On 7 Sep, 20:25, "John of Aix" wrote:
Jugdish wrote:
http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/07092007/140...smoke-ban.html
Pub Figures Up Despite Smoke Ban
JD Wetherspoon has shrugged off the effects of the smoking ban and
revealed a 5.6% rise in sales for 2007, up to £62m.
It is just September. the law came into force on the 1st of Jučly did it
not? I think therefore that these figures (for the first two quarters no
doubt) do not reflect the current situation.
Although sales
were hit by the ban, the slowdown in bar sales was counterbalanced to
some extent by strong food sales, chairman Tim Martin said.
That seems possible as many people do not like eating in a smoky
atmosphere but that doesn't help pubs that don't do food or where it is
only a very minor part of their turnover.
Pubs that don't do food are suffering (something like 75% of pub
regulars are smokers) - the chains and pubs that do food have turned
it into an art form - very cheap and children's menu. Clever. In our
town, one pub attracts customers by having a billboard with a menu and
the price compared to Wetherspoons!
I reckon it will be worse in the winter when people won't be happy to
have to pop outside for a ciggy - they'll just take tins round one
another's houses or something.