Anyone ever run a pub?

[Redder Lurtz]

Further to the corporate bellendary thread, I've just about had a gutful of office based corporate wank and the loathesome twats who inhabit such places. Mrs Lurtz and I are seriously considering going after a pub. There are various considerations such as not wanting a city centre outlet, we want to offer good food and quality guest ales. Thinking of talking to Marstons about their 'retail' option which leaves you a lot of options to run your pub how you like, within reason.

 

Anyone here got experience of running a pub?

[Anny Road]

Dont bother mate. The rents are extortionate you are tied to suppliers and you end up cleaning bogs full of piss and mess for little more than minimum wage.

Only way to be successful is buy one and do good food. No money in pints.

[Captain Turdseye]

Imagine Lurtz running a pub.

 

He'd make that fella from The Dispensary seem laid back.

[Rico1304]

I think the biggest question for any landlord nowadays is how do you stop people cheating in the quiz. Fucking smartphones.

[Mook]

I'd love to run a pub too, one of my best mates runs my local though & he's been trying to get out for ages.

 

A couple of points I would make in terms of what I've seen are that good music is a great thing in a pub (at appropriate times) & if you want to show sport, you'll be paying through the fucking teeth for it, he had to cancel Sky because the prices were putting him out of business & when he got the dodgy Greek telly in, the heavies turned up & put the cosh on it so now there's no sport on in my local (other than terrestrial stuff).

 

Oh & hot barmaids, I know people who come into the pub because they know their favourite barmaid is working that night.

 

Fucking perverts.

[setreal]

It is a lot of hard work. Only thing worse in that area is running a bakery.

[Anny Road]

I've got mates that do it my sister did it and I looked at it myself. Only way it would work i figured was a husband and wife team if one of you was a chef.  60/70 hour weeks no day off. Fun would soon wear off.

[Mook]

It is a lot of hard work. Only thing worse in that area is running a bakery.

 

Must be a nightmare when you're short of bread.

 

Having said that, if you use your loaf, it'll be a piece of cake.

[setreal]

Imagine Lurtz running a pub.

 

He'd make that fella from The Dispensary seem laid back.

 

Haha. Redder Swearengen.

[setreal]

Must be a nightmare when you're short of bread.

 

Oh hey!

 

A bloke I know running a bakery/shop had his first heart attack at 40.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Call it "Free the Paedos".

[Anny Road]

In terms of being sick off bellendery at work that is easier to ignore than the same moaning alchys coming through you door every morning at 11am. Pricks spewing and fighting at weekends and general daily drunkenness. Try going out with your mates and staying sober will give you an idea of what you will face daily.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

In terms of being sick off bellendery at work that is easier ti ignore than the same moaning alchys coming through you door every morning at 11am. Pricks spewing and fighting at weekends and general daily drunkenness. Try going out with your mates and staying sober will give you an idea of what you will face daily.

 

The few times I've been out sober (working late and playing catch up) I have realised that I would happily murder 90% of drunks. The remaining 10% have killer jebs, coincidentally.

[Redder Lurtz]

I've lost count of the number of people who've told me "oooh it'll be hard work". That doesn't bother me in the slightest if I'm doing something I enjoy. I know it's a lifestyle choice, not a job in the traditional sense of the word and that's part of the attraction for me. I spent 2 years working as an assistant manager in a big student pub and I loved it. Worked my arse off but I was fitter than I've ever been and thoroughly enjoyed the busy nights behind the bar.

 

I've got a mate who ran my local and has since moved on to run a bigger pub in another town. He's been in the game for about 4 years now and loves it. 

 

In terms of fights and nobheads I'd hope to minimise all that by taking on a pub out of town somewhere. Food is an absolute must as that's where your margin is, and the deal I'm looking at with Marstons is minimal outlay (about 5k) and includes accommodation, all bills and freedom to control your own costs and outlays for things like staffing, prices, menus, live entertainment etc. I know plenty of people who have failed in the industry but I don't see that as a reason not to give it a go.

[Anny Road]

Good luck mate it's defo doable esp if there isn't a Tesco or an Asda on your doorstep. Coffee is another big earner mate. Huge margin and good if you have a quieter area where mums can meet up during the day. They spend tons.

Knowing the shit side before you start is the best way of making it. My sister thought it would be like having pals round every night and standing around yapping while her hubby was unblocking shitty bogs.

[Rico1304]

I've lost count of the number of people who've told me "oooh it'll be hard work". That doesn't bother me in the slightest if I'm doing something I enjoy. I know it's a lifestyle choice, not a job in the traditional sense of the word and that's part of the attraction for me. I spent 2 years working as an assistant manager in a big student pub and I loved it. Worked my arse off but I was fitter than I've ever been and thoroughly enjoyed the busy nights behind the bar.

 

I've got a mate who ran my local and has since moved on to run a bigger pub in another town. He's been in the game for about 4 years now and loves it. 

 

In terms of fights and nobheads I'd hope to minimise all that by taking on a pub out of town somewhere. Food is an absolute must as that's where your margin is, and the deal I'm looking at with Marstons is minimal outlay (about 5k) and includes accommodation, all bills and freedom to control your own costs and outlays for things like staffing, prices, menus, live entertainment etc. I know plenty of people who have failed in the industry but I don't see that as a reason not to give it a go.

I know a girl who did it, got a great 2 year deal, then when she had the pub going really well they upped the rent, beer and cut all subsidies. Read the small print.

[mattyq]

I've had 3 mates do it

2 of them failed and 1 succeeded really well.

Of the 2 that failed one of them ran a fantastic pub but started to drink the profits and ended up drinking 20 pints of Fosters a day sadly

The one that did well ran a Free House and made most of his money on beer. Him and his Missus ran a really tight ship with no riffraff, cracking beer & atmosphere and a great beer garden . He retired on the proceeds but has recently got back into the trade as he was bored

[Redder Lurtz]

I take my hat off to anyone who can drink 20 pints of fosters. I'd struggle to stomach one.

 

Coffee is a good shout Anny.

 

In terms of competitors I think the major thing to avoid would be having a Wetherspoons nearby. No fucker can compete with their buying power.

 

And as for bog cleaning, it's hardly a favourite pastime but I did it occasionally as an assistant manager and I can handle it, though there was an occasion I nearly spewed whilst having to break up a turd the size of Popeye's forearm with a stick as it had blocked the toilet.

 

I cook pretty well so Mrs Lurtz and I have already discussed sharing our kitchen and cleaning duties. Happily I'll spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen.

[Guest Super Sub]

I take my hat off to anyone who can drink 20 pints of fosters. I'd struggle to stomach one.

 

Coffee is a good shout Anny.

 

In terms of competitors I think the major thing to avoid would be having a Wetherspoons nearby. No fucker can compete with their buying power.

 

And as for bog cleaning, it's hardly a favourite pastime but I did it occasionally as an assistant manager and I can handle it, though there was an occasion I nearly spewed whilst having to break up a turd the size of Popeye's forearm with a stick as it had blocked the toilet.

 

I cook pretty well so Mrs Lurtz and I have already discussed sharing our kitchen and cleaning duties. Happily I'll spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen.

Get a pub and use it for selling coke. Launder the money through the pub as non existent alcohol sales. You will make a fortune.

[Razoray]

I take my hat off to anyone who can drink 20 pints of fosters. I'd struggle to stomach one.

 

Coffee is a good shout Anny.

 

In terms of competitors I think the major thing to avoid would be having a Wetherspoons nearby. No fucker can compete with their buying power.

 

And as for bog cleaning, it's hardly a favourite pastime but I did it occasionally as an assistant manager and I can handle it, though there was an occasion I nearly spewed whilst having to break up a turd the size of Popeye's forearm with a stick as it had blocked the toilet.

 

I cook pretty well so Mrs Lurtz and I have already discussed sharing our kitchen and cleaning duties. Happily I'll spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen.

Spend a few bob on a good cooking course. It will give you good basics and tips like storage and recycling of food

[Rico1304]

Spend a few bob on a good cooking course. It will give you good basics and tips like storage and recycling of food

Fuck that, Si will do the food!

[setreal]

The one thing you owe to the GF though, is to get Si on board for this. Please?

 

 

Oh for fucks sake rico.

[Bjornebye]

My dad's done it for years. Ive seen the good and bad sides of it. The worst being that it eventually split my mum and dad up when I was a kid. The best was when he gave me a free bag of quavers and a stretton leisure token for the pool. Best. Day. Ever

[Redder Lurtz]

Spend a few bob on a good cooking course. It will give you good basics and tips like storage and recycling of food

 

It's a legal requirement to hold a basic food hygiene certificate I think. It's a one-day course and it'll give me all the storage info, which chopping boards tpo use for which food types etc.

 

In my role as assistant manager, we had a complete tool used to come in and throw his weight about like a massive gobshite. The lad who was working in the kitchen one particular day took the nobhead's order for a spicy chicken burger. He cooked it, let it cool and wiped it all over the crack of his arse before reheating it and placing it neatly in the bread bun. We could barely conceal our mirth as we watched him from a distance as he munched on his arsewiped spicy chicken burger. Good times.

[Strontium]

Dont bother mate. The rents are extortionate you are tied to suppliers and you end up cleaning bogs full of piss and mess for little more than minimum wage.

Only way to be successful is buy one and do good food. No money in pints.

 

At the risk of being accused of electioneering again, I must point out that that is no longer the case, a change in the law having been pushed through by the Lib Dems last year.