Publicans Profits

[blobbyblob]

Publicans are really starting to pess me off. Heard on the news today that local publicans reckon that projected profits are worse than anticipated because of the smoking ban. Id love to see a poll of whether people think takings are down because of high drink prices or because they dont go out anymore because of the smoking ban

Whats the cause...

Smoking ban or Prices...whats your tipple

[tetsujin1979]

well I don't smoke, so I'm drinking less because of the prices.

Good question for the barmen - have your non-smoking clients started drinking less since the smoking ban??

[Hibs4Ever]

Its DEFINITELY because of the prices. No other reason.

They were talking about it yesterday on Newstalk FM. A guy went into a bar in Dublin on Saturday night with his wife, his wife ordered a Tia Maria and milk. They were charged 1.90 for the dash of milk in the Tia Maria :mad:

[noby]

The smoking ban, while probably having some effect, is just a handy excuse.
The trend before the ban was towards staying at home. The off-licence trade is booming. People are getting their bottle of wine/few beers, having friends round and staying in.

Price, I would say, is a major factor in this.

[tiktok]

Price, I would say, is a major factor in this.

Agree completely. I don't smoke but I go to the pub way less than i used to.

More inclined to call around to a house with 20 bottles of Stella (€20 in Tesco) or a couple of bottle of wine than fork out in a pub.

Got charged €4.60 for a pint of orange cordial in Dublin once, disgrace, well worth being the designated driver that night. :rolleyes:

[patsh]

Well I can get a sixpack of Tubourg for €7 (4 for me, 2 for her), Hot & Spicy Pringles €1.50 and a good DVD for €4.50.

So thats a good evenings entertainment for €13, which wouldn't buy 2 drinks for the wife and myself in a pub in town. Most publicans, while seeing themselves as pillars of society, are cheap and nasty thieves.

[pete]

No one likes high prices but i wouldn't be moaning about it much as long as a variety of prices in different types of pubs so at least have a choice. Should be able to go down to local in burbs & get cheap drinks as opposed to Cafe en Seine type prices in "super pubs".

Seems be to be bigger differences in prices in recent years & off licence seems to be better value than used to be too with the €1 bottle prices.

As we all get older its probably natural to go to pub less anyway.

Pub Prices in europe are probably usually higher or similar to here but they don't have busy pubs throughout the week so would expect cheaper prices here due to volume of trade which doesn't happen.

[noby]

As we all get older its probably natural to go to pub less anyway.


Defenitley a factor. But maybe as we get older our standards are raised a little. We're paying more and more for crap pints, and toilets from the middle ages.
There are alot of publicans who are happy to raise the price of the pint, but show no obvious signs of re-investing some of this extra income into their business (my local a case in point)

I like nothing better than a pint down the pub, but it's no harm for them to feel the pinch, and work harder for our custom.

[Peadar]

The last time I was home I got 24 330ml bottles of Heineken (The 5% vol imported stuff) for €21.95 in Dunnes.
You'd be lucky to get 4 pints for that in the pub.
If anything, the pub is a more enjoyable experience since the smoking ban but the price of drink is making visits an occassional luxury.

[Troy.McClure]

Totally agree with Peadar.

Has anyone actually met someone whwo's stopped going because of the smoking ban? Ive heard one or 2 grumble about having to go outside to smoke but they then go on about how they meet people outside and have a good time out there.

[anto eile]

defo prices. i dont smoke,hate the habit. but im very wary of where i drink now. generally i stick to E3 a pint establishments. abbey hotel in town, barcode fairview (E3 a drink thur fri sun) blacker in coolock is E3 a pint thur, and raheny inn fosters E3 a pint

[ciaran76]

Smoking ban or Prices...whats your tipple

For me it is the prices. I would rather get a few bottles of beers and go around to a mates or a few bottles of wine. I don't smoke so its nothing to do with that.

Most of mates don't smoke either and 1 has even quit since and we are still going to the pub less because it easier and cheaper to sit at home and have a good laugh. :)

[Lionel Ritchie]

Two points. First it's sometimes a good idea to get the viewpoint of someone who's lived elsewhere for a long time and has something to contrast our situation with -so I'll pick Des Bishop -who i think talked a fair bit of sense when he said that if there's one business in the world that can easily afford to contract (shrink) 20% then it's the irish pub trade.

The fact that it hasn't contracted by anything like that (if at all in real terms) shows how much of a dividend there's been for the pub trade from making their premises more user friendly for the super-majority 70% of us and rising who don't smoke.

2nd is the word of a non vested interest party namely a rubbish collector here in Limerick -who recently stated that in the last year he's moved from processing 10 tons of aluminium cans a month to 18 tons a month. Now if he's nearly doubled the amount of offie he's clearing up he's well outstripped all these smokers who supposedly would never go out again but whom I mysteriously find creating a new bohemia outside many public houses and fair play to them.

All that considered -there has to be another factor at play here and that factor is in all likelyhood the price charged.

[dahamsta]

I don't think either have had an appreciable effect on my drinking. I'd started to go out less well before the smoking ban, and I'm pretty sure the effect beer has on my belly (growth) is the primary factor here. Certainly I'm glad of the savings, but that came after the fact. The drinking itself is still the same, I have to confess to being what's fashionably called a "binge drinker" these days. I don't understand the point of drinking alcohol if you're not going to enjoy the effects.

The pubs I go to haven't changed much either. I've always been inclined towards beer gardens so though I probably aimed more for them at the start, there's not that much of a change. Oddly enough, I'm not that bothered about drinking in pubs without, because there'll either be smokers there that'll pop outside, or the company will be good enough to forget the craving. I seem to have been lucky with company and the weather thus far.

On the subject of cost themselves, yes, they're an absolute disgrace, but I'm not much of a one for watching the pennies I'm afraid. At the start of the evening I make sure there's plenty of cash in my wallet and I occasionally (very occasionally) spot check my change, but apart from that the next time I worry about money is if I'm moving on or trying to get a taxi.

adam

[joeraki]

I smoke, but stopped going out as much probably a good 18 months before the smoking ban as prices where getting far out of control a few years now. Even If the smoking ban was lifted would it encourage me too go back ? No chance. Pub prices are a scandal, but as long as publicans can call the shots and blame the smoking ban then things will never change

[Macy]

For me the smoking ban is the major factor. Prior to it I used to go down the local 2 or 3 times a week. Now it's 2 or 3 times a month. Was at a wedding in Manch at the weekend, and it was brilliant to have a pint and smoke inside.

The prices are a factor, but having to go out for a smoke is more of factor. There's been a big drop off in the rural pubs that I frequent since the smoking ban - price of a pint hasn't changed much, if at all.