why are there no J D Wetherspoon pubs in ROI?

drumswan

keithclancy wrote: »

Grabbing a coffee on the way to the airport.

Starfúcks was completely rammed.

Sure you were

keithclancy

drumswan wrote: »

Sure you were

Well driving to work from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf might have been a problem later that day.

Fratton Fred

keithclancy wrote: »

Grabbing a coffee on the way to the airport.

Starfúcks was completely rammed.

Aah, the old "just grabbing a coffee" excuse eh.

Karl Stein

New pub coming to Ireland. Currently at #545 posts discussing it.

keithclancy

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Aah, the old "just grabbing a coffee" excuse eh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvFPwiNn_y0

Bag of Oranges.

dizzywizlw

anncoates wrote: »

Get over yourself. There's plenty of "plastic" indigenous pubs here already.

So I cannot lament that one of the biggest chains of these in the UK is entering the market :rolleyes:

Cienciano wrote: »

The worst part is that Mr. Wetherspoon himself comes over with a gun and forces you to go in. Not just to drink, but to eat the food.

How people have a problem with getting a cheaper alternative is beyond me. And we have some nice pubs in ireland, but we have more than our fair share of shítholes. I think people forget about the shítholes.

God forbid I didn't have a choice, or is your magic fantasy world preclude situations where people can have to go somewhere they don't like to be nice/friendly.


Most Pubs are crap, weatherspoons is Crap Incorporated. And it really isn't cheap for the standard.

Cienciano

dizzywizlw wrote: »

So I cannot lament that one of the biggest chains of these in the UK is entering the market :rolleyes:

Course you can, and we in turn can "lament" the points you make. Thats how discussion boards work

dizzywizlw wrote: »

God forbid I didn't have a choice, or is your magic fantasy world preclude situations where people can have to go somewhere they don't like to be nice/friendly.


Most Pubs are crap, weatherspoons is Crap Incorporated. And it really isn't cheap for the standard.

That's the point I was making. If you think it's not cheap or don't like them for whatever reason, don't go. But the VFI IVA monopoly need a shakeup and competion, so surely JDW is a good thing?

WilyCoyote

Charlie Rock wrote: »

New pubs coming to Ireland. Currently at #545 posts discussing them

Thank you Charles! fyp

meemeemee

Can't see how JD Wetherspoons would work in Ireland.

Their business model is based on being "cheap"; shifting phenomenally large volumes of pile it high, sell it cheap product.

The chain is known for being cheap. As it is cheap, their pubs are often dirty and poorly maintained. Admittedly, when they do take over a new property like an old cinema or car showroom, they do a damn good job of fitting it out, it is just that that is it, they never get refurbished. The clientele go with that, as they are there for the cheap drink.

They seem to do exclusive deals with all sorts of drink and food manufacturers which sees the brand being promoted through their huge chain and vast amounts of product being sold. After a while, that product disappears and a new one replaces it.

Much of their food seems to be microwaved or pre-cooked, and just requires heating.

Given that their USP is "cheap", I don't see how having 1 pub in Ireland would work. They could not bulk buy their drink like they do in the UK. And the cost of getting their ready made food products from the UK would be huge.

Can't work out what their USP would be, other than the loyal custom of British tourists who "know what they like, and like what they know", who would probably gravitate there for the familiarity aspects.

Fratton Fred

meemeemee wrote: »

Can't see how JD Wetherspoons would work in Ireland.

Their business model is based on being "cheap"; shifting phenomenally large volumes of pile it high, sell it cheap product.

The chain is known for being cheap. As it is cheap, their pubs are often dirty and poorly maintained. Admittedly, when they do take over a new property like an old cinema or car showroom, they do a damn good job of fitting it out, it is just that that is it, they never get refurbished. The clientele go with that, as they are there for the cheap drink.

They seem to do exclusive deals with all sorts of drink and food manufacturers which sees the brand being promoted through their huge chain and vast amounts of product being sold. After a while, that product disappears and a new one replaces it.

Much of their food seems to be microwaved or pre-cooked, and just requires heating.

Given that their USP is "cheap", I don't see how having 1 pub in Ireland would work. They could not bulk buy their drink like they do in the UK. And the cost of getting their ready made food products from the UK would be huge.

Can't work out what their USP would be, other than the loyal custom of British tourists who "know what they like, and like what they know", who would probably gravitate there for the familiarity aspects.

Most of the cheap frozen food could well be made in Ireland. The largest frozen ready meal factory in Europe is in monaghan.

meemeemee

Good point.

Well, some "nearly out of date beer" and we are there !

anncoates

meemeemee wrote: »

The chain is known for being cheap. As it is cheap, their pubs are often dirty and poorly maintained. Admittedly, when they do take over a new property like an old cinema or car showroom, they do a damn good job of fitting it out, it is just that that is it, they never get refurbished. The clientele go with that, as they are there for the chea]

Because you'd never see a rundown snelly pub in Ireland whose menu consists of cheese toasties and Pringles unless those pernicious Brits arrive.

meemeemee

Sure there are plenty of rundown smelly pubs in Ireland.

Just saying, JD Spoons is less of a pub and more of a McDonalds. Its a corporate entity, a chain, a brand, heavily into marketing and promoting the fact that any Spoons you go into offers you the same menu, the same experience, the same warm familiarity. You know what you are getting whether you might be at Lands End or John O Groats.

Anyone could set up a rundown smelly pub.

Its just that they have a strategy which works very well in the UK, based on economies of scale, by being so large and so eponymous, and the logistics of buying and replenishing that chain, which allows them to be cheap, but I don't know how it would translate to opening 1 lonely pub in Ireland.

For their business model to work in a new country, they would probably be needing a chain with a presence in every major town and city.

Fratton Fred

meemeemee wrote: »

Sure there are plenty of rundown smelly pubs in Ireland.

Just saying, JD Spoons is less of a pub and more of a McDonalds. Its a corporate entity, a chain, a brand, heavily into marketing and promoting the fact that any Spoons you go into offers you the same menu, the same experience, the same warm familiarity. You know what you are getting whether you might be at Lands End or John O Groats.

Anyone could set up a rundown smelly pub.

Its just that they have a strategy which works very well in the UK, based on economies of scale, by being so large and so eponymous, and the logistics of buying and replenishing that chain, which allows them to be cheap, but I don't know how it would translate to opening 1 lonely pub in Ireland.

For their business model to work in a new country, they would probably be needing a chain with a presence in every major town and city.

They're opening two, with plans for thirty, plus they already have pubs in the north.

And there's nothing wrong or nearly out of date about their beer. A lot of their pubs have the CAMRA cask marque.

The three nearest to where I used to live were anything but rundown. One of them was a bit like a school dinner hall, but the other two were lovely old pubs.

Madam

Just love Wetherspoons, good food,and great offers, especially at the end of the month when money is a bit tight! Can't see why others wouldn't like it too, for all you naysayers the food is excellent too and not the third rate fare your being asked to believe;) http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/food/quality

Personal favourite is Curry night with a free drink:)

Oh and no sh*te music blaring in your shell likes.

Capt'n Midnight

Sir Humphrey Appleby wrote: »

Well rent is higher here that is a fact, as are many other operating costs for business including insurance, and of course our vat rate is higher. Furthermore the biggest determining factor in alcohol prices here is government taxes and excise duties.

Would you care to comment on the fact that excise duty on beer hasn't increased since 1994 ??

It's the same VAT and excise on cans of supermarket beer , you can pick up 6 or 7 litres of the stuff for a tenner.

The reason pubs charge so much is because of the two publicans associations which they claim aren't cartels.

http://alcoholireland.ie/uncategorized/decision-not-to-increase-excise-on-alcohol-a-%E2%80%98lost-opportunity%E2%80%99/

Most of the costs for pubs are overheads.

awec

Madam wrote: »

Just love Wetherspoons, good food,and great offers, especially at the end of the month when money is a bit tight! Can't see why others wouldn't like it too, for all you naysayers the food is excellent too and not the third rate fare your being asked to believe;) http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/food/quality

Personal favourite is Curry night with a free drink:)

Oh and no sh*te music blaring in your shell likes.

I have eaten in Wetherspoons many times having been a student in a city with a Wetherspoons bar, the food is decent, to describe it as "excellent" is certainly overly flattering unless your expectations are are very low.

It is one step above McDonalds / Burger King etc.

Madam

awec wrote: »

I have eaten in Wetherspoons many times having been a student in a city with a Wetherspoons bar, the food is decent, to describe it as "excellent" is certainly overly flattering unless your expectations are are very low.

It is one step above McDonalds / Burger King etc.

Ok I may have gone over the top with the word excellent but I still say the food is fine and great for a long night out when you need your carbs to keep you on an even keel. You say you ate in Wetherspoons as a student - you do know they've moved on since those days and most(not all I'll admit)have come along way in the last few years. All in all you get what you pay for, if you want gastro food go to a so called up market gastro pub but if you just want something with a nice drink(half the price of other places), I can't see why you wouldn't be delighted with what you get at Wetherspoons. Now if you want a complete down market pub with crap food in the UK - go to a John Barras bar(they seem to be taking over the good pubs in the suburbs at the moment)!

Geuze

Sir Humphrey Appleby wrote: »

Well rent is higher here that is a fact, as are many other operating costs for business including insurance, and of course our vat rate is higher. Furthermore the biggest determining factor in alcohol prices here is government taxes and excise duties.

UK beer duty, from Mar 2013

£19.12 per hectolitre per % alc, see here:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2013/tiin-4005.pdf

That's 10.86 pence per pint per % alc, so it's 46.7 pence per pint of 4.3% beer.


RoI beer duty

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/excise/duties/excise-duty-rates.html

19.13 euro per HL per %, so 46.7 cent per pint


UK = 46.7 pence sterling, or about 56 cent per pint
Irl = 46.7 cent

Excise duty is lower in RoI.

This goes against people's pre-conceived idea that all taxes are higher in RoI.

Geuze

meemeemee wrote: »

Given that their USP is "cheap", I don't see how having 1 pub in Ireland would work. They could not bulk buy their drink like they do in the UK. And the cost of getting their ready made food products from the UK would be huge.

If the trucks are travelling from breweries/warehouses in Britain to 9 pubs in NI, it's not too much extra for them to travel on to Dublin, or somehow serve Dublin.

Geuze

meemeemee wrote: »

Can't see how JD Wetherspoons would work in Ireland.


Given that their USP is "cheap", I don't see how having 1 pub in Ireland would work. They could not bulk buy their drink like they do in the UK. And the cost of getting their ready made food products from the UK would be huge.

That's why they are planning to open a few per year, and build up the scale.

Beefy78

Madam wrote: »

Ok I may have gone over the top with the word excellent but I still say the food is fine and great for a long night out when you need your carbs to keep you on an even keel. You say you ate in Wetherspoons as a student - you do know they've moved on since those days and most(not all I'll admit)have come along way in the last few years. All in all you get what you pay for, if you want gastro food go to a so called up market gastro pub but if you just want something with a nice drink(half the price of other places), I can't see why you wouldn't be delighted with what you get at Wetherspoons. Now if you want a complete down market pub with crap food in the UK - go to a John Barras bar(they seem to be taking over the good pubs in the suburbs at the moment)!

I had one of the worst meals of my life in a Wetherspoons in Bournemouth. Myself and a group of lads all ordered burgers after several pints. They took an hour to turn up and when they arrived they looked like they'd been taken straight out of the bin.

That's an exception to the rule though. Their food is typically decent enough - especially for the price and the breakfasts are genuinely very good.

You wouldn't take someone for dinner there for a first date though.

anncoates

How "excellent" does pub food really have to be? I'm - and no doubt others - more interested in the quality and price of the drinks in a pub and as long as the food is OK, I'm satisfied.

If I want outstanding food, I'll go somewhere where the quality of food is foregrounded: that is, a restaurant or so called Gastro pub.

Again, I'm surprised that mediocre food is an issue given that many of the traditional Irish pubs - that people are wringing their hands about in comparison to the "Brit invasion" - serve no food or just bar snacks and sandwiches.

kelledy

the wetherspoons near me here in uk is £2 for a gordons gin and shweppes tonic. for them prices i cudnt care less what its like especially as a few warm up drinks before the club etc. Dublin needs these places to drive down price and increase compitition. wen i come home for a night in temple bar some places charge just under €7 for a pint.

Shiraz 4.99

I've been in a few in the UK & you could get a burger meal & a pint for £5.
I'll be interested in seeing what they price their pints at, imagine a city centre bar with €3 pints
I suppose when FF get back in :mad: they'll find some way of shafting them for their vintner friends.

I'm actually surprised the vintners haven't been more vocal about this potential threat.

SteM

keithclancy wrote: »

The Maccy Dees of the Pub Trade.

keithclancy wrote: »

Grabbing a coffee on the way to the airport.

Starfúcks was completely rammed.

Starbucks is just the Maccy Dees of the coffee trade but you're happy to get your coffee there?

Each to their own.

meemeemee

In rural Ireland in a pretty average hotel I paid about 6 to 7 Euros a pint.

Yet in central London, you can go to a pub and get a pint UNDER 2 Pounds. The tourism business in Ireland has some questions to answer.

Wetherspoons have a copyist chain called The Goose. It is downmarket to Wetherspoons. You can get a pint of Bitter for around £1.29 and a house lager such as McEwans, for around £1.39 to £1.59.

My jaw dropped on my first visit to the one around the corner from London's Olympic Stadium, where they were selling BECKS at £1.79. Even something like Stella Artois was about £2.19, which is certainly not reassuringly expensive.

SteM

anncoates wrote: »

How "excellent" does pub food really have to be? I'm - and no doubt others - more interested in the quality and price of the drinks in a pub and as long as the food is OK, I'm satisfied.

If I want outstanding food, I'll go somewhere where the quality of food is foregrounded: that is, a restaurant or so called Gastro pub.

Again, I'm surprised that mediocre food is an issue given that many of the traditional Irish pubs - that people are wringing their hands about in comparison to the "Brit invasion" - serve no food or just bar snacks and sandwiches.

Exactly. When the smoking ban came in here and tons of pubs decided to start selling pub grub they missed the point of it. It's not supposed to be 5* stuff. Pubs in England were doing cheap pub grub for years as a way of keeping the punters happy.

Over here our publicans decided that they weren't happy with fleecing us with the cost of drink, they would fleece us with the cost of a burger too. The mentality was 'if they'll pay through the nose for a pint and pay through the nose for a packet of peanuts we'll get them to pay through the nose for a bite to eat too.'

We had my wife's family over from England a few months ago. We went out for pub food a few times and they couldn't believe the price of what they were being served and the quality of the food was not high.

Hopefully Wetherspoons coming in will force the rest of the market to take a look at it's level of service and cost.

tossy

I wrote this on another thread in another section,but i think i captured the Wetherspoons vibe nicely ..

Drinking in Wetherspoons is like ... if you got a big bingo hall and then decorated it like a pub,then piped in deadness for some atmosphere and got everyone in there to imagine they were in an elevator that was going up 456 floors to purgatory and topped all that off with the excitement your Granny feels when you tell her you just cleared Gran turismo...

anncoates

meemeemee wrote: »

Yet in central London, you can go to a pub and get a pint UNDER 2 Pounds. The tourism business in Ireland has some questions to answer.

Last time I was in London, I could drink a pint of my favourite cask ale in the West End (not in a chain pub) for less than a pint of Budweiser costs in my Dublin suburban local.

It's utterly shameful that people on here are trying to defend the price monopolies here because of some misguided sense of patriotism.