Current Events > Impotent rage time: I fucking hate how franchise bars are taking over

(+) Yeah! (+)

We have this massive franchise called Wetherspoons that has essentially taken over the pub scene in the UK.

Here's their M.O - they wait for some historical pub in a great location to start dying on its ass, and then when the entire thing about to go bankrupt they buy it out and with their economies of scale start serving the cheapest food and drink for miles.

My friend was there this morning and her toast and unlimited coffee refills cost $2.93. Beers there are typically at $2.60 a pint.

Compare that to my favourite bar and my favourite coffee shop. $4 for coffee, another $4 for toast, and $7 a pint.

There's just no comparison, so why isn't it my favourite bar? All Wetherspoons are more or less exactly the same. They gut the place, replace everything with their standard menu and remove the music boxes. The staff who cared and the owners that took pride are replaced with any old 18 year old desperate for a job. Go into a wetherspoons and it's fucking miserable, like no one wants to be there but they had no other choice. It's like drinking at mcdonalds. I asked one of the bartenders if they had any stouts on tap. They didn't know what a stout was.

I'd be fine with it if they just stopped buying every goddamn venue in the city. Chances are 1 out of every 3 pubs is a wetherspoons or some other franchise bar.

And they always win too. Fuck those guys.
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ugh thought you were gonna rage about being impotent and i came into this topic to sympathize...im getting old
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Godnorgosh posted...

It's almost 2018 dude, no one drinks stouts or uses juke boxes anymore. Personally I love the standardized aesthetic they're going for.

I just wanna know when my local Wetherspoon will finally add a PlayPlace (so I can look after my kids while getting drunk).

I didn't even know you were in the UK.

I hate jukeboxes but I tend to dislike pubs that refuse to play music as a rule. Also what do you mean, Stouts are super popular at the moment. It's a seasonal drink if anything.
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Godnorgosh posted...

Oi mate, it puts us in a bit of a sticky wicket when we can't even enjoy a nice swig at the Witherspoon without ridicule from wankers who think every pub has to be unique and trendy and all that bollocks. Stouts are for tryhard Greens like yourself, chap.

Is this some working class tory nonsense I'm reading
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sounds like your fave places need to lower their prices
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Roxborough4Ever posted...

sounds like your fave places need to lower their prices

They will never ever be able to compete with wetherspoons prices no matter how generous they're feeling. They own over 1,000 pubs across the UK and northern ireland. Imagine how great their supply network is. Mom and pops locals can't compete with that when they can barely afford to keep the lights on at double the pint price as it is. It's actually downright suspicious that wetherspoons can sell a pint as low as they do.

I'll still support them, but it's like a lot of things. Local grocer/fishmonger/butcher being replaced by the new giant Tesco in town, etc. It's a sad fact of life at this point.
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i'm not uncle moneybags, idgaf about mom and pop stores...im not going to take a hit to my wallet to buffer somebody elses business plan that isn't keeping up with the times. If they have sales or have supreme quality i'll go but more often then not i need to factor in convenience and economics in my day to day life before shopping/dining for aesthetics
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Roxborough4Ever posted...

i'm not uncle moneybags, idgaf about mom and pop stores...im not going to take a hit to my wallet to buffer somebody elses business plan that isn't keeping up with the times. If they have sales or have supreme quality i'll go but more often then not i need to factor in convenience and economics in my day to day life before shopping/dining for aesthetics

I know man, I know. I'm not disputing why the model is successful. At the end of the day you're going to vote with your wallet because woolly factors like "original concept" or "supporting the local business" or whatever isn't really important compared to "can I afford it".

I still feel like we're losing something though because of it.
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