I've ran my own pubs over the years and have worked doors on and off for donkey's - at one time had my own 'security' company.
I still do a few hours a week behind the bar and on the door at a good mate's pub.
Only way to make money nowadays is as a Free House - but that costs a lot of money and few people have that sort of money - the banks certainly won't
lend you any money and not many people fancy taking the risk with their own money.
My mates pub does alright - but he keeps costs to a minimum and has zero tolerance with drugs and drunks etc - it helps that he, his father-in-law and
myself are all reasonably 'well known'.
The pub is ran as a traditional English local sort of pub but is located right in the town centre so it has a good solid core of local drinkers and
also gets good trade on a weekend as part of the town centre pub circuit.
As pointed out government taxation on alcohol has seen the price of a pint of beer spiral upwards far in excess of other commodities etc.
And it doesn't help with the do-gooders constantly moralising and preaching about the evils and health implications of the demon drink. Another
example of the nanny state crippling businesses.
And the PubCo's that own the majority of pubs charge extortionate amounts to their landlords with little incentive to improve sales - the greater
turnover the greater rent etc they charge.
When Thatcher forced the breweries to relinquish the pubs they owned it brought about the PubCo - companies that owned pubs and then leased them out
to tenants - all with caveats that they had to buy their beer / spirits etc from them, obviously contributing to increased costs for the landlord who
then had to pass that cost on to the customer.
All this has contributed to the more or less demise of the traditional British local that was at the heart of the local community.
This has played a significant role in the collapse of the traditional community spirit that was evident the length and breadth of the whole of the
UK.
Breweries don't care.
It is far cheaper and cost effective for them to run canning lines and ship vast quantities to large supermarket chains than it is to put in kegs and
transport to individual pubs.
For obvious reasons supermarkets can then sell beer vastly cheaper than in pubs.
Everyone goes to the supermarkets - no-one goes to pubs.
People don't meet and laugh and joke - and talk about governments amongst other things.
People still get pissed - but they do it on their own or with a very limited social circle.
Very little interaction, social skills slide - resulting increased number of dickheads on the streets with attitude problems.
I could go on and on - some may say I already have done.
The decline in the traditional British pub culture merely reflects the decline in UK society and the increased control government / big business has
over us.
Apologies for the rant but I for one still enjoy pub life to the full - I very, very rarely drink in the house - and its something I am quite
passionate about.
edit on 26/9/16 by Freeborn because: (no reason given)