Meal-for-£1 host vows to quit trade

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31/01/2012

12:02:58

A Staffordshire licensee who had been attempting to keep his pub afloat by selling meals for one pound has had to call time on the business amid falling profits and upwardly spiralling costs.

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7 replies - Last reply by Gilbert Bank, 06/02/2012 15:45:58

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Crazy Beer Tie

31/01/2012

12:04:41

Meal-for-£1 host vows to quit trade

Is he just giving the keys back? or could he perhaps attempt to sell it for a few pounds at least for his fittings and fixtures, goodwill etc?

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Gilbert Bank

31/01/2012

12:31:51

RE: Meal-for-£1 host vows to quit trade

A thankless task in a business run by heartless people. I visited this pub when the £1 deal started. This guy and his family were working very hard. When he's gone the people who do very little work will still be there looking for fresh necks and new blood.

Keeping a pub afloat, especially one that is not yours is a waste of your industry and your skill. Take that somewhere else where it will be appreciated and rewarded. I don't miss it at all and my unscientific evaluation of the trade is its turning into the C of E. People visit less and less and soon they won't visit at all as they don't see its relevance. The people running companies like Marstons et al have committed the the first crime of business: taken too much money out. The goose is dead.

Best wishes to you and enjoy quality time with your family.

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Crazy Beer Tie

31/01/2012

12:49:48

RE: Meal-for-£1 host vows to quit trade

Clearly the Lessee has tried to keep the business going, and he can go with his head held high!!

One observation, how come the pubco didn't support him in selling pints £1 then instead selling food for £1?

Selling £1 pints would have brought in a good crowd, perhaps allowing the lessee to charge full price for his food, leading to more profits perhaps?

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WhiskeyGalore

31/01/2012

14:03:00

RE: Meal-for-£1 host vows to quit trade

The gentleman has my sympathy and best wishes for a life beyond the pub. He gave with hard work and funds from his paltry profit to support the £1 meal. It's a shame his greedy landlord couldn't have done the same with the beer and his equally greedy customers couldn't have revisited for a full price meal. Having taken part in the Tastecard scheme it never ceased to surprise me how many people thought it acceptable to have a pub lunch for £2.50, ie half price, and ask for tap water to go with it. This country sickens me further with each passing day.

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Ken Nason

01/02/2012

09:32:18

RE: Meal-for-£1 host vows to quit trade

Unfortunately the problem is of course that even though he was not doing the meals at a loss the numbers of people he attracted was not producing sufficient returns to cover his overheads. With such a low return he would have had to attract many more punters. Being in a rural situation those types of numbers are not around unless you attract coach loads of pensioners every day. Unfortunately, from experience, when you put on cheap meal deals the type of customer you attract is not a discerning diner who is prepared to pay for quality and service and return but a person who only stays for the cheapness.

Quality, service and value for money are the only business builders for food, especially in rural areas. Unfortunately these take time to acquire.

Possibly not enough thought into the type of strategy for the pub. Just because Weatherspoons do it in city centers with beer doesn’t mean it works in every pub everywhere. Each pub and its position is unique as should it’s marketing strategy.

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David King

02/02/2012

15:45:53

RE: Meal-for-£1 host vows to quit trade

Though a rural part of the A5, this pub is also right opposite a large pub selling meals - an Ember Inn, if I remember correctly.

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Gilbert Bank

06/02/2012

15:45:58

RE: Meal-for-£1 host vows to quit trade

I can almost fully agree with you Ken! My recent experience of the value end of the dining market is that paying less means that you are expected to provide even more for less and less and less. The complaints are many and trite from these customers who play a game of eat and cheat. They will do anything for a refund and do not appear to understand the nuance of paying for childrens meals.

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