why are there no J D Wetherspoon pubs in ROI?

awec

They have no real effect on the price elsewhere either. They aren't going to "shake up" the market.

Pub owners know that nobody really wants to spend an entire night in Wetherspoons. They know people will hang around for one or two and then head elsewhere.

What this might see is people who currently now go to an off license and then drink at home going to drink in Wetherspoons instead. If anything that will get more people out of the house - as once these people have 2 or 3 drinks they'll head to another pub anyway.

Links234

I think people worried about 'riff raff' that Weatherspoons might attract don't realise how offputting the likes of proper ales can be to some folks in Ireland. In my local pub, they've not a single thing from Diageo, and the amount of times you'd see someone come in ask for Bud or Carlsberg and they'd get told we don't serve that here, they'd get all confused and maybe ask for a Guinness or Bulmers only to shuffle off when told they don't serve those either.

uch

drumswan wrote: »

Of course it matters, people are looking for a decent product at a reasonable price, I wouldn't drink in o'Reillys if they halved their prices again Because they don't sell what I want

And it's a shítehole

Whisko

Seaneh wrote: »

Yup.


Where 'spoons is very cheap is when you are eating and getting a drink with it, especially on their "club nights".

You can't just take the price of Guiness and judge on that alone though. They always have a house ale at around the £2 mark, and in their festival most ales fall below £2.

Spirits are £2, with a double for an extra £1.50, and mixers are free.

The place is ridiculously cheap for drinking, not just for eating (The food is crap)

You can get 5 pints of ale for £10.

rubadub

Geuze wrote: »

Nobody ever said that they are "obscenely cheap".

Guinness in Enniskillen is 2.65stg, that's about 3.30.

Guinness in Belfast is 2.99stg, that's about 3.75.

Both good value, but not "obscenely cheap".

I have heard it said, well phrases along those lines. Now I am not saying they ARE obscenely cheap, but there definitely is this idea/notion about them attracting pissheads looking for cheap drink. As they are a chain its easier to single them out, like how mcdonalds get singled out when you have sandwich bars & chippers selling arguably worse food healthwise.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1238759/Fears-January-sale-Wetherspoon-pubs-lead-binge-drinking.html

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has sparked fears it is encouraging binge drinking by selling beer at just 99p a pint.
It is re-running its controversial ‘January sale’ campaign from last year – but this time it is extending the 99p deal to include glasses of wine and shots of gin.
Charities have condemned pubs which slash drink prices as ‘irresponsible’, saying it simply encourages people to drink more. Drink is already 60 per cent lower than it was in real terms in 1980.

awec

awec wrote: »

Pub owners know that nobody really wants to spend an entire night in Wetherspoons. They know people will hang around for one or two and then head elsewhere.

Because all Wetherspoons are the same?
Or because they'll be basing it on a different business model used in the UK?

awec

Deleted User wrote: »

Because all Wetherspoons are the same?
Or because they'll be basing it on a different business model used in the UK?

They are all very similar.

In at the start of the night for a few then head on elsewhere. Or go for a bite to eat before heading out.

If there are Wetherspoons that you'd happily spend a night in then these are certainly the exception rather than the norm.

ScumLord

Links234 wrote: »

I think people worried about 'riff raff' that Weatherspoons might attract don't realise how offputting the likes of proper ales can be to some folks in Ireland.

They'll corner the market on ales and probably pull in a fancy crowd because of them, it would be great to order a glass of ESB and have people know the craic, in England they just think I'm a grinning idiot. If they start bringing over UK ales at a similar price I'd drink there all night over going to a typical Irish pub.

I hope they can do something about the Irish craft market. It's always disappointing when you go to an off license and would like to try the Irish stuff but it tends to be the most expensive stuff on the shelves despite them being upstarts in comparison to the more established English ale companies.

A beer made 50 miles down the road shouldn't be more expensive than beer being imported from other countries.

Dravokivich

Geuze wrote: »

Nobody ever said that they are "obscenely cheap".

Guinness in Enniskillen is 2.65stg, that's about 3.30.

Guinness in Belfast is 2.99stg, that's about 3.75.

Both good value, but not "obscenely cheap".

"Obsenely cheap" was a remark in reference to the sentiment of those who were against them. I'm for them.

Dravokivich

drumswan wrote: »

Of course it matters, people are looking for a decent product at a reasonable price, I wouldn't drink in o'Reillys if they halved their prices again Because they don't sell what I want

Those who argued against 'spoons did so based on perception of pricing in general of their products. Not the products supplied themselves. This was what my comment was on.

awec

awec wrote: »

They are all very similar.

In at the start of the night for a few then head on elsewhere. Or go for a bite to eat before heading out.

If there are Wetherspoons that you'd happily spend a night in then these are certainly the exception rather than the norm.

Even though they're obviously going after a different kind of market here compared to their UK operations?

awec

Deleted User wrote: »

Even though they're obviously going after a different kind of market here compared to their UK operations?

How?

Hootanany

awec wrote: »

They have no real effect on the price elsewhere either. They aren't going to "shake up" the market.

Pub owners know that nobody really wants to spend an entire night in Wetherspoons. They know people will hang around for one or two and then head elsewhere.

What this might see is people who currently now go to an off license and then drink at home going to drink in Wetherspoons instead. If anything that will get more people out of the house - as once these people have 2 or 3 drinks they'll head to another pub anyway.

Dont thonk so

The_Captain

I, for one, welcome our new cheap beer overlords

losthorizon

MadsL wrote: »

Someone needs to sort out the utter pish that passes for beer in Ireland.

Ireland has been left way, way behind, when the best beer in the world is being brewed by Americans.

You should try Belgium Beer. Go on a busmans holiday to Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and japan funnily enough. For research of course.

What I love about theses places is that the beers in one place of the country are totally different to another place.

roboshatner

I did not know they had actually opened in Ireland until last night I thought they were still dragging there heels.

The main reason most Irish people love whether spoons is for the food and beer deal..

and to be honest there is no beer and food deal in Ireland

so why come to Ireland if you don't want to give us the same offer...

they just want to screw us like we are already being screwed.

shruikan2553

Bah, no rekorderlig. Oh well. They arent in Galway anyway.

awec

awec wrote: »

How?

Really now?

Amirani

losthorizon wrote: »

You should try Belgium Beer. Go on a busmans holiday to Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and japan funnily enough. For research of course.

What I love about theses places is that the beers in one place of the country are totally different to another place.

I presume MadsL has experienced a lot of Belgian beer, he's quite knowledgeable on the subject.

The US and Belgium really are head and shoulders above most other places in the world at the moment for the quality of beers they produce. The US offers much more diversity, but IMO at the top end, Belgium is still the best - that may have something to do with my fondness for the heavy trippel and quadrupels though.

JONJO THE MISER

The_Captain wrote: »

I, for one, welcome our new cheap beer overlords

cheap beer my ass, i saw the menu there, every price for a drink is a lot cheaper
in the country outside the pale, ye guys must of been taken for a ride if you think 3.95 is a good price for beamish or murphys, god help ye.

mariaalice

I am not much of a drinker, I like some of the weathespoons in the uk but it depends on where they are located for example the one in Chester is much nicer that some of them in Manchester.

I think they have pitched the one in Blackrock wrong ( going by the menu ) its just a smigen too expensive( while still being cheap by Dublin standards ) they need a less expensive wine and they need to do food deals like they do in the uk.

It is hard to get right you don't want to attract piss heads looking for cheap alcohol, nor young students with no money who cant handle alcohol.

The problem with this discussion and many like it, is what people what is the atmosphere and clientele of pub like say Toners or McDaids with cheap alcohol thats just not going to happen there are cheap pubs in Dublin but the type of clientele they attract puts people off.

Here is a radical idea what about going to the pub and haveing 2 or 3 or 4 pints, then going home... not going out to get hammered, do you think that might catch on.

ThisRegard

mariaalice wrote: »

Here is a radical idea what about going to the pub and haveing 2 or 3 or 4 pints, then going home... not going out to get hammered, do you think that might catch on.

It's not radical, it's what many of us do every week.

The attraction for many of Wetherspoons is not the cheap drink, it's the variety and quality of it. And when you go out for a few beers/ales whatever like that, you go out to enjoy them, not knock them back in order to get pissed, or because they taste like piss.

mariaalice

I was being slightly tongue in cheek about the binge drinking culture. My other point is that if you go our to enjoy yourself, not to get hammered and have 2, 3 or 4 pints then the cost is not really an issue for most people.

jackofalltrades

mariaalice wrote: »

The problem with this discussion and many like it, is what people what is the atmosphere and clientele of pub like say Toners or McDaids with cheap alcohol thats just not going to happen there are cheap pubs in Dublin but the type of clientele they attract puts people off.

It can happen if you don't offer, or offer very little of the standard Diaego/Heineken fare.

I find the worse the clientele, the less likely they are to try new beers.
They'll go to another pub before they'll try step out of their Bud/Guinness comfort zone.

I remember about a year ago JW Sweetmans were still doing pints of their own craft beer for €4.
This is in a city centre pub and it's always had a good crowd.

Davarus Walrus

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

cheap beer my ass, i saw the menu there, every price for a drink is a lot cheaper
in the country outside the pale, ye guys must of been taken for a ride if you think 3.95 is a good price for beamish or murphys, god help ye.

H'up ya boya.

The thing about drinking in many rural pubs is that they make you lose the will to live. I'd rather pay a euro extra for a pint in Dublin than be sitting at a bar with some red-faced bog goblins talking about silage, funeral homes and the price of drink in Dublin.

Beefy78

Seaneh wrote: »

Yup.

Where 'spoons is very cheap is when you are eating and getting a drink with it, especially on their "club nights".

Exactly. Microwaved or not, the curry club is fantastic value.

Plus they do loads of deals on their standard menu. I was back for the first weekend of the World Cup and we were getting three bottles for £5 deals. Plus, as others have said, the real savings with alcohol are spirits. I assume they eventually will do 'double-up' offers so a double G&T or rum and coke will work out half the price of most places in central Dublin.

The food is what it is. The trick after a while is to identify the foods which aren't pre-cooked. The steaks are very edible for the price and the breakfasts, in my honest opinion, are great.

Lockstep

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

cheap beer my ass, i saw the menu there, every price for a drink is a lot cheaper
in the country outside the pale, ye guys must of been taken for a ride if you think 3.95 is a good price for beamish or murphys, god help ye.

I agree but it is in Dublin. Wetherspoons in London is expensive as well.

I'd be interested in seeing the prices for a WS in Galway, Limerick or Cork.

Lockstep

Geuze wrote: »

Nobody ever said that they are "obscenely cheap".

Guinness in Enniskillen is 2.65stg, that's about 3.30.

Guinness in Belfast is 2.99stg, that's about 3.75.

Both good value, but not "obscenely cheap".

WS isn't great value for Guinness, where it does well is on world beers and ales.
In the UK, you can get 2 Brew Dog bottles for £5 (€6). Cask ales usually go for around £2-2.50 (€2.50-3)
Ditto for Carlsberg.

I'm fairly impressed that you can get a bottle of Brooklyn for €3.50 in Dublin. Given that pubs outside Dublin are usually cheaper, I'd say if it expands the prices will drop, seeing as WS change their prices depending on the city (Nottingham's WS is very cheap, London's is expensive)

old hippy

awec wrote: »

How?

I'd imagine situating the pub where Tonic/White Swan/Potter's Bar was in the heart of Blackrock...

partyguinness

awec wrote: »

They have no real effect on the price elsewhere either. They aren't going to "shake up" the market.

Pub owners know that nobody really wants to spend an entire night in Wetherspoons. They know people will hang around for one or two and then head elsewhere.

What this might see is people who currently now go to an off license and then drink at home going to drink in Wetherspoons instead. If anything that will get more people out of the house - as once these people have 2 or 3 drinks they'll head to another pub anyway.

That's a fair observation. I have been living in UK for 7 years and Wetherspoons is not the type of place you settle down for the night. It's fine for 1-2 drinks after work, head home and then back in some other place.

Defo would not stay in 'Spoons especially in the cities as you know that come 7pm and the bouncers go on the doors, it will be jammed backed with kids enjoying cheap beers/cocktails etc.

God help you if there is some sporting event on the 300000 flat screen tvs on the walls or some bum lobbing his dole cheque into the slot machines.

The fantasy of shooting the breeze over some refined European ales is hilarious.