Fester's Favourite Pubs Thread

[TheMedz]

My wife and I have just had a superb pub meal in the Links. Never been disappointed with the quality of the food and the JWL Bitter.  I'm now getting to the stage where we just go straight there rather than thinking of somewhere else to try.

[Fester]

They do a superb 'Home Made' Chicken Curry in The Links.

I like to pop in on a lunchtime,  throw a few darts and have a bowl of that most excellent curry.

Not been for a few months now, I must get back into the habit...

[Trojan]

 

All we need now is a recommendation from Bri and perhaps DaveR will venture inside.

[Blongb]

We got a letter out of the blue today from Punch, offering us the lease on the Gresham in Upper Mostyn Street. Does anyone know of anyone looking for what they say is a "Fantastic Business Opportunity”. Knowing its trading history we decided after careful consideration to give it a miss

[Fester]

It is in an excellent location,  and would be a goldmine......... if only Punch would offer a 80% discount in rent, lasting for 15 years.

[DaveR]

Apparently, Punch Taverns spent £180,000 on its last refurbishment.

"The style of the Gresham is up market designed to be a smart boutique/brassiere concept, with a large ground floor bar serving great coffee, cocktails, quality wine and champagne.

The character of the venue lends itself perfectly to evolving as a great steak bar concept – currently lacking in the area. The true entrepreneur we are looking for will see and tap into this opportunity.

The first floor offers a small bar ideal for private functions and speciality nights.

A terraced area to the front with an electrical roll out canopy creates a comfortable smoking solution. This area is also a smart alfresco dinning area in the summer enjoying sun facia all day.

Quite simply The Gresham is one of the best opportunities in the North Wales area currently."

Turnover is currently (well, before it closed):
Drink - £210k per year
Food - £104k " "
Other - £11k " "

Rent varies between £29k and £44k, depending on which deal you select to purchase drinks.

Anyone interested will need to stump up £31,679 to Punch for a 5 year Lease. Yearly profit is estimated to be £36k.

[Blongb]

You forgot to factor in the Rates Dave. No matter how good an Entrepreneur you are without owning the freehold you will never be able to make it pay. You'll just end up on the road to ruin and you can “Quote” me on that when it happens!  Z**

[DaveR]

It's an odd way to 'own' your own business. As far as I can see, you spend £31k for the right to work your fingers to the bone and maybe make a profit. I'll stick to the stock market!

[Pendragon]

The Gresham is a nice pub but unfortunately not a profitable one. My mate had it 4 years ago. There has been 2 more tennants since my mate left and both times they have not been able to cover even the utilties bills and lost all their lease money. The only people making money out of the Gresham are the pub co behind it. If you fold, which is enevitable in the current finantial climate Punch get to keep your cash and you wil be left with all outstanding court costs, which I might add can be in excess of £25,000. They push for bankrupsy. Its a joke. The rent is astronomical, it was £1,2000 a week before the refurb 4 years ago.  Becky the BRM is a ruthless piece of work and you will, I bet my life on it lose your £31,000.The accounts stated wil be well out of date (a practice carried out by Punch on a regular basis and one which they have actually not long ago been charged for). Its mainly weekend trade too. Most pubs up that end have or will be applying for extended hours so you will be charged up to another £100 a week by the council and the police for the late night levy soon to be introduced. Not forgeting that government agencies want this price inflated and so within 12 months it could cost you even more.

Call me bitter and twisted but it's Punch Taverns-enough said!!! Don't do it.

[Merddin Emrys]

It's an odd way to 'own' your own business. As far as I can see, you spend £31k for the right to work your fingers to the bone and maybe make a profit. I'll stick to the stock market!

me too     I can't imagine anything worse than having to pay up front before you work for them     and then they will boot you out with nowt, horrendous!

[Nemesis]

Tell me about it Pendragon. Our daughter is a publican, she has had dealings with Punch too.

[born2run]

Got me thinking, with the closure of "Jimmy's Irish bar" going back to the un-themed Alex. Llandudno no longer has any Irish themed bars. Surely a potential money make here? A big site like the old Burger King and Woolys would be a perfect spot for an O'Neill's (and a nice bit of healthy competition for the stagnant Cheaperspoons)

Also heard the Alex will be "ahem" getting taking over yet again pretty soon, thanks to some pertinacious CCTV spotting from the boys in blue.

Thoughts? Z**

[Paddy]

I think either of those sites would be too big and expensive to run. Rents and rates on Mostyn St. are astronomical!

Also, and this is the view from the taxi, I believe people's habits have changed over the last decade.  I find that people are going out much later these days, often as late as 11pm or midnight. They seem to prefer to have a drink at home first which is perfectly understandable given the prices of drinks in pubs.

You can pay £5 for a vodka in town or you can buy a bottle for £8.50 in Asda and have some friends round to share it! I know what I usually choose to do.

Whilst I'm generally against the Government's "minimum pricing" policy I do believe that closing the gap between the pubs and supermarkets could certainly help to get people into the bars (and taxis)!

[born2run]

I think either of those sites would be too big and expensive to run. Rents and rates on Mostyn St. are astronomical!

Also, and this is the view from the taxi, I believe people's habits have changed over the last decade.  I find that people are going out much later these days, often as late as 11pm or midnight. They seem to prefer to have a drink at home first which is perfectly understandable given the prices of drinks in pubs.

You can pay £5 for a vodka in town or you can buy a bottle for £8.50 in Asda and have some friends round to share it! I know what I usually choose to do.

Whilst I'm generally against the Government's "minimum pricing" policy I do believe that closing the gap between the pubs and supermarkets could certainly help to get people into the bars (and taxis)!

I understand what you're saying, but there is much more to people staying at home than simply pricing.
I've recently moved back here from living in Liverpool and let me tell you that the pubs are busy up there any day of the week!
Because they are fun and have some genuine atmostphere - most Pubs in town these days are tourist bars by numbers, and are pretty boring. How many pubs in town have a jukebox these days? Not many, and for the ones that do they have it so quiet you'd have to have ears like Gary Lineker to get your moneys worth!! How many pubs have dart boards? Again not many, and most of the ones that do have it blocked by a bloody dinner table, so that they can cram even more tourists in and charge them more overpriced crap food.

I know if I stay at home with a few mates, I can put on some 'decent' music, have a few games of darts and a laugh. That's not something I can do in a pub these days!

Then though you get the old chicken before the egg scenario, because I probably met most of my friends through the years in pubs. If nobody's going out anymore nobody is socialising and that's got to be a bad thing!!

[DaveR]

Then though you get the old chicken before the egg scenario, because I probably met most of my friends through the years in pubs. If nobody's going out anymore nobody is socialising and that's got to be a bad thing!!

That's it. You meet the most interesting people when you're out, that you would never normally meet!