Wetherspoons

cfeeneyinterior

spurshero wrote: »

My point was the person that is not bothered about having to pay 10 euro plus for a g and t etc in quay street is not going to be attracted to eglington street for a 2.50 pint . Price obviously doesn’t bother them . Reality is the price of a pint bothers some not others . I’m not saying anything about issues with trouble etc

The difference will be that the unbothered person wlll then have a choice to go to somewhere else for much more reasonable drinks and they might bother then. If they make it a nice spot people will go. The tourist spots in the Latin quarter will be fine

Czhornet

Mrs OBumble

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Fewer security issues? Please elaborate? I’m sensing a racist undertone, hopefully I’m wrong

Race has nothing to do with it.

Mr OBumble has encountered Weatherspoons in their native environment where it was possible to buy all sorts from the punters.

Maybe we'll get a classy one without the petty crooks who are barred from various LQ pubs.
Maybe we won't.

ted1

finbarrk wrote: »

I was in the Silver Penny in Dublin last week. Beer was good value, €2.95 for a pint of John Smiths. I think Carlsberg was €3.30. The food service is quick also, pizza was fine.

Frozen food is generally quick

Robbo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Race has nothing to do with it.

Mr OBumble has encountered Weatherspoons in their native environment where it was possible to buy all sorts from the punters.

Maybe we'll get a classy one without the petty crooks who are barred from various LQ pubs.
Maybe we won't.

I remember being in one particular Wetherspoons and dodgy sort tried to sell me all kinds of shonky merchandise. He sidles up to me in his pinstripe suit and bowler hat and started offering me a quarter mill of the finest German Bunds. No interest. He then told me for the right price, he'd make me a name at Lloyd's...

branie2

I've been in three of them, and I think they are quite nice. The food there is good.

Snow Garden

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Mr OBumble has encountered Weatherspoons in their native environment where it was possible to buy all sorts from the punters.

Maybe we'll get a classy one without the petty crooks who are barred from various LQ pubs.
Maybe we won't.

Do these punters go in with a spoon?

Utter Consternation

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Thanks for latest example of prices in Dublin. You would find it difficult to get a Pint of Carlsberg in a Dublin City bar for anywhere near €3.30 I suspect. Only place I can think of that is said to be cheap would probably be Dicey's Garden in Russell Court Hotel on Harcourt Street in Dublin although; maybe things have changed since last year? I certainly would NOT fork out for a pint in the Temple Bar area given the prices charged especially at certain times of the day!

Pint of any type of beer in Dublin CC is going to cost you over the fiver mark. Good value, i don't know about the clientele on Abbey Street. I work near there and the area is a pure sh1t tip.

biko

Keep it local

Boards beers there once it is open.
There would be at least one topic for discussion.

I imagine this will be successful - convenient for students during the week , younger workers at the weekend and tourists in the summer, people looking for a quick lunch all year.

Not particularly being any of the above I doubt I will be target.

Going by the descriptions above there is a risk it could feel empty at quiet times given the size.

pjohnson

Hope this clientel wont harm Blakes. I love it there.

AwaitYourReply

Utter Consternation wrote: »

Pint of any type of beer in Dublin CC is going to cost you over the fiver mark. Good value, i don't know about the clientele on Abbey Street. I work near there and the area is a pure sh1t tip.

Ah, I am aware that a pint of beer is typically Over the €5.00EUR benchmark in Dublin City and probably substantially above it in a tourist hip trendy zone like Temple Bar. And if you wanna enjoy a pint later in the evening, expect to pay even more again just for the privilege! Some people will complain but still fork out whereas; I just refuse to pay over the odds.

So; it seems that if one really wants to obtain good value in the price of a pint of beer in a Dublin city pub, you need to be prepared to sacrifice something. Given the money that Wetherspoons have invested serious funds in providing modern facilities not to mention the fine restoration carried out on their new premises (The Silver Penny) on Lower Abbey Street, I for one would definitely give it support next time I am on a visit to Dublin and I would also do likewise if I am in Galway City following the opening of the premises they have recently acquired on Eglinton Street. I welcome any establishment be it Wetherspoons or any other pub interest that offers better value prices in a pleasant comfortable setting. It would be great if there were Irish owned pub chains offering similar or better value to Wetherspoons as I would support them if they were charging much lower prices.

AwaitYourReply

Deleted User wrote: »

Boards beers there once it is open.
There would be at least one topic for discussion.

I imagine this will be successful - convenient for students during the week , younger workers at the weekend and tourists in the summer, people looking for a quick lunch all year.

Not particularly being any of the above I doubt I will be target.

Going by the descriptions above there is a risk it could feel empty at quiet times given the size.

Empty like The Skeff can be at certain times.

The King's Head is also much quieter in recent years compared to it's Celtic Tiger days. Last few times I checked it out, the Ruby Room was unlocked but in total darkness with the chairs turned upside down on tables even on a Saturday night which should be a busy night of the week. Some of the factors are probably due to issues like: the prices are too high for a good session in pubs, a missing generation emigrated, others drinking in the city are buying cheap alcohol in off-licences/supermarkets and going to house parties or consuming alcohol on the banks of the River Corrib which is fine in Summer weather.

With a certain student pub closed recently in Woodquay, I can see Wetherspoons doing some serious trade in Galway City Centre. We don't have a warm dry sunny climate so if the price is more affordable, some of those outdoor drinkers may be tempted to venture indoors especially on those wet windy evenings. Of course there will always be those who'll still prefer the freedom of drinking alcohol outside.

AwaitYourReply

pjohnson wrote: »

Hope this clientel wont harm Blakes. I love it there.

Blake's should be able to adapt if they have a sound business model and reasonable overheads. It might actually compliment them by showcasing the contrast in where they are in the local marketplace as an upmarket public house serving fine food & drink. That said, they may decide to tweak certain aspects of their offering if they find some of their regulars straying following Wetherspoons opening.

gordongekko

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Empty like The Skeff can be at certain times.

The King's Head is also much quieter in recent years compared to it's Celtic Tiger days. Last few times I checked it out, the Ruby Room was unlocked but in total darkness with the chairs turned upside down on tables even on a Saturday night which should be a busy night of the week. Some of the factors are probably due to issues like: the prices are too high for a good session in pubs, a missing generation emigrated, others drinking in the city are buying cheap alcohol in off-licences/supermarkets and going to house parties or consuming alcohol on the banks of the River Corrib which is fine in Summer weather.

With a certain student pub closed recently in Woodquay, I can see Wetherspoons doing some serious trade in Galway City Centre. We don't have a warm dry sunny climate so if the price is more affordable, some of those outdoor drinkers may be tempted to venture indoors especially on those wet windy evenings. Of course there will always be those who'll still prefer the freedom of drinking alcohol outside.

Shocking beer and poor service is the main reason i stopped going into the kings head

AwaitYourReply

gordongekko wrote: »

Shocking beer and poor service is the main reason i stopped going into the kings head

I first set foot in The King's Head in October '96 and would have found it constantly evolving and getting busier but a few years after the crash I noticed it had lost it's mojo and was actually retreating. King's Head used have some connection with CUBA's nightclub as the music artists playing King's Head used promote to late night patron's to head on to CUBA's (CUBA's later became The Bentley>now McGettigan's) I think King's Head wasted money over the years such as upstairs when they moved the Bar and Toilets - the previous toilets were perfectly fine and the renovated version is not best-suited to a venue trading off it's historic/traditional roots. The music acts became tired and repetitive playing same repertoire year in, year out. They got greedy and blew it - I've not seen it recover since the Celtic Tigers years and while most pubs have suffered, I think King's Head should have been able to match The Quay's & The Front Door/Sonny's if it was on top of it's game. Both these venues seem to be doing much better.

Meanwhile The Skeff has barely changed in over 20yrs as well whereas; The Quays Bar still seems to attract a lot of trade and they have only made minor adjustments to the bar layout since '96 from what I can see.

If the price is pitched high in any bar, the quality of the product and service must be top class in every aspect from the moment you arrive at the entrance until you leave.

Friendly & attentive staff definitely adds to a more positive experience whether it's a trendy new bar or old rustic traditional pub in my experience.

biko

This thread is about W'spoons only, it's not an opportunity to poop on other places.

/cranky moderator

AwaitYourReply

I can't wait to see Wetherspoons new premises in Galway following the complete refit. It will bring more life to this side of Eglinton Street during the day/early evening once opened.

ongarboy

Wetherspoon's drink choice and prices are good. Their food is very mediocre the few times I've had meals in the Dublin pubs over the last few years but it will attract people for the food because they feel they are getting value for money (especially with the cheap soft drink/alcoholic drink add on).

ongarboy

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I can't wait to see Wetherspoons new premises in Galway following the complete refit. It will bring more life to this side of Eglinton Street during the day/early evening once opened.

That's a very good point. A night club is only open for 4 hours a couple of nights a week and is dead street frontage for the remainder of the week. This will bring life to the street from 8am to midnight or so 7 days a week.

biko

I go to Wetherspoons in Derry all the time and find the food fine, it's not pretentious, there's lots of it, and it's cheap.

ben.schlomo

biko wrote: »

I go to Wetherspoons in Derry all the time and find the food fine, it's not pretentious, there's lots of it, and it's cheap.

Cheap and lots of it, hallmarks of quality alright.

theteal

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Cheap and lots of it, hallmarks of quality alright.

When you're looking cure a hunger on the cheap, it's a decent option. I'd not be bringing the missus on a night out or anything but that's not what they're trying to sell.

AwaitYourReply

ongarboy wrote: »

Wetherspoon's drink choice and prices are good. Their food is very mediocre the few times I've had meals in the Dublin pubs over the last few years but it will attract people for the food because they feel they are getting value for money (especially with the cheap soft drink/alcoholic drink add on).

Yeah to be fair, the food at Wetherspoons is not exactly 5-Star gourmet quality although; they never claimed so either. It's easily on a par (if not better) than Burgerking, Abrakebabra etc; It's a basic food offering at a reasonable price in a comfortable setting where alcohol is also on sale but you can buy Tea or Coffee and they offer FREE Tea/Coffee Refills. It just brings something different to the table in terms of meal deals and cheaper alcohol prices in a bar. If you do not opt for a meal you are still able to avail of Wetherspoon's more competitive drink prices in a city centre venue in a safe comfortable setting. It's a no-brainer for someone who enjoys socialising but may have little income after paying their bills, rent/mortgage etc.

AwaitYourReply

biko wrote: »

I go to Wetherspoons in Derry all the time and find the food fine, it's not pretentious, there's lots of it, and it's cheap.

Exactly, the grub is alright and fills a gap nothing more. The meal menu has a reasonable selection of options too which is convenient while ticking budget/economy box. When you look at how expensive food can cost from pizza outlets, cinemas this is not bad value.

AwaitYourReply

ongarboy wrote: »

That's a very good point. A night club is only open for 4 hours a couple of nights a week and is dead street frontage for the remainder of the week. This will bring life to the street from 8am to midnight or so 7 days a week.

Yeah, I always felt that a large section of that street was asleep most of the day which cannot have been attractive for neighbouring retail outlets. This could benefit other venues on the street based on increased footfall alone once Wetherspoons opens from early morning to late evening. I think it could be a win, win for all concerned.

Robbo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Cheap and lots of it, hallmarks of quality alright.

We *are* the land of the wretched pub carvery in fairness.

AwaitYourReply

Robbo wrote: »

We *are* the land of the wretched pub carvery in fairness.

10 out of 10 - Indeed we are - Pub carvery meals can be of high quality in many places but yes the reason most pubs stay in business tends to rely on it's food offering especially to boost daytime trade.

Other factors that have probably led to a decline in alcohol sales in Pubs may be down to:
Gulf between price of Alcohol on sale in Bars/Pubs V's Off-Licences, Supermarkets, Garage forecourt shops etc;
Smoking Ban in the Workplace which included Public Houses some of which may not have adequate smoking areas for all weather use causing some punters to change habit.
Stricter drink driving legislation and random breath testing was introduced including next morning spot-checks.

Wetherspoons know exactly what they are doing and have probably been anxious to gain a foothold in Galway for quite a while I suspect. I hope it leads to further competition in the sector as it has become quite expensive to go out in Ireland leading to the on-trade being less busy at times that would have been a lot busier some years ago. Given that we are almost at full employment, there is clearly something wrong in the pubs sector if many are still struggling.

gordongekko

Robbo wrote: »

We *are* the land of the wretched pub carvery in fairness.

Where in the town does a carvery anymore

Mrs OBumble

gordongekko wrote: »

Where in the town does a carvery anymore

Imperial.

JCX BXC

I find it difficult enough to find a good, cheap carvery in Galway, it's either overpriced or non-existant.

gordongekko

One spot hardly make us the land of the carvery!!

AwaitYourReply

gordongekko wrote: »

One spot hardly make us the land of the carvery!!

Wetherspoons, once it opens in Galway is unlikely to serve a carvery
Following venues are options that come to mind last time I was in Galway City:
The Skeff Bar in Eyre Square until 3:00pm
The Imperial Hotel until 4:00pm
The Quays Bar until 5:00pm
GBC used do a daily "Lunch Special" similar to carvery
Finnegan's also do reasonably priced grub all day

You'd miss Lynch's next to and above Zhivago's music store

I’ve only been there a handful of times but the one in Cork is actually a nice enough pub and the food is pretty good. It’s certainly a lot nicer than most/all the ones I’ve been to in the UK and they appear to have pitched it higher than the UK ones from a decor etc point of view.

That being said I’d still just prefer many other pubs and the lack of Guinness is also a pain but ita certainly no harm to have it as an option in Galway especially if you are in a big crowd etc looking for a few pints and some food.

Geuze

Andrea Large Condolence wrote: »

That being said I’d still just prefer many other pubs and the lack of Guinness is also a pain

They sell Beamish.

Geuze

Geuze wrote: »

They sell Beamish.

Better than Murphys but still muck compared to Guinness imo. I’d stick to some sort of IPA if in a wetherspoons but they aren’t ideal for a heavy nights drinking.

Geuze

I must have an unsophisticated palate, as I can't taste any
large difference between Guinness and Beamish.

topcat77

Murphys Bar does all three.

Myself and some colleagues did a blind tasting during a night out about 6 months ago .

Beamish and Murphys were level on 4 and nobody picked Guinness.

topcat77

topcat77 wrote: »

Murphys Bar does all three.

Myself and some colleagues did a blind tasting during a night out about 6 months ago .

Beamish and Murphys were level on 4 and nobody picked Guinness.

Having spent time in Cork where both are popular and tried both on many different occasions (usually forced due to no Guinness for whatever reason) they are both far inferior to Guinness taste wise IMO. I would know instantly which one was which and have brought back pints after one sip on a number of occasions when I was given Murphy's or Bemish by mistake rather than Guinness.

AwaitYourReply

Andrea Large Condolence wrote: »

Having spent time in Cork where both are popular and tried both on many different occasions (usually forced due to no Guinness for whatever reason) they are both far inferior to Guinness taste wise IMO. I would know instantly which one was which and have brought back pints after one sip on a number of occasions when I was given Murphy's or Beamish by mistake rather than Guinness.

I think it's really a matter of personal taste. Guinness has without question been a national and international brand for many years and has stood the test of time. St. James's Gate Brewery is a brewery founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland, by Arthur Guinness. The company is now a part of Diageo, a British company formed from the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997.

The reason Murphy's Irish Stout (established in 1856) and Beamish Genuine Irish Stout (established in 1792) are so popular in Cork is down to the fact that both have been brewed in Cork City for a very long time and there would always be a certain rivalry between Dublin as capital city with Cork as the second largest city in the state since Irish independence.

According to Murphy's Irish Stout marketing it's described as follows:
Murphy's is classified as an Irish Dry Stout, is dark in colour and medium-bodied. It is silky smooth with toffee & coffee undertones, almost no bitterness, and a irresistible creamy finish. ABV 4.0%

According to Beamish Genuine Irish Stout marketing it's described as follows:
Beamish has a rich roasted flavour with coffee and dark chocolate undertones, making it a genuine Irish stout. ABV 4.1%

Murphy is brewed at Lady's Well Brewery which eventually became the Heineken Ireland Brewery and is situated north of the River Lee whereas; Beamish was for most of it's existence brewed at the Beamish & Crawford brewery situated at a different site located south of the River Lee.

In times past, most Public Houses were owned by the various breweries (which favoured & stocked their own products) so; some Pubs were Beamish controlled, others were Murphy's and other's would have been Guinness houses.

Both Murphy's Irish Stout and Beamish Irish Stout are now brewed at the Heineken Ireland Brewery at Leitrim Street in Cork City along with other products such as Heineken lager for instance. The former Beamish & Crawford brewery site off South Main Street in Cork City is earmarked for the long awaited Cork Event Centre which has yet to be finalised & built although; there is other construction of student apartments ongoing in another part of the site.

I'm not sure if Wetherspoons will stock Guinness, Murphy's Irish Stout or Beamish Genuine Irish Stout at it's new Galway bar when it eventually opens so it will be interesting to see what's on sale.

Sources:
https://brewcrew.ie/products/guinness-stout-4-2-abv-20l-keg-35-pints
https://brewcrew.ie/products/beamish-irish-stout-4-1-abv-30l-keg-53-pints
https://brewcrew.ie/products/murphys-irish-stout-4-0-50l-keg-88-pints

Geuze

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I'm not sure if Wetherspoons will stock Guinness, Murphy's Irish Stout or Beamish Genuine Irish Stout at it's new Galway bar when it eventually opens so it will be interesting to see what's on sale.

The Galway pub will not sell Guinness, unless Diageo have a change of heart and cut their keg selling prices.

That is unlikely to happen.

AwaitYourReply

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

In times past, most Public Houses were owned by the various breweries (which favoured & stocked their own products) so; some Pubs were Beamish controlled, others were Murphy's and other's would have been Guinness houses.

That isn't the Irish experience though?
Pubs were owned by the person whose name was over the door. What they sold depended on who your supplier was and what was available. Guinness et al are old but they weren't national - they were in Dublin and some other urban areas. Rural and small town Ireland drank whiskey - the big switch to stout happened 130 years ago or so.

The UK experience was different - pubs in the rapidly urbanising country were opened and owned by breweries and rented to local landlords as tied agents.
Thatcher's government broke them up but there are still huge groups.

Wetherspoons was different starting independently of the breweries, owning and operating the pubs themselves and offering whatever best deal he could get.

We have never seen the scale of a chain like Weatherspoons in this country before - which is why it is such a novelty and so different to what we are used to.

AwaitYourReply

Deleted User wrote: »

That isn't the Irish experience though?
Pubs were owned by the person whose name was over the door. What they sold depended on who your supplier was and what was available. Guinness et al are old but they weren't national - they were in Dublin and some other urban areas. Rural and small town Ireland drank whiskey - the big switch to stout happened 130 years ago or so.

The UK experience was different - pubs in the rapidly urbanising country were opened and owned by breweries and rented to local landlords as tied agents.
Thatcher's government broke them up but there are still huge groups.

Wetherspoons was different starting independently of the breweries, owning and operating the pubs themselves and offering whatever best deal he could get.

We have never seen the scale of a chain like Weatherspoons in this country before - which is why it is such a novelty and so different to what we are used to.

Apparently, a lot of the pubs in my native Cork City were once tied to the big breweries and any pub that was not was very much the exception to the rule but this is going back many years. I think things had begun to change by the 1970's. The name of the brewery/it's main product was usually referenced on the outside signage.

The Oval bar on South Main Street was once a Beamish house and was right opposite the Beamish & Crawford Brewery and the South County pub in Douglas Village was once both owned and tied to Beamish & Crawford brewery until the mid 1970's. Meanwhile Mok's bar at Phair's Cross was tied to Murphy's brewery too for many years.

It will be very interesting if large chains like Wetherspoons (and any other big chains that may subsequently follow) keep expanding but avoid stocking the likes of Guinness, Murphy's, Beamish. It may prompt the owners of these products to return to the tied-house model that was once commonplace in cities like Cork many years ago in order to protect market share in the on-trade.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/cork-pub-sells-pints-for-less-than-10-cent-to-mark-centenary-1.3735858

http://www.thesouthcounty.com/history

https://www.thesun.ie/fabulous/3151218/brewery-modern-version-success-tiedhouse/

http://publin.ie/2016/this-1970s-murphys-advert-shows-old-dublin-pubs-in-their-heyday/

Muahahaha

Is there a provsional opening date on the Galway spoons? Would imagine the second half of 2020 at a guess, its a big job they are undertaking.

Laviski

with planning permissions id say 2021 at the earliest.

Buddy74

So when I was walking past yesterday I heard some work going on inside.
May have been some other reason for the works or the current people controlling the site stripping it.

From frequenting a number of their places in the UK I would say they'd fit it out quickly especially as it was already a bar with a kitchen.

Mrs OBumble

I noticed it had been secured and all the Carbon signage gone during the week.

Buddy74 wrote: »

... it was already a bar with a kitchen.

Did it definitely have a kitchen? I've heard a few different opinions, none were totally sure.

But if it did, then I'd guess it won't need planning, since it's not a change of use.

Laviski

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I noticed it had been secured and all the Carbon signage gone during the week.





Did it definitely have a kitchen? I've heard a few different opinions, none were totally sure.

But if it did, then I'd guess it won't need planning, since it's not a change of use.

there was - think it was called studio - only open for short time.

JCX BXC

Any updates?

Mrs OBumble

JCX BXC wrote: »

Any updates?

No: there's been a small amount done on the building, but it doesn't look like the fit out gas started ( unless they're very good at hiding it!)