Bit speculative this, but something interesting came up being involved in a pub/restaurant.
Background is in hospitality and service industry, but never had my own pub.
Doom/gloom accepted, but anyone on here ad this experience?
Scampi Fries at wholesale prices.
I'm in.
Work in a pub if that helps?
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It's you, Jimbo, very you!
As it happens, spent much of this evening chatting to a chap who runs a pub in That London's City of London. (Not at his pub, I hasten to add!) Intriguing stuff. Also know a few folks who run pubs I can put you in touch with if needed. No experience myself, apart from being the other side of the bar!
(Did my earlier email reach you? Hoping I had the right address still!)
Certainly where I live pubs fail/close more often than hora gets a new bike. The social situation that supported pubs has changed and is still changing. The only successful ones are those that pack the punters in on a Fri-Sat-Sun or concentrate on food.
The pub as social hub has changed over much of NW England, and I would be very very very wary of assuming it will be a way to make money.
Be teetotal and have a great USP.
The only successful ones are those that pack the punters in on a Fri-Sat-Sun or concentrate on food.
[url= http://www.caskpubandkitchen.com/ ]Or those that find an amazing niche and do amazing work at filling that niche. [/url]
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/buying-a-pub-in-the-peaks ]A similar thread[/url]
Meh, can't be bothered..
crikey - Member
Meh, can't be bothered because I was wrong..
FTFY! 😉
OK, so they're in London, but they are on a back street away from passing trade. They've built a very successful business on word of mouth, and all because they do something right - A Pub. Superb beer, tasty food and great service, all in a convivial atmosphere. If they put the same in any major conurbation*, I reckon it would work.
* OK, it needs to be in a city, I reckon, given that they need the volume of people to allow the variety of beer. However, on a lower volume note - http://www.maletarms.com/ - Noel has always done well here by doing "pub" very well indeed.
Couldn't be bothered because I don't know the situation of the pub in question. I've seen almost 5 out of every 6 pubs shut here. It's not a growth industry.
Yep, sorry if my reply was a little forceful! The chaps at Cask are a success story in an industry that is suffering, I just want to champion that as much as I can, as I think they deserve it.
It's sad to see closed pubs, I agree. Even those I've never been in, or never even wanted to go in, to someone, that was [i]their[/i] pub, and that's a sad thing.
Pubs are great. Great pubs should be celebrated.
I agree wholeheartedly, and I would champion any pub as an integral part of many communities.
Pubs [u]are[/u] great.
Outside London, I suspect that the demographic changes which are impacting on the pub industry are an indication of things to come. I think the concentration of population in London has cushioned the blow, but it will eventually affect the number of pubs that stay open.
My Dad used to be able to describe the journey from his place of work to our house by pub names alone; some 20 or 25 pubs over an 8 mile stretch from the city centre to where we lived. I can do the same journey now in 9 pubs... 🙁
CFH - YGM sorry for the slow reply!
Jimbo, no worries! Will read when more awake, reply due tomorrow! Just wasn't sure I still had the right email!
My sister was a landlady for several years. My advice is don't. She worked incredibly long hours (start 9am finish after midnight), you're still tied to the pub even on your nights off, had poor living quarters, was robbed, etc etc. You also act as a counselling service for the regulars.
Free beer was great for me, mind.
I went cycling with the landlord of our local a couple of times. Ive no idea why on earth he ran a pub. From our chats it seemed to be just hard work, daft/long hours, bugger all pay, drunk customers and no free time.
He did run the pub well, good food and loads of stuff going on to bring in punters - it was a good pub.
The only time he could come riding was very early in the morning, had to be back by 11.00. That was after finishing in the early hours.
He hated some of his regulars, liked a few and tolerated the rest. Thats not a job, thats a way of life.
It all depends on the type of pub, how it's staffed & run and the opening hours.
A reasonable size locals pub that's open 11am to 11pm will see cleaning starting at about 8am, general bar prep will take you most of the way up to opening time and you'll be lucky to be in bed before 1am.
Days off will be a long distant memory unless you're paying for a good bar manaager - but even then you're effectively on call 24-7.
Yes, there's a lot of doom and gloom stories and it's bl00dy hard work but it can be very rewarding. Personally I loved the cellarwork side of things and working the bar can be great.
Bottom line, if you're serious about it make sure you actually know what you're getting into before you jump in & if you do still go for it then I wish you the best of luck.
I owned and ran a pub with a restaurant in the early nineties and hated it . As has been said it's long hours , I didn't think it was hard work but you spend a lot of time doing incredibly menial tasks . Perhaps it's a reflection of my personality but I only really enjoyed the company of about 3 of the locals so having to pass time with people you would rather not and don't have much in common with can make the long hours seem longer . It's hard to run a pub and have a healthy lifestyle , but at least people can't smoke in them now . Both myself and my partner were trained chefs , if you aren't then you can effectively be held to ransom by your chef . My biggest mistake was to buy the place with a partner who I thought I knew well but we had completely different ideas about how to run the business but I was delighted when he bought my share off me after less than 2 years and I was able to get out with as much money as I went in with . He stayed there for another 15 years and only left when he had to have a heart bypass in his early fifties and would probably tell you a more positive side of the whole experience .
It's a way of life running a pub.
Decent pubs if run properly have a future but as said above if it's not up to scratch it will struggle
I used to be in pub management, nearly took on a tenancy of my own, looking back I'm so glad I didn't.
Freehouse is the way to go and learn how to keep real ales well, I was in charge of the cellars at two pubs which both got in to the good beer guide.
Food is an area that needs some effort to find the right balance for your area.
And the most important piece of advice don't drink your profits, the number of landlords I know who have a drink problem, it costs them in more ways than one. My stance was don't drink when working and no more than one beer after a shift, days off are a different matter.
Well, We only went and did it!
got the keys today - couple of days spit and polish, staff training, letting ale settle etc, and we open on thursday.
www.thelambwittering.co.uk
been a lot of negotiations and umming and ahhing, but took the plunge.
big leap, but relishing it. We have some very cool stuff happening in the next six months too....facebook page and website for updates.
I started drawing up plans for a bike rack this arvo (though not any hills to speak of in the vicinity!)
for more info - sorry mods for the links.....
I can only wish you the best of f******** luck!
Keep us posted. If it werent for all the hard work, being tied to one place, drunk clients, 10am floor mopping, Ive always wanted to own a pub 🙂
Wow! Best of luck with that one.
The pub looks ace. The menu isn't my cup of tea but hopefully some of your locals will like it.
If you're going to do it, do it properly. Sounds like just my kind of pub! Good luck to you.
looks nice, though if i was you i'd have a different or even seperate daytime or evening menu with value attached. Look for classics like lasagne, battered fish etc things that normal people will enjoy and are cheap to buy but good profit margin.
good luck though
When considering 'the classics,' you need to consider the target market, the local demographic, the usp of pub and the style of operation.
Those dishes are still valid, but would clearly need to be executed in a more upmarket fashion. People want to spend their money on something different with the focus on perception of value for money.
best of luck jimbo what be your locale ?
My favorite pub round here does the basics well but with good quality veg and salad as raggonair suggests (may one suggest hes probably pretty qualified to provide an answer;)) and does weekly specials of fancier stuff.
Thats why i like it.
sometimes i just want wholesome grub ! (and they do a mean sunday dinner with all the trimmings
Thanks guys, menu is literally a first hash to get something on he website. Proper menu to be uploaded today, there's a burger in there, a pasta dish as well as some more fancy stuff, so I completely agree. Beer will be badger, going with best and fursty ferret to start with. Beer arrives today!!
The best of British to you.
I have a mate who has a second home in West Wittering I have instructed him to take the family when he is next down there 😀
Regarding the menu, if it fits the local population and their buying habits then it will work.
I have two pubs near to me that have re-opened within the past 18 months and they have chosen to take a very upmarket route with their food.
They are both packed out everyday and winning awards. What recession?
That place looks awesome! That's how I'd want my local to look 🙂
Best of luck.
STW discount? 😉
Best of luck, and probably more chance of success in a rich part of the country than elsewhere.
Its 8:02 in the morning and now I want to go to a pub!
Best of luck!
Best of luck to you and if you can find a way to tap the summer traffic jam for trade you should be onto a winner.
I know that pub well, as I was an employee of hall and wood house for a decade, with most of that running a pub up the road!.
I even covered 3 weeks of holiday relief in the lamb!
Seriously though, if you need any advice / help I have a mass of expertise in the food side - menu planning / costings / purchasing / marketing etc ( and only live 40 mins away!) Happy to help!
the knights.31 AT btinternrt.com
Good luck!
Robin
Good luck Jimbo, hope it all goes well.
Best of luck to you. A decent boozer is a thing of beauty. Especially if it serves really good pies! 😀
I presume you've read [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/pubs-anyone-still-go-to-one-to-drink-alcohol ]this thread[/url]
Country Pub & [b]English[/b] Kitchen
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...lardon...confit...salsa verde...bourgignon...futtucini...ile flottante...toile...
bit of a mismatch?
Oh, and good luck! 🙂
Dave
Was really hoping it was going to be closer to Brighton!!
Firstly, all the best of luck.
One comment, with a menu such as that, why not get beers to accompany it. There are tons of fantastic craft brewed ales, that can really work well with a lovely meal.
Breweries such as:
Thornbridge
Oakham
Kernel
Mikkeller
.. and even Brewdog.
A Michelin starred restaurant near here did a beer n bangers day, where they served sausages with glasses of beer. Each sausage was specifically paired with a beer to enhance the flavours of each.
Get some decent cider in too! And put some local cycle and walking routes on your web site.
Spent many a happy hour drinking in pubs round there (apparently) when Ciderinsport was running said hostelrys (i'm his bro so got free beer - sometimes!)
If you can come up with a good 30-mile off-road route linking beach & downs, I'll bring [url= http://www.newforce.org.uk ]Newforce[/url] down for a club ride one sunday (when your bike racks done).
Great pubs should be celebrated.
Problem is, there are so few of them and so many mediocre ones...
Good luck! I've spent many weekends in (on?) the Witterings and have been past many times. I'll get the olds to drop in when they're next sailing by (you might have to wait to wait 'til spring 2013.). A lunch menu of posh fish and chips, soups and the like would suit them perfectly...
Have to say, it looks great from the photos on the website!
Best of luck. Looks like a great pub. Real Ale getting more and more popular. Keep us posted.
Great pubs should be celebrated.
Problem is, there are so few of them and so many mediocre ones...
Agreed - took a couple of mates to my very excellent local at the weekend and they said that they thought places like it no longer existed. Nothing too fancy, just excellent beer & cider from clean lines in clean glasses, good food at sensible prices and some good quality banter from the landlord and bar staff. Seems that problems start to occur when the simple things get forgotten, either out of laziness or getting too excited about some new fangled idea.
Best of luck to you - looks a fantastic place!
I shall cycle over one day for a pint .
As the crow flies you are about 3 miles away , its about a 15 mile ride though.
I take it you are tied to H&W for beers?
Given the location I would definatly do pension specials a lunchtime. Loads of coffin dodgers locally , and they only want child sized portions too . Down side is they will trip and fall down every step in the place.- so lots of bright lights and signs so they cant sue your ar$e.
In the summer WW is mobbed , you need to be the 'go to' place when there is a 5 mile traffic jam gettting away from the beach. People will divert to a pub or chippy for a meal and waste a few hours waiting for the traffic to disappear .
How you achieve this i do not know , flyers maybe?
Looks like a lovely pub.
Not sure that menu is a good idea, it might put the average punter off.
Looks more suited to a posh restaurant rather than a pub (or even a gastro-pub).
Good luck.
I know the area through work and well run pubs can certainly do well but I expects its mighty hard work.
Focus on customer service, polite, friendly, well trained staff and you wont go far wrong. Very simple but also simple to get wrong and none of us like to be insulted by some 21 yr old bar person telling us its 2:01 pm so the kitchen is closed.
Personally I wouldn't worry too much about facebook, I would be more concerned about sorting out a sensible menu, staff training, keeping the rent below 12% of turnover, GP above 60% (I assume you are tied?), and making sure no one has a bad experience.
In this area service and product are more important than pricing. I think.
Ah, I drive past that whenever we go to the beach. Will have to stop in there on the way back.
SOrry for the radio silence on this - as those of you in the business will know, it's been a bloody busy week, so as much as I love STW, it's been on the backburner for a few days....
Thanks for the messages of good luck - weirdly it's really nice to have a bit of good feeling to help in those ohmygodwhathaveigoneanddone moments.
we got the keys a week ago, closed for two days, painted lots of stuff, sanded down tables, bought a little bit of new furniture, built, what I think is probably the most kick ass wine rack I've ever seen, and opened to the public.
We've been busy 🙂
Took on board the STW comments re the menu - so altered it based on feedback from here other sources feedback - of course you were all completely correct!
http://www.thelambwittering.co.uk/#/daily-menu/4569934398
Bottom line - it's all great - I've not worked hours like these since my first summer season, but I'm loving it - the most varied thing I've ever done, with something scary happening most days, but I *think* it's actually gonna be a cracker.
just as an FYI, my head chef is truly, truly awesome. he won a michelin star at his previous big restaurant, and via a long story is helping us out for a few months - a shameless plug - it's bloody good food - come and see us! more pics soon, but I have some barrels to tap right now.
jimbonolongerinbrighton
🙂
Will be in for a pint. Do we get a discount for sneaking slippers/saricin/bombers into out order?
My club aren't far from you, over in E Sussex. If you have good local riding, we may pop over your way for a day!!
Good luck with the pub, sadly I'm in the wrong country to visit! (And there are no pubs here, perhaps that could be an opening?... )
One comment is that some bits of your website looks pretty weird on Chrome / Windows 7 - the menu in particular seems to be trying to do something clever with the scrolling on various sections, which cunningly hides some of the options. (The All Day Menu Starters section, for example). I'd personally go with a completely static HTML page, for a (relatively) simple menu like this.