Successful Pubs Cater For Their Entire Local Community

There comes a time when contributing to the good of the community has to be balanced by commercial reality.

Can the greatest pub in the area really afford to continue letting the Dog Owners Society (nothing against dog owners!) of the village have a section of the restaurant area dedicated to them on the first Monday in every month, when two bottles of sparkling water is about the most they order? It’s a dilemma facing so many 'community pubs'.

'The pub' offers a terrific venue for so many obscure groups but they seldom want to pay for the privilege, and often only visit the local for this once a month meeting. But upsetting them by saying "sorry I am afraid you will have to find somewhere else" then gives the pub a (wholly undeserved) reputation locally of being skinflints (at best). There is an old adage from the rugby world which says "Kick one and fifteen limp" how true of local communities.

Being 'all things to all people' is the challenge facing our great unsung heroes; the husband and wife team who run the 'community local'. So many differing customer types and tastes to cope with and cater for: the local vicar, the local stone-waller, the local millionaire, the local bankrupt, the local drunk, the local flirt, the local do-gooder, the local author, the local celebrity, the local idiot, the local genius who knows how to run the pub better than you (well that applies to most of the list), the local recently bereaved widow, the local just out from the Nick, the local about to go into the Nick, the local who wants exclusive service, the local loudmouth, the local fighter, the local lover, the local singer, the local one-pint-a-night-man who wants the log fire lit just for him, the local who gets upset if someone sits in his seat, the local who always wants credit, the local who wants the music turned down, the local who wants the music turned up, the local who doesn’t want any music, the local who wants a different menu, the local who (constantly) tells you the beer is cheaper in Tescos (and Wetherspoon’s), the local who wants you to stock some obscure brand of gin and then doesn’t order any leaving you with dead stock, the local who complains that the quiz questions are too hard, the local who complains that the quiz questions are too easy, the local who says the lights are too bright, the local who says the lights are too dim, the local who says its too hot, the local who says its too cold, the local who wants you to provide the Daily Mail, the local who wants the Telegraph/Times/Mirror/Sun/Observer, the local who wants to sit and use your free Wi-fi whilst taking two hours to drink a half of shandy et all … and dear reader if you really want to have more, I can quote another twenty or so types!!

No wonder licencees are exhausted at the end of each day! And yet the good ones (and my word you need to be good these days) rise above all of these foibles of their cherished and valued customers and provide a terrific community service, and what’s more: I’ll bet the Dog Owners Club are not confronted and remain using the pub! Just perhaps they could spend a bit more?

Support your Local!!! They deserve every bit of your custom and you only get what you deserve. Use it or lose it! Support your local Landlord and Landlady, cherish the good ones, they can be few and far between!!


Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Courses