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why are there no J D Wetherspoon pubs in ROI?

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    #92
    BraziliaNZ
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,671 ✭✭✭BraziliaNZ


    They're very depressing, there's up up the road from me in Streatham and the clientèle at night anyway appears to be about 90% old Irish alcoholic. And me now and again but I'm only 32.
    They do have about 25 beers on tap, and bottles of absolutely everything, and the food is dirt cheap and not that bad. Pints cost next to nothing, I can get pissed on a tenner up there.
    It would be nice to have them in Ireland just so other pubs might get their acts together, price wise, but I'd rather if Fullers or Samuel Smiths came into Ireland.
    It wont happen though, the butchers or vintners or whatever association run that country ffs.


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    #93
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    If memory serves me right, Wetherspoons were about to establish themselves in Ireland starting off with Dublin, had plans to move into a Dublin property - then the crash happened.
    There went their plans...


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    #94
    Lucena
    Registered Users Posts: 1,304 ✭✭✭Lucena


    cardwizzard wrote: »
    The best brewery in the world is probably Danish;)

    Mikkeller!


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    #95
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    I would think we wouldn't have the population density to suit Spoons, outside of Dublin, and with the current situation I doubt they will look at setting up here.

    Pub food here has come a long way from the stale sandwich and King Crips well past it's best before date, but drink and esp. soft drinks are waaay overpriced. Wetherspoons food is cheap and cheerful, I've eaten in a few... it's not crap but it's not celebrity chef 5 star grub.
    As regards 'atmosphere' at least you don't have to shout over blaring sh*te music which counts as 'atmosphere' in many an Irish pub. They are smartly fitted out, pubs here ripped out all their authentic old decor in the 70's in favour of carpet/formica lounge bar style and that got ripped out again in the 90's for bare stone walls and old rubbish hanging from them.


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    #96
    Doc Ruby
    Registered Users Posts: 3,956 ✭✭✭Doc Ruby


    There's kind of a weird attitude to cheap pubs in my experience, about ten years ago a crowd came down from the north and opened a cheap pub in Salthill, low rent landlord types. Lasted about three months before closing, even the usual suspects wouldn't go near it. Now there's some sort of craft beer establishment and it's doing a roaring trade.


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    #97
    Fratton Fred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    ordinary_girl wrote: »
    Everytime I go to England I wonder the exact same thing. I've only been to Wetherspoons during the day but it's great for predrinks or getting a few cheap pints. Food's not the best, but it's cheap so whatever. Most of the complaints seem to be about how terrible the food is in Wetherspoons and the clientele and stuff. I think everyone knows Wetherspoons isn't trying to compete with high-end bars, it's a bit like the McDonald's of pubs. It does cheap drink, which is all that concerns me, and I'd be so so happy if Wetherspoons came to Ireland.

    that's it, to me Wetherspoons is a meeting place. A place where you meet some mates on a Thursday for Curry and a pint for a fiver, then go on somewhere else, or a Saturday afternoon before a game, something like that.

    There are some nice ones around, there are some bad one, but you know what you are going to get, as you say, like McDonalds.


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    #98
    Cienciano
    Registered Users Posts: 14,232 ✭✭✭✭Cienciano


    As for the food being bad, food in most dublin pubs is very average. Wetherspoons is similar, but about half the price. You will get exceptions in Dublin where food is good, but if you're on a night out and need filler and normally head to a burger joint or abra, Wetherspoons food is perfect.
    Fratton Fred wrote: »
    that's it, to me Wetherspoons is a meeting place. A place where you meet some mates on a Thursday for Curry and a pint for a fiver, then go on somewhere else, or a Saturday afternoon before a game, something like that.

    There are some nice ones around, there are some bad one, but you know what you are going to get, as you say, like McDonalds.
    Exactly. Even if you don't like them, I don't understand the "thank god they're not here" attitude. It's another option to have on a night out, how can it be a bad thing?


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    #99
    Links234
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,944 ✭✭✭✭Links234


    Cienciano wrote: »
    Couldn't disagree more, while there is a few specalist beer pubs in Ireland, the vast majority sell the exact same 6-7 tap beers, the bottles are the exact same as the taps, but some have the word "ice", "cold" or "lite" in the title and then a load of alcopops.
    Wetherspoons has a much better collection of beers and it changes regularly.
    As for "thank god their isn't", if wetherspoons came to dublin and you don't like them, just don't go in! But you'll find the price of the pint in the pub next door that you do like has dropped because of competition. What's not to like?

    Bring them in I say, but it'll never happen, the pub lobby here won't let it happen

    I've no disagreement that the majority of pubs in Ireland are awful and have the same few beers on tap everywhere, but I don't really think that Wetherspoons is all that much better.

    They're like Starbucks or McDonalds in pub form and they're everywhere, train stations, airports, and everywhere else... They're grand if you want to duck in for a pint and a cheap feed and there's nothing else around, but otherwise I'd avoid the hell out of them.

    And you know what? I'm not even bashing chains in general... Nicholson's are way better, I could easy go for a few in one of those pubs, and have done in the past. Hell, if you're itching for a British chain pub, bring Nicholson's or Fuller's over.


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    #100
    Sh1tbag OToole
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,973 ✭✭✭Sh1tbag OToole


    The pub industry is well saturated here. Wetherspoons are boring pubs I hope they don't ever arrive here like every other British chain over here they only make the place boring


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    #101
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,851 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    I'm amazed they haven't even tried dipping their toes in the Irish market in airports (like WH Smiths did - and they now have one single, solitary store outside an airport). They have a fair few airport sites in the UK; and its not like the Dublin contracts weren't recently up for tender.

    They're a godsend in airports - the terminal price distortion factor only brings them back to fairly normal prices.


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    #102
    IzzyWizzy
    Registered Users Posts: 6,645 ✭✭✭IzzyWizzy


    Be glad there aren't any. I hate those awful English chain pubs, no atmosphere, same menu in all of them, sh1t food. They are cheap but that's about it. Give me an Irish pub any day.


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    #103
    AnonoBoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,559 ✭✭✭✭AnonoBoy


    MadsL wrote: »
    Which Dublin pubs apart from the Porterhouse as it IS a brewery, have those brews on tap?

    Brew Dock, Black Sheep, Mulligan's all have at least some of those on tap.


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    #104
    harney
    Registered Users Posts: 1,215 ✭✭✭harney


    We are probably too pro European for the owner. I don't think UKIP spout half as much anti EU rubbish as he does in his newsletters.


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    #105
    summerskin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,760 ✭✭✭summerskin


    IzzyWizzy wrote: »
    Be glad there aren't any. I hate those awful English chain pubs, no atmosphere, same menu in all of them, sh1t food. They are cheap but that's about it. Give me an Irish pub any day.

    as opposed to:
    chicken curry
    chowder
    steak
    lasagne
    irish stew
    fish and chips
    bacon and cabbage


    the menu in 99% of irish food pubs???????????

    wetherspoons may all have the same menu, but at least there's some choice on it. Nachos, chilli, curries, burgers, pies, salads, pastas etc.

    Plus the choice of a dozen real ales instead of Heineken, Guinness and Budweiser everywhere here.

    Good place to meet up, not where anyone goes for a night out. Definitely wish there were some of them here, was at a really nice on in Yorkshire recently.

    That said, give me Samuel Smith's pubs any day. Great beer, all brewed by Smiths, no Heineken or other generic muck. It'd never work in Ireland though, people like to have as little choice as possible it seems(for the most part, of course there are a few exceptions), just the same basic food and drinks and almost every pub.

    When I raised that point before on here i was told "The pubs give people what they want, why would they stock different things?".

    The mind boggles.


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    #106
    homerjay2005
    Registered Users Posts: 29,346 ✭✭✭✭homerjay2005


    pmcmahon wrote: »
    Because it would destroy the extorionate monopolising pub trade.

    theres two sides to this - prices are too high, but alot of this is down to the government and their tax also!

    the idea of cheap beer will never be left happen again in this country as it means less tax.


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    #107
    H3llR4iser
    Registered Users Posts: 4,027 ✭✭✭H3llR4iser


    Guess it's the very same reason for the "no Starbuck's in Italy" paradox: the population's mentality is deeply rooted in a certain culture of the "caffetteria" (they call them all BARs in Italy, regardless of the fact they serve alcohol or not) and so different from the rest of the world that the big franchise would most definitely fail to take off.

    Same applies here with pubs - and besides, there are too many already (both pubs in IE and caffetterie in Italy :) )


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    #108
    reprazant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,417 ✭✭✭reprazant


    AnonoBoy wrote: »
    Brew Dock, Black Sheep, Mulligan's all have at least some of those on tap.

    Kavanaghs, Against the Grain as well and they are just the ones that deal purely in craft type beers.

    Plus, last time I was in The Long Hall, they had Galway Hooker on tap while The Swan had O'Hara's and Crean's stout.

    Edit: I had a look at that Beoir site and even the Cobblestone in smithfield is in on the act. They have: Dungarvan cask and bottles, Rebel Red, Shandon Stout, Galway Hooker, Messrs Maguire Weiss, Crean's Lager, Eight Degrees beers and that was a pub I thought would never get in on the act.


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    #109
    Doc Ruby
    Registered Users Posts: 3,956 ✭✭✭Doc Ruby


    summerskin wrote: »
    bacon and cabbage


    the menu in 99% of irish food pubs???????????
    I don't believe I've ever seen bacon and cabbage on the menu in an Irish pub or restaurant.


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    #110
    Fratton Fred
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    It would be interesting to see a chain move in to Ireland, if only to see how Diageo react.

    An example would be Guinness. In England Wetherspoons don't "Have" to sell Guiness. If they stopped selling it they would sell Beamish or Murphy's instead and this might have an adverse effect on sales of 1%, if at all. Ergo, Guinness have to remain competitive or they miss out on a huge market.

    compare that to Dublin. If a pub decides it won't sell Guinness because they refuse to accept the prices Guinness charges, what will that do to their sales?


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    #111
    summerskin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,760 ✭✭✭summerskin


    Doc Ruby wrote: »
    I don't believe I've ever seen bacon and cabbage on the menu in an Irish pub or restaurant.

    You really must be kidding, or being deliberately obtuse.


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    #112
    Tazz T
    Registered Users Posts: 3,200 ✭✭✭Tazz T


    Wetherspoons had a place bought in Capel Street. They were forced out by the VA, pure and simple. They couldn't have someone selling €2.50 pints of Guinness and destroying there government endorsed monopoly despite the jobs and tax revenues the chain could bring to Ireland.

    Yes, JDs is Lidl of the gastro pub world, buy in bulk cheap, sell it cheap. As for the quality of food/pubs, I've been to loads of them and still go to the ones when I'm in Derry, it's hit and miss, but I've had some great meals. A full bottle of decent wine for £6 or two steak dinners and a bottle of wine for £15. Buy one meal for £4, get one free. £3 on a Saturday evening for fish and chips. Beat that Beshoff. Great cheap curry nights. Not to mention all the specialist beers, ciders and lager events they do.

    We really need JDs here. People like me could go out and have a meal more often instead of being stuck in saving up for the property tax.

    Any of ye who say otherwise can stick with your €6 250ml bottle of crap wine and €15 pub grub in your local VA rip off joint.


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    #113
    Doc Ruby
    Registered Users Posts: 3,956 ✭✭✭Doc Ruby


    summerskin wrote: »
    You really must be kidding, or being deliberately obtuse.
    Why would I be kidding? Really? What possible reason would there be for it?


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    #114
    admiralofthefleet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,515 ✭✭✭✭admiralofthefleet


    i was in one in the uk last june. it felt like the half way house between mountjoy and polite society


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    #115
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    Doc Ruby wrote: »
    I don't believe I've ever seen bacon and cabbage on the menu in an Irish pub or restaurant.

    Typical menu...

    Full Irish Heartattack Breakfast

    Soup of the day and a roll
    Beef Stew or variation thereof
    Breaded fish with tartare sauce, usually touted as cod, but may be something else entirely, with salad
    Burger with salad
    Something Something Chicken based meal with salad
    Vegetarian (where available) Stir Fry


    Kids menu, all the fattening stuff...
    Chicken nuggets/Chips/Sausages


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    #116
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,041 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    I used to manage a wetherspoons in Camberwell London. From what I heard, the reason they decided not to move into Ireland is due to the fact that they would not get any discount for bulk buying from the breerys. In Ireland the biggest pub will pay the same price for a keg as the smallest pub. In the UK sliding discounts happen the more you buy.


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    #117
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,041 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    The Vitners Association have no pull in Ireland. I doubt Tim Martinw ould have been scared of them. Reason is as above.


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    #118
    getz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,255 ✭✭✭getz


    Seaneh wrote: »
    No.

    These, these and these = some of the best beers in the world.

    The American Craft/Micro brewing scene is the best beer culture in the world and pisses on anywhere in Europe from a height, only the Belgians give them a run for their money and to be honest, as a good as a lot of Trappist beers are, Belgium produces as much **** beer (stella, Hoegarden, et) as America, Britain, The Netherlands, Canada, Germany and anywhere else the difference being that American craft/micro breweries are setting the standards world wide and even beating the traditional European breweries at their own game by producing world class Lambics, weissens, doppel-bocks, quads, tripels, dubbels, Blondes, and lagers of all descriptions of a standard meeting and exceeding that set by older european breweries. They also develop new hops, new techniques for malting grain, etc etc etc.


    It's sad but it's true, the best beers in the world right now are American, the Germans don't come within an asses roar and the Belgians are lagging behind as well.
    maybe you should look a little closer to home, robinsons brewery in manchester,their ale old tom 8.6% has been voted the worlds best ale,www.oldtombeer.co.uk/


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    #119
    IzzyWizzy
    Registered Users Posts: 6,645 ✭✭✭IzzyWizzy


    summerskin wrote: »
    as opposed to:
    chicken curry
    chowder
    steak
    lasagne
    irish stew
    fish and chips
    bacon and cabbage


    the menu in 99% of irish food pubs???????????

    wetherspoons may all have the same menu, but at least there's some choice on it. Nachos, chilli, curries, burgers, pies, salads, pastas etc.

    Plus the choice of a dozen real ales instead of Heineken, Guinness and Budweiser everywhere here.

    Good place to meet up, not where anyone goes for a night out. Definitely wish there were some of them here, was at a really nice on in Yorkshire recently.

    But at least most Irish food pubs serve proper, homecooked food, not frozen crap that's thrown into a fryer. I'd rather eat cardboard than Wetherspoon's 'nachos' or 'pies'. I'd sooner have a menu with 4 nice things on it than a huge menu full of microwave meals.


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    #120
    BraziliaNZ
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,671 ✭✭✭BraziliaNZ


    IzzyWizzy wrote: »
    But at least most Irish food pubs serve proper, homecooked food, not frozen crap that's thrown into a fryer. I'd rather eat cardboard than Wetherspoon's 'nachos' or 'pies'. I'd sooner have a menu with 4 nice things on it than a huge menu full of microwave meals.

    I think you're underestimating their food, it's decent for what you pay


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    #121
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,041 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    BraziliaNZ wrote: »
    I think you're underestimating their food, it's decent for what you pay

    Especially the steak, cooked on a chargrill.


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