Amid a challenging time for the hospitality industry, The Morning Advertiser (MA) heard from multiple operators to hear their thoughts on how pubs serve as pillars of their communities.
Shepherd & Flock in Shepherd’s Bush, London, general manager, John Hurley explained he felt pubs served as hubs for people to gather, connect and “switch off from the holidays, work or to catch up with friends”.
Hurley added he thought pubs were highly important for social interaction and, in light of recent budget announcements, people should endeavour to visit them more.
“They are a great place for people to meet and talk. Especially the elderly.
Fostering connection
“We have a younger crowd visit now of an evening as well and older people come in too, we really have a mix. At a time like this after the budget, it’s really good to see”, the general manager said.
Sharing a similar view, East Putney Tavern operations manager Sam Watson said: “ I’ve been part of this pub for seven years now and we take a keen role in the community, but it’s more in terms of service.
“How you get involved with the people around that makes the difference. Simple things like delivering great customer service and making people feel really wanted and valued by celebrating birthdays. We could all use that right now and it’s really important.”
He continued: “The events we put on work really well for us, especially the live music Fridays. Honestly though it’s all about how you treat the customers that want to sit inside your business.
“That is probably more important than events in uniting people.”
Watson also addressed the effect of the recent spring budget announcements on business: “My advice to all operators would be to be open, be malleable. We have to change the way we look at things every day. It’s a tough time but openness is really important in our world right now.”
Watson added he felt it was a blessing the Tavern was an independent venue, as this gave the team the freedom to cater to people on an individual basis and tailor their approach around customer needs.
A spokesperson at Hop Pole in Putney road Bridge, also shared his thoughts on pubs as community hubs, stating: “We try and foster a sense of community here by gathering local football teams together, we have two football teams including a Gaelic football team and we find this really helps to band people together.
Part of something
“The teams come here before and after practice and it’s great; it brings people together and is definitely the biggest thing we do community wise.”
The spokesperson explained interest in the site has grown due to the specific sporting matches the pub showcases, emphasising the power of offering sports to bring people together made them feel a “part of something.”
This was, the spokesperson added significantly important within the current hospitality environment: “After Covid, everyone thought pubs were dead on their feet, but they just kept coming back and that’s really great to see.
“Pubs are centres of the community and especially with the fact that so many have closed down in this area alone, the ones that have survived are very important to the people.”
Sharing advice for operators working in the current climate, they urged venues to be as accessible as possible: “If you’re paying business rates and you’re paying rent, you’ve got to be open. Obviously some places have big staff costs.
“I run this place and I’m very hands on, I do a lot of the graveyard shifts myself. I know of a lot of places that don’t open until 4:00pm.”
The spokesperson also discussed the crucial role of the younger generation is keeping pubs alive: “It’s very important for us to have a good young crowd in a pub.
“They really are vital for us and for our industry right now.”
