| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... 10:16 - Jan 17 with 1913 views | FrimleyBlue |
May be a localised thing. But have you seen an increase in how understaffed pubs and restaurants seem to be getting.
Took a work client out the other day. 10 tables with people having food
1 member of staff serving all. 1 helping behind the bar and 1 cook.
This was at 1pm..
Went to the same place last month and was the same so clearly a regular thing and not a one off
Then went yesterday to another place and a very similar low number of staff v number of people attending.
How have people found things where they are? |  |
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| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 16:25 - Jan 18 with 213 views | noggin |
| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 16:08 - Jan 18 by Pinewoodblue |
The younger generation are leaning more towards sobriety than their parents, |
It's all energy drinks and snus over here.
What I find really sad is the death of underground music and the club scene. Smart phones have put a stop to youth sub cultures. I'm so glad I lived my best years before social media. |  |
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| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 18:07 - Jan 18 with 136 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 16:16 - Jan 18 by catch74 |
Yes, as others have said it’s a bloodbath out here at the moment. Glasgowblue has added a lot of what I was going to say, probably far more eloquently but here goes my twopenneth. (Apologies if I repeat what others have said
The combination of Brexit and Covid and the energy cost spike, associated with Russia invasion of Ukraine have not helped pubs, supplier costs up massively, a change quicker change in consumer habits - to supermarkets/ entertain at home/ stay at home. Pubs left with bounce back loans that had to be taken out as grants certainly didn’t cover costs. Supermarkets at the same time handed their grants back they were taking so much money.
Budgets - I had a rant about the last Conservative one (cheered in at the budget for the penny off the pint headline, hiding the biggest duty rise for pubs in 50 years.
Labour then came in with the increase in minimum wage and PAYE - we’ve cut stuff significantly but our wage cost has gone up and our monthly PAYE bill has increased by £7k per year. This has definitely hit smaller business and especially hospitality, our staff bill is always about 1/3 of sales - I think a supermarket usually about 15% - they can also just bung in a few extra self service tills - see also Wetherspoons and the already mentioned App - we just can’t and wouldn’t do that.
Then April’s budget added huge increases to business rates - 400% increase to a lot of pubs. Some have quoted £70k extra per year - that’s just the killer blow. Everything has already been stripped back to the bare bones, prices have been put up as high as they can go.
The costs of budgets have hit our suppliers too. I’ve just had April’s price rises in 5-7p per pint increase per pint - that’s going to mean 20p price increase plus whatever we need to add on to cover our extra costs.
This is not just killing off dingy sh!thole pubs with dirty bee lines, crap service, 5 customers this is killing top quality busy venues with incredible operators at the top of their game.
We’re lucky, our pub is busier, we’re in an affluent location and people seem to be able to absorb price rises but we’ve definitely looked at other options as it’s been 5 years of continuous cost rises and support being pulled.
There’s still a massive appetite for good pubs, I think good food is also very helpful but we need a government to finally treat the industry with the respect it deserves. Across most of Europe VAT in hospitality is about 10% below standard VAT, as it’s understood that’s a fair percentage - TaX the supermarkets, they can afford it.
So if you’ve got the is far Frimmers, staff cuts and earning well below the minimum wage as a pub owner is how a lot of places are affording what’s happened. I personally have could not vote for Labour as things stand. You can’t lie and say you’ll increase taxes on those who can afford and protect those who work hard. You won’t find many harder workers than a pub landlord. |
VAT is a killer. 90% of stock we buy is doesn't have VAT but as soon as we cook it and serve it we have to charge VAT. So there is virtually nothing we can claim back. Just the VAT on our rent, service charge and energy bills. |  |
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| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 19:17 - Jan 18 with 104 views | catch74 |
| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 18:07 - Jan 18 by GlasgowBlue |
VAT is a killer. 90% of stock we buy is doesn't have VAT but as soon as we cook it and serve it we have to charge VAT. So there is virtually nothing we can claim back. Just the VAT on our rent, service charge and energy bills. |
Yes and I think the benefits from business surviving will outweigh the loss from a reduction. |  |
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| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 20:14 - Jan 18 with 84 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 19:17 - Jan 18 by catch74 |
Yes and I think the benefits from business surviving will outweigh the loss from a reduction. |
Indeed. There is no reason they can't take it back to the 5% they implemented during Covid. That would save a lot of businesses who would employ more people paying NI and Income Tax. | |
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| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 23:41 - Jan 18 with 33 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
| Random question for a Saturday morning but pubs... on 18:07 - Jan 18 by GlasgowBlue |
VAT is a killer. 90% of stock we buy is doesn't have VAT but as soon as we cook it and serve it we have to charge VAT. So there is virtually nothing we can claim back. Just the VAT on our rent, service charge and energy bills. |
A really simple fix would be to remove VAT for hospitality.
An even more radical one would be to remove alcohol duty for alcohol served and drunk on licensed premises, or provide a credit against employer NI for the equivalent, or a percentage of alcohol duty paid.
The hospitality industry is often a key community asset, is the bedrock of tourism and provides entry level jobs and training for young people.
There are sound economic, social and cultural reasons for serious Government intervention to support it. |  | | |
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