Pubs post COVID

[simon12]

Just wondered what anyone's thoughts are. Do you think the pubs near you will reopen? Will the same customers be back? How many do you think could close permanently? Are the old regulars desperate to go back or have they got used to not going and found alternatives? Is it going to be unaffordable for alot more people. Will there be a new set of regulars possibly people who stay working from home that want a new place to socialise? Of the 3 pubs a stone throw from here, 1 the landlord has retired and employs a couple to manage it so they and all staff can be furloughed so I imagine they will open as before but there lease runs out next year so unless it starts making a fortune I imagine it will go back to enterprise inns will no interest from new landlords, but since its listed building unsuitable for other uses I think they will just employ managers to run it even at a loss as it will loose less than it would closed. The other 2 pubs both changed landlords in lockdown 1. 1 of them has a long term goal of becoming one of the best food pubs in the country and I imagine have money to run at a loss for a long time and did very well taking customers from the other pubs in the time they could open the other I don't know much about who took it on but they never seemed to do very well when they could open and pre covid the pub seemed to only get busy on karaoke and sporting events so I think its future is very uncertain.
Also does anyone know if any of the big chains or breweries are in trouble?

 

[Cwrw666]

My local is a community owned pub. We're shareholders and in the last newsletter we had from the board we were told that the pub has actually been more economically healthy than pre covid. I think it might be down to the business rates holiday plus when they have been open, the few times we've been, they looked just as busy as normal. They do have loads of room for customers to spread out though, especially outside in weather protected areas.

 

[Clint]

I think it's going to be sorted or its not. I'm not going to the pub....until...
Standup. Sit down. Wear a mask. Don't wear a mask. Stop drinking at six . Drink pop. Sit with just your family only..or/and ten others...is fixed.
Go to Asda (any other supermarket is suitable)...do what you like.

 

[obscure]

I am really rather worried that a lot of the wet led pubs won’t reopen, my preferred pub within walking distance is very much a cask ale pub, (with a constantly rotating range of beer noted on the blackboard). Even on a weeknight it still had a steady number of regulars and I suspect one big concern is a lot of them will have fallen out of the habit of drinking mostly in pubs.

The other pubs in easy walking distance aren’t bad per say but one is very much sport driven (think TVs in the toilets even) another is basically a restaurant, food is decent but beer tends to be the same beers week in week out) but rather worryingly didn’t reopen after the the first lockdown it’s fate unknown. Third is again food driven but no where near as good as the second (mostly targeting families).

The biggest pub owners in my area Marston, Fullers and Greene King have all posted losses, Marstons have lost something like 400 million, Greene King posted a 273 million loss to the end of April (they are privately held so no quarterly results or market updates). Fullers lost 22 million in the first six months of their financial year and given they sold their brewing arm I suspect are under far more pressure than Marstons or Greene King.

 

[Clint]

The thing is when these businesses post "losses" it's losses on what they took last year...not in minus figures...as unless they're being bailed out or funded they're out of business.
If they're out of business they should theoretically...close.

 

[obscure]

The thing is when these businesses post "losses" it's losses on what they took last year...not in minus figures...as unless they're being bailed out or funded they're out of business.
If they're out of business they should theoretically...close.

Oh don’t get me wrong companies can sustain losses for years the local subsidiary I work for hasn’t made a profit in 15 years (on paper) but a) still has a positive cash flow and b) for various other reasons it is advantageous for the group to keep us.

The real concern is that they will start haemorrhaging cash, I am not familiar enough with any of them to say if for example they own the freehold on their pubs or rent the sites. Also I suspect a lot of their losses are paper losses I.e. write down in the value of their property portfolio, in reality it’s the individual land lords who will properly go under rather than the pub co’s.

 

[simon12]

I'm not going to the pub....until...
Standup. Sit down. Wear a mask. Don't wear a mask. Stop drinking at six . Drink pop. Sit with just your family only..or/and ten others...is fixed.

Thats how I felt about pubs (when it was an option) and i'm sure a huge no of others. I have my own pub instead but its not the same on your own.

 

[Leon103]

The pubs around by me will certainly reopen, can't wait.

 

[Gerryjo]

It's the locals I feel for as they are hardest hit here and there is quite a few that I would say will not surface and if they do they will probably get taken by bigger fish who can stand the financial hit at present as most are wet pubs.
Our pubs serving food must have a kitchen and resident chef within the building and there is a landlord who owns a pub and restaurant who under last lockdown reprieve could bring food over from the restaurant across the street but this this time with the new rule above was issued with a prohibition order from the PSNI under new covid19 guidelines and couldn't open.
Personally I'm sick to the back teeth with the doe's and don'ts,the wills and won't cause these people have done everything required of them to keep a business open and get slapped in the face when they should have school children wearing a mask like the rest of us as its only when they closed the schools did the numbers decrease here.
I understand this is a pandemic but for the love of life the amount of hurt,fear, bereavement, confusion and everything else associated with this is going to scar us all for years to come and I haven't even had a drink yet and before anyone has a snide remark to make I see it from all sides from working all through,my wife in shielding,two in-laws teaching,two daughters working with the public.
There are those who will do their best for themselves and others and those that just don't give a damn shitt about it so everyone else pays the can't even call into my mum's for a cuppa but have to stand at her doorstep a wish her a merry Christmas cause she is in another bubble.
Sorry for hijacking though rant over.
Stay safe and like me I hope you all look forward to a relaxing afternoon or evening in the pub.

 

[johncrobinson]

Really feel for the folks running pubs
Was going to invest in one myself a few years back,Glad now that i didn't go through with it.

Even if covid totally vanished next week the damage is done,
A lot of punters will be buying more than ever from the supermarkets and wont come back at least not to the same extent.

My reason for not proceeding was the incoming smoking bans,Even though i personally prefer smoke free environment according to friends in the trade that is what started the rot.

Covid will be the final nail for many.
I have NO OPTION but to take the risk with going into supermarkets but it will be a long,long time before i set foot in a pub again,

I am in a vulnerable group so have to be extra carefull.

 

[foxy]

After our lock down ended we went for a pub meal, I was expecting it to be packed, so made a booking, when we turned up there was only one other couple in the dining area. I did have a chat with the owner who was also puzzled by the lack of response from the punters. It will get back to normal but will probably take a little time.

 

[Hoddy]

I think that bad/unprofitable pubs and breweries will close. I think there always be a place for a good establishment and there will always be a place for those that are innovative and produce/provide a quality service and product.

However i do acknowledge that home drinking, in all forms from supermarkets (spits on the floor) has increased. And that is where breweries who have been able to provide small pack online ordering have done alright.

BUT the one thing that i think/hope will come out of this is that people will really appreciate local so much more and good quality local community providers of pubs, restaurants, breweries etc will thrive as people look to escape cities and move to the country and communities.

I think the pandemic is going to thin out such mediocre establishments in a more rapid manner than would naturally occur. Now is the time to step up your game to survive and come out of this on a positive.

Note : yes there are some of the big breweries really struggling and it wouldnt surpise me if we see a few big announcements in the coming months from the big cask producers

 

[chopps]

I think that bad/unprofitable pubs and breweries will close. I think there always be a place for a good establishment and there will always be a place for those that are innovative and produce/provide a quality service and product.

However i do acknowledge that home drinking, in all forms from supermarkets (spits on the floor) has increased. And that is where breweries who have been able to provide small pack online ordering have done alright.

BUT the one thing that i think/hope will come out of this is that people will really appreciate local so much more and good quality local community providers of pubs, restaurants, breweries etc will thrive as people look to escape cities and move to the country and communities.

I think the pandemic is going to thin out such mediocre establishments in a more rapid manner than would naturally occur. Now is the time to step up your game to survive and come out of this on a positive.

Note : yes there are some of the big breweries really struggling and it wouldnt surpise me if we see a few big announcements in the coming months from the big cask producers

Well said. Couldn’t agree more

 

[Leon103]

I think that bad/unprofitable pubs and breweries will close. I think there always be a place for a good establishment and there will always be a place for those that are innovative and produce/provide a quality service and product.

However i do acknowledge that home drinking, in all forms from supermarkets (spits on the floor) has increased. And that is where breweries who have been able to provide small pack online ordering have done alright.

BUT the one thing that i think/hope will come out of this is that people will really appreciate local so much more and good quality local community providers of pubs, restaurants, breweries etc will thrive as people look to escape cities and move to the country and communities.

I think the pandemic is going to thin out such mediocre establishments in a more rapid manner than would naturally occur. Now is the time to step up your game to survive and come out of this on a positive.

Note : yes there are some of the big breweries really struggling and it wouldnt surpise me if we see a few big announcements in the coming months from the big cask producers

Brains sold all their pubs last week to save the brewery.

 

[John Galt]

I was reading today in the paper that thousands of pubs, cafes, restaurants and independent retailers across the UK have closed for good.
Seems like a lot gave it a good bash during the summer to try and save things, but with constant opening one week, closed the next it got to much financially..

It’s pretty sad really as it was completely out of their hands. I run my own business and have turned over around quarter of what I did pre covid. Seen many similar companies fold now with all there kit at the auction houses and hundreds of laid off staff who have never signed on in their lives. I live in a good area of the city for top bars and restaurants and it’s horrendous seeing them boarded up. This place was buzzing every night if the week pre covid. Now it like a ghost town with only the supermarkets open.

 

[Gerryjo]

I was reading today in the paper that thousands of pubs, cafes, restaurants and independent retailers across the UK have closed for good.
Seems like a lot gave it a good bash during the summer to try and save things, but with constant opening one week, closed the next it got to much financially..

It’s pretty sad really as it was completely out of their hands. I run my own business and have turned over around quarter of what I did pre covid. Seen many similar companies fold now with all there kit at the auction houses and hundreds of laid off staff who have never signed on in their lives. I live in a good area of the city for top bars and restaurants and it’s horrendous seeing them boarded up. This place was buzzing every night if the week pre covid. Now it like a ghost town with only the supermarkets open.

It's a struggle but hope your business survives through it all.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Pubs were closing in vast numbers before covid I can see this being the final nail in the coffin for many more.

 

[John Galt]

It's a struggle but hope your business survives through it all.

Thanks Gerry, I should be able to ride it out in the hope that hospitality opens up somewhat for the summer. If there is no change in the summer then god knows.