Bar - Hospitality

Happy hour 'still important to pubs'

10-Apr-2014 By Phil Mellows

Happy hours continue to play an important role in driving trade in pubs and restaurants on weekdays, new research has suggested, with customers looking for deals on food and soft drinks as well as alcohol.

Co-op stores to be built at Marston's pubs

07-Apr-2014 By John Harrington

Co-op convenience stores are to be built on 54 Marston’s pub sites.

Spirit Leased sees four-fold rise in applicants

14-Mar-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

Spirit Pub Company’s leased division has claimed its “flexible and innovative” approach to leasehold agreements and its commitment to on-site training has resulted in a four-fold increase in licensee applications in the first three months of 2014.

Punch tenants angry over 'surprise' stock audits

30-Jan-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Punch Taverns tenants have expressed their anger after the pub company recruited a third party agency to carry out surprise stock audits in its pubs, as part of a fresh crackdown on licensees buying outside the tie.

Masterchef winner Anton Piotrowski opens second pub

22-Jan-2014

MasterChef: The Professional winner Anton Piotrowski is opening his second pub on 7 February.

BrewDog bar sales up 17%

21-Jan-2014 By John Harrington

BrewDog, the Scottish brewer and pub operator, grew like-for-like sales 17% at its established bars last year, co-founder James Watt has told the Publican's Morning Advertiser's sister title M&C Report.

Punch disposals to take longer than anticipated

07-Jan-2014 By John Harrington

Punch Taverns, the tenanted and leased pub company, expects its pub disposal process to take about two years longer than initially thought.

It's Better Down the Pub campaign plans 2m hit on mass tweet

04-Sep-2013 By Michelle Perrett

It’s Better Down The Pub (IBDP), the national campaign backed by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser that aims to promote British pubs, is launching its third stage of activity by sending out a mass tweet targeting more than two million people on Tuesday,...

Why a late-night levy is wrong for Newcastle

02-Sep-2013 By Tony Brookes

Tony Brookes, managing director of multiple operator The Head of Steam, takes aim at Newcastle council's decision to introduce a late-night levy on pubs and bars in the city.

Perceptions Group calls for East Midlands businesses to join careers programme

23-Jul-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

Perceptions, the nationwide pub and bar careers programme, targeted East Midlands last week, to encourage businesses with career opportunities in the area to join the voluntary group.

Sky Sports price freeze splits opinion

17-Jul-2013 By Gurjit Degun

The pub trade has broadly welcomed Sky’s price freeze announcement, but many are pointing out that the broadcaster will be showing fewer top-flight football games.

Licensee turns to Facebook to help capture pub conman

03-Jul-2013 By Gurjit Degun

A licensee who helped capture a man fleecing pubs out of hundreds of pounds has set up a Facebook page to raise awareness of the criminal.

Punch Taverns tenant fury after gas cut off

20-Jun-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

A furious Punch Taverns tenant is on the verge of “throwing his keys back” at the pubco after an unpaid gas bill left him without hot water and the use of his kitchen.

Newcastle council to discuss late-night levy plans

20-Jun-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Newcastle Council cabinet members are set to meet next week to discuss whether to introduce a late-night levy (LNL)for pubs in the city.

Let's promote the positives about pubs

30-May-2013 By Rob Willock

There have been a couple of really positive initiatives launched by the pub industry in recent weeks, and I am going to try to link them together under a general theme of ‘great stuff’, says Rob Willock.

Pubs dominate Footprint Awards

15-May-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Pubs have dominated the shortlist of a ‘people’s choice’ category in an awards scheme that encourages and recognises sustainability and responsible business throughout the supply chain.

Video: Consumer campaign celebrating Britain’s passion for pubs unveiled

15-May-2013 By Gurjit Degun

A national consumer campaign to celebrate Britain’s passion for pubs was unveiled to the trade at the British Institute of Innkeeping’s (BII) Annual Lunch in London on Tuesday.

Baffito's wins Sky Ultimate Venue competition

03-May-2013 By Helen Gilbert

A Warrington-based Italian sports bar has become the latest watering hole to be recognised by Sky in its ‘Ultimate Venue’ competition.

Robinsons to use mystery visit results to train and develop licensees

28-Mar-2013 By Jordan Chamberlain

Cheshire brewers Robinsons plan to use the results of its Perfect Pubs scheme to train and develop its licensees.

Pub operators invited to attend Perceptions Group event

20-Feb-2013 By Adam Pescod

Over 30 pub companies are set to attend the Perceptions Group Pub & Bar Careers Briefing which takes place on Tuesday 26 February.

Charles Wells to rollout new profit plan for tenants

08-Feb-2013 By John Harrington

Charles Wells, the brewer and pub operator, is to roll out a scheme whereby the company has access to tenants’ profit & loss accounts to help it identify more easily how to improve trade and margins.

Pub and bar operators report positive trading over Christmas

08-Jan-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Pub and bar operators have reported positive trading over the festive period, with London-based businesses quoting like-for-like increases of up to 13%.

JD Wetherspoon reports Olympics boost

08-Nov-2012 By M&C Report

JD Wetherspoon, the managed pub operator, has reported a 7.1% increase in like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to 28 October 2012 helped by a strong performance during the Olympics and Paralympic games.

Pubs welcome Ian Rush and Peter Reid for ‘Carlsberg Ultimate Legends Experience’

01-Nov-2012

Four pubs across the UK hosted ex-football stars Ian Rush and Peter Reid as they took part in the ‘Carlsberg Ultimate Legends Experience’ during England’s recent World Cup Qualifying matches.

The Big Interview: Ian Edward, leisure sector finance specialist

17-Sep-2012 By Phil Mellows

He may be a money man, but you can’t reduce the pub trade to numbers, as Ian Edward tells Phil Mellows

Punch plans to roll out Champs brand

04-Jul-2012 By M&C Report

Punch Taverns is to examine plans to rollout the Champs US sports bar brand after buying the intellectual rights to the concept that derives from the iconic Sheffield venue, M&C Report has learnt.

26 Things You Don't See in the Pub Anymore

03-Jul-2012 By Mike Berry

Following the Good Pub Guide's controversial claim that thousands of pubs are "stuck in the 1980s", the PMA reminisces about the things from that era - and even further back - that you don't see in pubs anymore.

McMullen's reports 24% profit rise

27-Jun-2012 By by John Harrington, M&C Report

Hertfordshire brewer and pub operator McMullen’s has reported a 24% rise in profits before tax and exceptional items to £7.3m in the year to 1 October 2011, but said the sector’s tax and regulatory burden is forcing it to reconsider its investment plans.

“Andrew the Barman” pub sold for £2m

15-Jun-2012

The Haverstock Arms in Belsize Park, north London has been sold for £2m on behalf of Andrew Carey, who is better known as ‘Andrew the Barman’, after appearing in Chris Evans's Channel 4 talk show TFI Friday from 1996-2000.

Spirit Pub Company in long-term Vianet agreement to roll out iDraught to leased pub estate

11-Jun-2012 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Spirit Pub Company has signed a new long-term agreement with Vianet (formerly Brulines Group) that will see the iDraught system rolled out to its entire c540-strong leased pub estate.

MP pushes for more pub friendly policies after working regular shifts at pubs

04-May-2012 By Adam Pescod

A Berkshire MP is leading a push for more “pub-friendly” Government policies by working a shift in one of his constituency’s pubs every six weeks.

Wet-led Amber Taverns named top performing pub company in Zolfo Cooper Profit Tracker

19-Apr-2012 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Amber Taverns, the operator of 76 pubs in northern England, has been identified as the UK’s privately-owned pub and bar operator with the fastest profit growth — proving that wet-led community pubs are far from dead.

Wet-led Amber Taverns shows value of doing simple things well

19-Apr-2012 By Rob Willock

Reports of the demise of the regional community pub have been greatly exaggerated, as I was explaining to DJ Paul Braithwaite on BBC Radio Cumbria’s Drivetime show just the other day (the PMA is big in the Lake District, don’t you know).

Six steps to becoming a multiple pub operator

15-Mar-2012 By Phil Mellows

So you think you’ll make a good multiple operator? As Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company narrows down the common factors behind what works in its estate, Phil Mellows asks questions about acquiring that difficult second pub

New £1m fund for alcohol partnerships

15-Feb-2012

Partnership schemes to tackle alcohol-related problems in local areas could receive a boost with news of a new £1m Government funding package.

Punch licensee launches marketing service

14-Dec-2011 By Adam Pescod

A Punch Taverns multiple operator has launched a bargain marketing scheme that is helping to fill other Punch pubs with customers.

Pub Mentors: Turning the Lyde tide

02-Dec-2011

Ali Carter had lots of ideas when she last met up with Ben Scott, manager of the Great Lyde, in Yeovil, Somerset, to assess his pub operation and advise him on improving profitability. She is pleasantly surprised by what she finds on a return visit.

75 MPs signed up to behind the bar campaign

18-Nov-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The number of MPs getting behind the bar in support of the pub trade has reached 75 — 40 who have already pulled pints and a further 35 who have pledged to do a shift.

Multi-sites prove pubs are alive and kicking

10-Nov-2011 By The PMA Team

This magazine has been charting the rise of the multi-site operators for a while now, through our MA250 programme, adding around 50 companies a year to the membership.

Pub chain boss Townsend does the rounds

08-Nov-2011 By Adam Pescod

A pub in Hayes, Middlesex, was at the centre of the British Pub Week celebrations as Enterprise chief operating officer Simon Townsend and BII chief executive Neil Robertson popped in to do a shift behind the bar.

Dukedom goes into administration

31-Oct-2011

Dukedom, the Redcar-based pub and bar operator, has been placed into administration.

Pub mentors: A Lyde and kicking

24-Oct-2011 By Ali Carter

Trade consultant Ali Carter gives Ben Scott, manager of the Great Lyde in Yeovil, Somerset, the benefit of her industry expertise.

British Pub Week: Get Involved

20-Oct-2011 By Adam Pescod

Licensees have been given an added incentive to participate in British Pub Week, which will take place from 28 October to 6 November.

Steamin’ Billy buys up the Dog & Gun

21-Sep-2011

Steamin’ Billy Brewing Company, the Leicester-based brewer and pub operator, has acquired the freehold of the Dog & Gun in Syston, Leicestershire, from Punch Taverns, taking its estate to six sites.

Riots: Publicans on the front line

09-Aug-2011 By MA reporter

With the country still recovering from the latest round of riots, stories from publicans about their experiences of the disturbances are pouring in.

Off the beaten track

09-Aug-2011 By Jessica Harvey

Pasha Honar, lessee at Brighton's Caxton Arms, talks jazz nights, great food and how to make the most of the pub's central but tucked-away location...