nipper Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Manx Radio News I think there has been a downturn already and nothing to do with the reeking ban. I walked past the Bowling Green last night about 10:00. The lounge was empty because it is being refurbished and so I thought the bar might be busy, but there 3 people in it. The Rosemount was little different. Is there an alternative to going out and throwing £30 at ten pints and buying a hangover ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Port Erin Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Manx Radio News I think there has been a downturn already and nothing to do with the reeking ban. I walked past the Bowling Green last night about 10:00. The lounge was empty because it is being refurbished and so I thought the bar might be busy, but there 3 people in it. The Rosemount was little different. Is there an alternative to going out and throwing £30 at ten pints and buying a hangover ? Not really. Staying in is the new going out over here, the pubs and nightlife would be laughable if it wasn't so crap and it can only get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 The pubs have been getting less busy since at least the year 2000, predominately down to poor management, standards and beer. However, it's bollocks to say the smoking ban will have little effect on business, it's simply the final nails for H&B. Little wonder The Railway won't be too worried - he'll be getting some of the Waterloo, Clarendon, Saddle and Trafalgar's business when they've all closed down after the smoking ban comes in, and I hardly think his masters will concur with his opinion overall. No matter what people say, all these so called non/anti-smokers who were supposed to come out in droves in the UK once smoking was banned in pubs have not turned out. All that's happended in the UK is that pubs that are restuarants are doing OKish, but others are dying and pubs are regularly closing. Few pubs in Douglas have facilities outside for smokers, so the bulk won't bother going if the weather is too inclement. My trips to the pub have already halved over the last year and a few of us now play poker every other Friday. A lot of smokers have been gearing up for this themselves over the last year and are adjusting their going-out behaviour. Little wonder H&B are moving into off-licences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triskelion Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 AT, would you say then that the decline of the pub/the smoking ban has encouraged people to find other things to do with their time than just 'go to the pub?' I mean in a positive, 'broadening horizons' way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 The shore in laxey has just been decorated, so they went non smoking, two weeks ago. It's probably a bit early to say, but, there hasn't been a downturn in customers. I only ever smoke in a pub, no huge loss to me. Getting home not smelling of smoke is nice though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Ayres Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Surely any downturn in pub trade will be an upturn in other trade. Takeouts will increase, pizza deliveries also, more 'poker nights' and the necessary buying of off license beer/wine. Able to go to a pub without reaking of smoke and ash, fewer pissheads on the streets and a safer urban environment. I can't see a down side to this at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 The smoking ban over here has been in place for a while now, and a lot of the pubs are still packed, as are the pavements outside, on a weekend night. It's hardly a scientific survey, but in general the impression that I've gotten is that people don't seem to consider the inconvenience so great that they're going to stop going out. To be honest, I've never really understood why people should stop going out just because they're not allowed to smoke. I'm a smoker, but for me going out is about good conversation, nice surroundings, and pleasant company - it's an activity that doesn't depend on my being allowed to smoke and, although nipping out for the odd cigarette is sometimes an inconvenience, I don't see not being allowed to as so intolerable that I can't enjoy the night. Whilst I understand that some will choose instead to enjoy other means of socializing where they can smoke (such as poker nights at home, etc), surely this suggests that going to the pub, or whatever wasn't that important an aspect of their social life in the first place - a nice extra, perhaps, but not so crucial to their social lives that it can't be discarded in favour of cigarettes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Punch Tavern's, the largest put operator in the UK with 8,450 pubs, profits dipped by 0.8% in the year following the smoking ban. The report overall sales down 2.2%, but food sales up 1% following the ban. To be fair, they have restructured and disposed of some pubs to deal with the change, smart company. So, hardly devastating, eh? They say in their annual statement: we still hold the view that the smoking ban will have a positive effect on the industry in the medium to long-term. This is being born out in Scotland where the ban came into force in March 2006 and like for like profit in our Scottish leased estate over the 20 week period has grown by 1.6% Tatlock talking arse again? Never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananaman Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 My local has actually got busier since the ban came in over here. As a smoker it hasn't affected me too much. They've put a big gazebo for us smokers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcCann Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Every time I have been in the Terminus since they went non smoking it has been busy. I think the brighter, cleaner pubs will benefit whilst the dingy pits will fall by the wayside over the next year. Thank god they are doing up the Manx Arms at the moment (although I wish they would hurry up) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onchanguy Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I don't think the ban will have a great effect on businesses. My niece's boyfriend is a pub manager in North Somerset and he says that since the ban their takings have gone up as more people are coming in to eat and to drink. It has also been good for him personally as it has encouraged him to give up smoking as he was getting pi$$ed off having to go outside in the cold and wet during the winter so he is better off financially and health-wise. If anywhere suffers it will be $hite-holes like The Clarendon and The Douglas and, lets face it, they are $hite anyway so it won't be any loss. I for one can't wait until next week. It pi$$es me off it took so long. And why did it take so long? I'll tell you why. I was speaking to Adrian Earnshaw last year and I asked him why and his reply was "Because we cocked up the legislation". How the hell can you cock up the legislation? You just take the UK legislation as we normally do and say as of a certain date you do not smoke in enclosed public places. How difficult can it be??? Let's be honest, people are not going to give up going to the pub because they cannot smoke. The pi$$heads are still going to go out and get bevvied up whether they can smoke or not. I have spoken with work colleagues in Jersey since they have had the ban and it has not affected trade at all and Jersey has a drinking culture which even outdoes this island. I can vouch for that as I worked there for a few months a few years ago. Why is the ban such a big thing anyway? Most people cannot smoke at work and you haven't been able to smoke on buses, trains or aeroplanes for many years. How is it people can survive for three or four or five hours on a plane to Malaga or Majorca or Magaluf or Ibiza or whichever downmarket hell-hole they go to on holiday but they cannot survive for a couple of hours in the pub? And as for the people who have suggested it will affect the TT. Rubbish. Most TT fans come from the UK, Eire or Germany where they have had smoking bans for years so they are used to it. My uncle was telling me he was in Germany in 1965 when he was in the RAF and they had a large number of non-smoking bars, clubs and restaurants then. Eire has also had the ban for a number of years so TT fans will not care when they come over here. As I said, bring it on. I am counting the days until I can go out and not come home stinking of other people's second-hand smoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 people winging on the forum about the pubs being shit and not busy etc should put down the t**o super value larger get their fat arse's off the sofa and go to the pub, you might even enjoy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Why is the ban such a big thing anyway? Most people cannot smoke at work and you haven't been able to smoke on buses, trains or aeroplanes for many years.How is it people can survive for three or four or five hours on a plane to Malaga or Majorca or Magaluf or Ibiza or whichever downmarket hell-hole they go to on holiday but they cannot survive for a couple of hours in the pub? On long-haul my Scandinavian colleagues all "smoked" this highly addictive stuff. It's basically a paste of ground tobacco you place behind your upper lip. It not only worked for them but it also helped cut down smoking related deaths in Scandawegia generally according to Aunty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzydudge Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I hated working in pubs with the smoke but now the ban is in place, when I come back from college I will get a job in a pub again...Im in college in ireland and they are going to great lengths to keep the smokers in their pubs by building smoking rooms or outdoor smoking areas with these radiant heaters. so hopefully eventually pubs will be able to do things like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newsbot Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 There are just a few days left before the Isle of Man's smoke-ban policy comes into force. Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/7311202.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.