dunroving

It might be cheaper and less bothersome to nonsmokers if a smoking room were provided for smokers to get their fix (with an extractor fan, of course!). That also would be a warmer and drier spot for the smokers than in a typical British evening outdoors.

Pistolpete2

Spot on!

Further to my comments (and ref cause #2) I believe that part of the pubco problem relates to the fact that many "improvements" which would need to be made, such as yours, seem to inure to the cost of the tenant who is already at financial breaking point, and not the pubco landlord.

TheArmChairDetective

Indeed, and the remainder are going to slowly loose more custom as they find ways to attract smokers that circumnavigates the ban were possible that the non smoker objects to.
Whilst I support someone's right to smoke, the world won't stop turning because the can;r smoke in or around the public entrances to drinking establishments.

Your understanding would be best tested if the law was changed to allow for smoking and non smoking establishments. Then everyone could vote with their feet for their preference.

Pit Bull.

It's against the law and rightly so, you see most smokers are low life, most don't care about others inhaling their cancerous fumes, what about glass collectors and cleaners who would have to go into this smoke filled festering pit, smokers should be taken out and shot.

Pistolpete2

The first entity to cotton on to the trend in demise of pubs due to the smoking ban was the Save Our Pubs Campaign. Pubs were closing aplenty before the ban but once it was introduced there was an exact correlation between the levels of closures post staggered introduction in each of England/Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Most heavily impacted are the city pure beer pubs where indications are that they lost almost 50% of their business.

The law might be changed indeed to cater for both smoking and non-smoking but from the viewpoint of the investor I see solid backing being there for smoking pubs but far less for non-smoking unless there is a solid business plan put forward offering food wine and beer. Ironically, the voting with the feet would likely, in my view, be on the supply side.

TheArmChairDetective

Obviously you see all investors as smokers.

Pistolpete2

Probably more like hypocrites. Absentee investors, these are.

chris955

The only pubs we see closing are the bad ones to be honest, the problem is incredible oversupply. There are just way too many pubs especially with drinking habits changing. There are a handful of closed down pubs around here but there are still so many I would be surprised if more dont close. There are 3 in our village and the same number in many of the other villages around. With some of the silly stories I was hearing I thought we would be travelling for an hour to find a pub. To be honest the only decent pub for us in Brisbane was almost an hour away. We werent regulars

Pit Bull.

The UK has the best pubs and beer in the world that's for sure and ..... It appears all the bad pubs with the bad and nasty men in them have closed and they have now stopped drinking in pubs altogether. WTF?

sallysimmons

I think the pubs closing is easy to understand once you're here.

All the reasons already cited have made it harder to run a pub. You can't just throw up a sign and serve beer and be guaranteed an income. Instead you have to have a real business plan and a reason for existing, and many of the old-style landlords just don't know how to do that. They carried on running slightly grubby establishments with bad decor and dodgy food (if at all) and they wondered where all the punters had gone.

Meantime, other pub owners have worked at creating a value proposition. They've changed with the times and as a result they're still full. For some it means becoming a sports pub with big screen TVs, for others it means hiring a good chef and serving "gastro" bar meals. It depends on the locale and demographics. But you can find a run-down empty pub on the same street as one that is buzzing.

Personally I don't think it's the end of pubs - it's just the end of crap pubs.

dunroving

Our local was pretty small and lacking in anything approaching charisma. It dragged along for years, purely because it was convenient. Then a young local guy with years of experience as a manager with a local chain of restaurants bid for the license (it's a Bellhaven pub). He put on a lick of fresh paint, invested in a few upgrades, and most importantly got some decent staff and a simple but varied menu cooked by a couple of good chefs. He also put on regular events like pub quizzes. Two years later, the place is doing an absolutely roaring trade.

As you say, you have to have a good business plan, you can't expect people to line up at the door just because it's there.

chris955

Exactly, most of the pubs that I was familiar with that have closed wont be missed by many, the good ones are still here.

brits1

Its the same in Perth...only you usually have to stand on the pub car park...no shade in the sun and no shelter in the rain, did not bother us at all as we do not smoke.....sorry to say this..but....its a nasty habit.

Pollyana

....you hear the loveliest words in the English language.....

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Heathrow"

14 hours and counting.......

brits1

We find that in nice areas/pubs you generally don't see that type of thing but we saw it in Perth as well not a much because Pubs are as rare as hens teeth lol, I hated walking in the CBD areas of Perth at lunch time etc as a lot of the office workers would be doing exactly the same. I th