than in the apartment (which is still great banter) But I am not starting to drink at 8 or 9 and paying E5.50 from the getgo... Also I note their coffee and tea etc is €1, that will surely put a dent in local coffee shops trade!
Henry Sidney wrote: » ...Much more fun to have a few early ones there than to do all this pre-drinking at home rubbish that young people seem to do instead of actually socialising.
Idbatterim wrote: » I remember when they first opened, the prices were quite a bit higher, a Heineken was E4.75 for example, I read an article yesterday, that they dropped their price so substantially to get more footfall in Blackrock.
anncoates wrote: » Actually, a lot of the pubs we think of as being classic Dublin pubs (some of my favorite pubs like Long Hall, Stags Head etc) are quite English in style. Not Kehoes, mind you.It's great to see choice in Dublin: on a given night now you can go to an old skool pub, a so called craft pub or a JDW.
8 or 9? What's the point in starting that late?????
anncoates wrote: » Actually, a lot of the pubs we think of as being classic Dublin pubs (some of my favorite pubs like Long Hall, Stags Head etc) are quite English in style.
Idbatterim wrote: » when you are out till 3/4/5 am depending on the saturday night that is in it, I dont think starting to drink before 8 or 9 would be very prudent By the way, I have the Christmas Party tonight, it will be in your typical Dublin pub, all the usual "quality" on tap, Heineken, Coors, Bud etc, Coors isnt owned by Diageo or Heineken is it?
Nope, by Molson Coors.
syklops wrote: » You'd swear it was a Mongolian barbecue the way some people are going on. "None of your foreign beer for me! Pint of Heineken please".
Idbatterim wrote: » Thought so, will be drinking that all night so, I am done with anything Diageo if I can help it, likewise with Heineken... I have to ask the question, if price is a big thing putting people off going to the pub, why didnt the VFI / LVA and publicans do something about it a long time ago? Ok, there are factors that are outside of their control, strict drink driving laws, smoking ban...
Because they are effectively operating a cartel between themselves and Diageo, in this case they only care about themselves and not customer's who have to go somewhere and up until now nothing like JDW has been an option
Idbatterim wrote: » I get what they are up to, but surely increasing sales is in their interest! How can they not care about their customers, they pay their wages! whats their master plan? keep their relationship with Diageo, change nothing, business as usual and eventually close down? ( i am referring more to country pubs now)
Deleted User wrote: » Wetherspoons are starting out by cherry picking decent places in good locations in order to establish a good reputation from the start, I'd say. If you were planning on opening 30 pubs, why would you start in Finglas or Clondalkin?
Henry Sidney wrote: » I have no problem with Irish people, I have Irish friends and family. My only problem is with the propagation of this myth that everyone in Ireland is some amazing, witty, friendly person and that everywhere you go will be like a fun-filled paradise of wit and warmth. I lived there for 15 years, and have done business there for close to 30, and it's simply not true.
