Job Losses At The Club

[pauliewalnuts]

The fact that clever landlords can still turn pubs around and that good pubs still survive doesn't in anyway detract from the fact that - for whatever reason - it is an industry in decline.

The briefest of looks at the figures backs that up.

[kippaxvilla2]

Having come out of that industry 2 years ago after 17 years in it, the reasons are as usual more than one and created a perfect storm.  On average now two pubs a day are closing. 

Firstly, pricing is now ridiculous, even in local pubs, this is because they pay something like 75p in every £ on duty, then there is VAT that has steadily increased.  Supermarkets then added to the chaos by selling beer as a loss leader pretty much. 

In addition, the profile of the nations industry has changed over the last 25 years.  Years ago, local boozers would survive on blue collar shift workers finishing early on a Friday and literally in some cases spending their entire weeks wages down the pub.  All those industries have pretty much vanished - Rover being a classic case in point.  The smoking ban had an effect but not to a massive extent. 

Also, people's cultural habits have changed over the years - people want a quality pub with decent food offerings now, so you tend to find only those sorts of pubs will survive, bar one or two exceptions to the rule as well as City Centre pubs.

Finally, the recession has had a big effect.  Disposable income has dropped - taking my own example, I was a regular at  a pub 3 nights per week, but since I had kids, NI went up etc, that has dropped to once a week, not by choice, just a result of less available income. 

[richard moore]

It was interesting to be up in Birmingham last week. Round me, and I live in a wealthy part of the world in Chichester, restaurants are now nearly always empty on weekday nights whereas a couple of years ago they would have been very busy. So it was something of a shock to be staying on Broad Street last week and to see how busy the nightlife still seems to be there (and still as noisy!) on weekdays. I went out to Bank for a meal on Wednesday night and it was heaving. I guess I was surprised given that I hear how badly Brum has been hit by recession though perhaps the conference trade at this time of year paints a gloss over that - particularly as this is the conference season. Or maybe even though I thought everywhere looked very busy, it is nowhere near as busy as it was a few years ago?

[London Villan]

The amount of empty units on Broad Street indicate how bad the trade is. Other factors like 25% unemployment in the under 25's as well as the demographic changes meaning there are less of them anyway play a big part too.

[Mac]

My point is, that they had oodles of money to spend to set it up, but the ongoing plan was shit.

Which unfortunately, sums up perfectly just about everything that Lerner has done.

Martin! MARTIN! Come back, come back, you've gone over to the dark side.  You're in a very bad place and you need to move in to the light.

[Risso]

But it's soooooo beautiful.......

[spud1950]

Update on job losses .So far 4 people losing jobs this friday .They amount to be saved per month in staff canteen £200 pounds a month.The managment in their wisdom emailed all villa staff >Telling them about changes to be made in the canteen .Without telling them it was closing and the staff losing their jobs.It seems they are scared of mentioning the word redundancies.

[Louzie0]

£2,400 saved per year.  Couldn't they just have moved Habib Beye on, instead?

[dave.woodhall]

Four jobs, £200 a month? That doesn't make any sense.

[stuart445]

It's a shame, it's a really nice place to have a drink. They let people in for nothing before the Hereford game and they maybe should try that more often.

think there is no entrance fee anymore as i got in there before and after the newcastle match for free.

[spud1950]

Sorry for misleading its 2 jobs in the staff canteen saving £200 pound a month.The holte pub dont know how much they will be saving there .Apparenly its the turn of the porters next and the acammedy staff that go round the schools etc

[The Laughing Policeman]

Two jobs going saving £200 a month still doesn't sound right. Is there a nought missing from the end of that figure?

[spud1950]

No noughts missing .They are trying to get all catering staff on to zero hours contracts.They will be phoned when needed .What you have to realise most of the managers in the different depertments Arent very good at their jobs often spending over their budget .Result staff laid of to help claw back some over the overspend

[kippaxvilla2]

Spud, is your job as a double agent safe?

[spud1950]

Nobodys  job is safe  with this goverment