Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

Dont be at yourself · 09-09-2013 5:11pm

Sofiztikated wrote: »

We've got about a dozen in work now, and the Bar Manager is chatting to some Donegal brewery this week about getting more.

I hope that's Kinnegar!

Seaneh · 09-09-2013 5:13pm

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

I hope that's Kinnegar!

Doubt it, he makes about 5 liters of beer a month.

Dont be at yourself · 09-09-2013 5:14pm

Seaneh wrote: »

Doubt it, he makes about 5 liters of beer a month.

Building a new brewery though, aren't they?

Seaneh · 09-09-2013 5:16pm

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

Building a new brewery though, aren't they?

Hopefully, that stuff takes time though.

BeerNut · 09-09-2013 5:19pm

The new brewery is finished.

EyeSight · 09-09-2013 5:24pm

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

Can't believe the negativity towards Dublin pubs, to be honest. Absolutely, there's a lot that they do wrong, and can be accused of gouging their customers with steep prices and trying to stifle off-license sales, but there's nothing like holing up in a decent pub for a night.

I've lived abroad, visited lots of countries, and nowhere I've found can match the atmosphere of a Dublin pub. Too brightly lit, barmen and floorstaff who treat their work as a job and not a vocation, tables laid out in oceans of space like a restaurant, staid decor.

I want my pub to be dimly lit. I want it to have chairs that don't match, tables that wobble. Those notes and photos of regulars pinned to the wall behind the bar? Lovely. The ham-and-cheese toastie served on a paper plate with your pint? Delicious.

It's also ridiculous to blame pubs for Irish people's love affair with Diageo products. You'd want to take a look at Diageo themselves. If anything, the pubs have been quick to respond to the explosion in craft beer, with virtually every pub now at least stocking bottles of craft, some with a tap, and some even getting contract brews done.

i think you're talking about a specific pub there...
I have been to many pubs in all countries and there are great ones everywhere(with regulars and food) if you can find them

Chelon · 09-09-2013 5:45pm

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

I wouldn't expect Wetherspoons to be any different; they sell ales and bitters in England because that's local taste. They'll be giving their customers what they want, and in Dublin, that'll mean ice-cold fizzy lager and Guinness.

Not sure if I agree - I've been in some JDs in rough parts of the UK, where 99% of the clientele are necking the ice cold lager or cider. Guess what - you can still expect a beautiful pint of cask ale in these places.

God knows how they do it - but their policy seems to be "If it's a Wetherspoons it'll have good cask ale".

Let's hope they keep it that way when they invade these shores.

drumswan · 09-09-2013 5:47pm

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

Can't believe the negativity towards Dublin pubs, to be honest. Absolutely, there's a lot that they do wrong, and can be accused of gouging their customers with steep prices and trying to stifle off-license sales, but there's nothing like holing up in a decent pub for a night.

Wetherspoons wont be competing against pubs in Wexford Street. You cannot buy a pint of draught craft beer (nor bottled I think) in a pub in Tallaght for example, thats what, 100,000 people?

Chelon · 09-09-2013 5:48pm

Tazz T wrote: »

Blackrock is only the beginning. He has also acquired the 40 Foot in pub in Dun Laoghaire.

Finally I see their loction strategy - fantastic ales straight off the boat and in the pub within minutes

Thinking about it, their beers are such high quality in general that this could almost be true....

rubadub · 09-09-2013 6:38pm

cloudatlas wrote: »

I can't understand why people think it's going to be as cheap as it is in the U.K.

I can't understand how you thought people did either! Can you quote anybody in this thread who was actually saying/suggesting they expected them to have the same prices in the UK?

People were expecting them to be cheaper than most locals.

cloudatlas wrote: »

supplying a mediocre product en masse.

I was in one in wales and the bottles of staropramen tasted the same as the ones in the pub across the road, actually I got a nicer glass and the cheaper price might make it all the tastier;). That's the difference between mcdonalds or starbucks, these are more like a supermarket selling you some of the exact same things you usually buy, but much cheaper.

If you are referring to the food being mediocre then its the same as mcdonalds & starbucks, people know what to expect, so go there, a safe bet. When they open If I was given the choice of €8 worth of steak in any pub in blackrock I would chance wetherspoons to have the best value, i.e. taking both size & quality into account. Same with mcdonalds, in blackrock I would take the €1 burger over the central cafe chippers €1 worth, a takeaway burger is €2.50 there so I would get less than half one. In mcdonalds I get a decent seat and a paper to read too.

listermint wrote: »

Any UK company thats low priced that has moved here see the money that edgits here will pay.

Any example of these UK companies? i.e. ones who are genuinely recognized as being a decent % cheaper than their other UK competitors? not just ones who say they are cheap in marketing, which is loads (e.g. I certainly would not include the likes of tesco).

The last one that springs to mind is Dealz, who are owned by poundland in the UK. I saw about the same price differential on many items as here as in the UK (many things are higher too). They are able to source big branded products from the UK supply chain, like coke, who must be fuming to see their products being sold well below their RRP in this region.

And if they can use their UK supply chain, we will see sub €3 pints of Guinness.

This would be very interesting, the Aviva threatened to do it, they are a little different being a stadium. I don't think they would have to go below €3 though.

oblivious · 09-09-2013 6:54pm

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

You don't see 20 taps and cask ales because the average punter doesn't want them. O'Haras, Galway Hooker, 8 Degrees and Dungarvan are all fairly common and you can be sure that any decent pub will stock at least one of them.

I wouldn't expect Wetherspoons to be any different; they sell ales and bitters in England because that's local at they want, and in Dublin, that'll meanlikely cold fizzy lager and Guinness.

The cottage group would argue you can. Expanding group of pubs in dublin city centre that provides an out let for alot of irsh craft beer as well as international one

But thats was not my point, one or two bottle beers is not embracing it. There is tap space that could be switched over to offer a small selection, it just take a bit of imagination, a bit of willingness on the management to push them. But that is up to the publicans, spoons is comming and the likenof cottages group, bull and castle, porterhouse and independent craft beer bars are all expanding. Both most likely will target either end of the spend, probably not great new for your average city center pub

rainbow kirby · 09-09-2013 6:59pm

Anything to shake up the cosy cartel that exists back home!

I'm in the one on Holloway Road quite a bit - steak night and lifting heavy at my gym about 200m from the JDW pub there tend to coincide, and a steak dinner for 7 quid is hard to resist.

oblivious · 10-09-2013 7:13am

Sofiztikated wrote: »

We've got about a dozen in work now, and the Bar Manager is chatting to some Donegal brewery this week about getting more.

Granted, we don't shift anywhere near as many as Diageo products, but it's getting better.

But €3.50 a bottle it ain't.

Great to see, would a rotating tap of craft producers be something they would go for?

Sofiztikated · 10-09-2013 9:36am

oblivious wrote: »

Great to see, would a rotating tap of craft producers be something they would go for?

We've got Donegal Blonde on tap at the moment.

Not sure if there's enough of a demand yet to call to rotate, but were looking into it.

EricPraline · 10-09-2013 12:58pm

Tazz T wrote: »

Tim Wetherspoon is a very astute businessman. He built the entire business from a single pub to 890 pubs today. Given the state of the Irish pub industry, he is not going to come in here unless he can really shake up the market. I will be amazed if he can't do a €3 pint.

Blackrock is only the beginning. He has also acquired the 40 Foot in pub in Dun Laoghaire.

Interesting choice of locations. Tbh the current Tonic and 40 Foot are soulless and over-priced, so anything is likely to be an improvement. The local publicans of Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire are likely to be less impressed.

Bits_n_Bobs · 10-09-2013 1:38pm

Whatever about DL a decade ago Blackrock had excellent pubs and Friday nights were jammers- I suspect it's absolutely ripe for a good shake up. Pretty sure the same could be said of DL. Looking forward to their arrival

uch · 10-09-2013 3:11pm

Look forward to them coming, might shake up a few of the overpriced kips around the borough

slayerking · 10-09-2013 9:01pm

Is there any reason why they're not picking a more central location, or is it a case of testing the waters first and gradually taking over the country!?

ted1 · 10-09-2013 9:34pm

slayerking wrote: »

Is there any reason why they're not picking a more central location, or is it a case of testing the waters first and gradually taking over the country!?

They got the ferry over and these are the first two pubs they meet with a for sale sign.

BeerNut · 10-09-2013 9:35pm

slayerking wrote: »

Is there any reason why they're not picking a more central location, or is it a case of testing the waters first and gradually taking over the country!?

Price is going to be a big factor. I'd say there will be a lot of suburban Wetherspoons before they convert the former Clery's into The Haberdasher's Arms

rubadub · 11-09-2013 3:09pm

ted1 wrote: »

They got the ferry over

Actually that's a good point, the 40ft is right at the ferry port. It'd be like having a supermacs in holyhead port, some visitors would go there as they know what to expect, many do not want to try different things.

I reckon lots of UK visitors would be attracted to it simply to see what their setup is like over here.

Tube · 11-09-2013 7:20pm

slayerking wrote: »

Is there any reason why they're not picking a more central location, or is it a case of testing the waters first and gradually taking over the country!?

I've been looking at pub prices for over 2 years, and they could have gotten a city centre premises for less than they did in Blackrock. I reckon they went for Blackrock as there is less competition.

Davidth88 · 12-09-2013 8:36am

Hi

as my earlier post said , I was under the impression they looked before and were basically blocked by the cosy cartel.

They did buy a building in D7 ( Capel St ) I assume near where Jamie opened his restaurant but never opened and sold it at 1 million loss.

Bet there were a few people having meetings with planning people to ensure this didn't happen

Wetherspoon almost opened in Dublin about a decade ago when it acquired the freehold on a furniture warehouse in Capel Street for more than €2 million. It got cold feet due to the high costs of doing business in Ireland at the time and was reported to have sold on the premises at a loss.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/retail-and-services/british-pub-chain-wetherspoon-set-to-acquire-dublin-bar-1.1511162?

BaZmO* · 12-09-2013 8:38am

Davidth88 wrote: »

Hi

as my earlier post said , I was under the impression they looked before and were basically blocked by the cosy cartel.

They did buy a building in D7 ( Capel St ) I assume near where Jamie opened his restaurant but never opened and sold it at 1 million loss.

Bet there were a few people having meetings with planning people to ensure this didn't happen

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/retail-and-services/british-pub-chain-wetherspoon-set-to-acquire-dublin-bar-1.1511162?

The chef you're thinking about is Gary Rhodes.

Davidth88 · 12-09-2013 8:39am

BaZmO* wrote: »

The chef you're thinking about is Gary Rhodes.

Of course it was !!! Stand corrected ( both are equally annoying

)

Bigcheeze · 12-09-2013 9:23am

By going for Blackrock it helps to establish a good brand in Ireland from day one. I'm sure they have spent many millions in the UK trying to shake off some of the negative perceptions of their brand.

If they bought somewhere along the quays in Dublin, I think we know the clientele they'd attract. They'd have to install a crutch stand outside the pub.

SolitaireX · 12-09-2013 9:31am

I went to the one in Nottingham before and had no problem with it, it wasn't the greatest bar in the world but it certainly wasn't the worst by a long shot. I think people should be looking forward to them arriving if there's even the remote possibility they'll force Irish pubs to start competing for business.

Losty Dublin · 12-09-2013 9:37am

rubadub wrote: »

Actually that's a good point, the 40ft is right at the ferry port. It'd be like having a supermacs in holyhead port, some visitors would go there as they know what to expect, many do not want to try different things.

I reckon lots of UK visitors would be attracted to it simply to see what their setup is like over here.

Dun Laoghaire ferryport gets very little footfall these days and it will get nothing once the HSS is retired in the autumn.

Tabnabs · 12-09-2013 9:54am

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Dun Laoghaire ferryport gets very little footfall these days and it will get nothing once the HSS is retired in the autumn.

Laid up until xmas since last Tuesday. It's only got a couple of years of seasonal activity in DL anyway.

Maybe all the rich old American's off the cruise ships will warm to Wethy's?

joeguevara · 12-09-2013 10:04am

Scotts in Dun Laoghaire charge €3.30 for a pint all day every day. Never really that busy. Maybe a decent crowd on a Friday. ROugh enough pup with mainly old codgers drinking. Nando's has just opened opposite the 40ft. Maybe kick start things in DUn Laoghaire because at the moment it is pretty dead.

Main street has many unoccupied units. Marks and Spencers just closed down but talk of an aldi opening up near Gilbert and Wrights.

Pubs are dead at night apart from Gilberts and Walters. Pier Inn is good for food and trying to bring in people at weekend nights. Need a better choice of music as the bands they get in at the moment are quite depressing.

Hope it works out. Would be nice to have an alternative to go to in dun laoghaire.

Seaneh · 12-09-2013 3:25pm

BaZmO* wrote: »

The chef you're thinking about is Gary Rhodes.

And the restaurant was open for a while, it was just ****e.

BaZmO* · 12-09-2013 3:29pm

Seaneh wrote: »

And the restaurant was open for a while, it was just ****e.

Wasn't mad on the decor, but I thought the food was nice the couple of times I was there.

Seaneh · 12-09-2013 3:45pm

BaZmO* wrote: »

Wasn't mad on the decor, but I thought the food was nice the couple of times I was there.

The layout was atrocious.

I only ate there once, had a belly pork dish, it was ok, but way over priced and a little dry. It's easy to see why it failed really, price wise it was competing with much better restaurants.

BaZmO* · 12-09-2013 3:48pm

Seaneh wrote: »

The layout was atrocious.

I only ate there once, had a belly pork dish, it was ok, but way over priced and a little dry. It's easy to see why it failed really, price wise it was competing with much better restaurants.

I would've said that location had a bigger factor in its failure.

jack presley · 14-09-2013 8:58am

30 pubs now apparently.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/agribusiness-and-food/british-chain-wetherspoon-set-to-open-up-to-30-pubs-in-ireland-1.1527271

Mick Murdock · 14-09-2013 12:09pm

Any idea how long it takes them to fit out a pub and get up and running? I assume they are fairly efficient when it comes to this stuff.

If I was a pub owner in Dún Laoghaire, I would be sh*tting myself right about now. It's not exactly overrun with quality pubs, so Wetherspoons can't be any worse, but should be considerably cheaper!

Clearly they import drink into the north, so it's not all that different to import it here.. So that's not really an issue at all.

Losty Dublin · 14-09-2013 12:43pm

Mick Murdock wrote: »

Any idea how long it takes them to fit out a pub and get up and running? I assume they are fairly efficient when it comes to this stuff.

That depends on how long it takes to formally acquire the pub then survey it, decide what level of work that the pub needs done, sort out planning permission if required, obtain quotes and get the work done and finally deal with any residual licence issues that may crop up. In other words it's as long as a piece of string. If they are happy as is they could have a pub opened in a matter of weeks; if not then stay in your local for a large chunk of 2014.

Mick Murdock wrote: »

Clearly they import drink into the north, so it's not all that different to import it here.. So that's not really an issue at all.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK so importing alcohol to Belfast or Derry isn't an issue. Bringing it into Dublin will become an issue as excise duty's will have be levied; it isn't a matter of a truck with kegs and bottles arriving in from Holyhead.

Seaneh · 14-09-2013 2:00pm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Northern Ireland is part of the UK so importing alcohol to Belfast or Derry isn't an issue. Bringing it into Dublin will become an issue as excise duty's will have be levied; it isn't a matter of a truck with kegs and bottles arriving in from Holyhead.

Actually, having their UK supply chain in place to the north already means their cost of importing to Ireland is already smaller than it would be if they were to try and ship to Dublin as they can just bring it down via Belfast and means their buying power isn't effected. So even with the excise and so on there will be able to pay much, much less than they would if they were trying to buy from Irish suppliers and they have access to all the great local breweries they buy from in the UK.

kevohmsford · 14-09-2013 7:01pm

I am happy enough seeing Wetherspoons coming to Ireland.

The only thing I see as a problem is they don't play music in the pubs in the UK so unlikely to see live music in pubs here.

Seaneh · 14-09-2013 7:09pm

kevohmsford wrote: »

I am happy enough seeing Wetherspoons coming to Ireland.

The only thing I see as a problem is they don't play music in the pubs in the UK so unlikely to see live music in pubs here.

If they open Lloyd's it will have music etc.

JohnK · 14-09-2013 7:11pm

When ye say they don't play music, do ye mean they don't play any music at all (ie, only noise in the bar is the chat of the drinkers) or is it just that they don't do live music but have some CD's playing at the usual deafening levels?

Seaneh · 14-09-2013 7:14pm

JohnK wrote: »

When ye say they don't play music, do ye mean they don't play any music at all (ie, only noise in the bar is the chat of the drinkers) or is it just that they don't do live music but have some CD's playing at the usual deafening levels?

None of them I've been in have had live music, the odd one has had music on a PA system playing quite low in the background. The main noise would be people chatting, yeah.

Losty Dublin · 14-09-2013 7:14pm

Seaneh wrote: »

Actually, having their UK supply chain in place to the north already means their cost of importing to Ireland is already smaller than it would be if they were to try and ship to Dublin as they can just bring it down via Belfast and means their buying power isn't effected. So even with the excise and so on there will be able to pay much, much less than they would if they were trying to buy from Irish suppliers and they have access to all the great local breweries they buy from in the UK.

Fair point but it's still stock that has got to get to Dublin. With just one pub it won't be that cheap. Servicing of the lines and taps will be interesting as well; I can't see Heineken or Diageo's local quality teams co-operating with them.

This is assuming that they will supply Dublin from their chain in the North.

jrmb · 14-09-2013 7:14pm

I think it'll be good news if it opens at more locations. It's great for a substantial meal on a student budget. If you don't like it, you don't have to go.

Seaneh · 14-09-2013 7:25pm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Fair point but it's still stock that has got to get to Dublin. With just one pub it won't be that cheap. Servicing of the lines and taps will be interesting as well; I can't see Heineken or Diageo's local quality teams co-operating with them.

This is assuming that they will supply Dublin from their chain in the North.

A lot of pubs in Ireland don't let Heiniken or Diageo near their lines and look after cleaning and maintance themselves.

Porterhouse, Galway Bay, and lots more around the place all clean their own lines. It's not a hard job, I've worked in bars where we cleaned our own lines.

I'd imagine they'll be hiring a cellar/stock man and odds are it will be his job to clean the lines once a week and every time the cask is changed (which should be every few days).

I'd bet my shirt on them using their existing supply chain, it makes no sense for them to do anything else, and to cost of moving stock south after it's already in belfast isn't much more (is any more) and moving it west to Derry. Dublin and Belfast are only what, 2 hours, at most away?

Bigcheeze · 14-09-2013 8:09pm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

With just one pub it won't be that cheap.

I think they understand their own costs. According to the Irish times today the plan is for up to 30 pubs.

BenEadir · 14-09-2013 8:46pm

Mick Murdock wrote: »

Clearly they import drink into the north, so it's not all that different to import it here.. So that's not really an issue at all.

Don't you mean "transport" beer into the north? How can they "Import" beer from one part of the UK to another? :P

EDIT: I just spotted the earlier correction.

Ben

LordSutch · 14-09-2013 8:55pm

Which begs the question, if real Cask Ale can travel from GB to NI, then surely it can travel here? which I guess it will do in the short term.

Long term, I do hope the local Irish cask ales take off at the Wetherspoon pumps too . . .

Lucena · 14-09-2013 9:15pm

Seaneh wrote: »

The main noise would be people chatting, yeah.

Best sound in a pub.

themandan6611 · 14-09-2013 10:57pm

Lucena wrote: »

Best sound in a pub.

depends on how you are listening too

Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

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