Enterprise inns thread removed?

Wow! I'm impressed Red Adair, if this is really you John.

For a start my pub is REALLY good, it's REALLY busy a lot of the time - easily the busiest pub in SE5 - and it doesn't make any money. There you are - it doesn't make any money and I'm prepared to admit it. I'm not happy to admit this, it's humiliating in a sense, but the fact is it doesn't make money not because I'm crap at business, it's because it's tied. To make it work financially, as a tied venue, it needs to over perform even more than it does already, which is only possible after even more investment which I cannot afford and in any case cannot raise against a tied lease. This is a hamster wheel which many tied lessees understand.

Because it doesn't make money is why I helped get the Fair Pint Campaign together. It's not rocket science John - you're an operator - you were there before the pubcos got their grip on the trade. Average tied pubs get neglected because there is no hope. If you don't overtrade a tied pub initially and sell it before your first rent review you are pretty much screwed. Everyone knows this, few admit it publicly.

The George Canning is interesting because it was turning over more when it was a failing pub in need of investment than it is now it's a new business, opened after with a flourish of the injection of capital it so desperately needed to make it succeed - when it was failing.

I have no issue with what you're doing at the pub. A regular of mine described it as 'like a posh cafe'. You clearly are very good at what you do. But you are in an impossible situation. That pub needs to be part of its surroundings - and it's not. It's a bland Imperially imposed blob that has no connection to the area. You are there temporarily to establish some goodwill for the ongoing business once it's let - to some lamb to the slaughter - but under entirely artificial circumstances.

This post replies to Red Adair > Enterprise inns thread removed?


* Reply to this Post
* Reply to this Thread
* Edit Post


J Mark Dodds 08/02/2010 00:37:15

5 Star Rating

Enterprise inns thread removed?

Your work there IS attracting an appreciative audience but not one which is capable of supporting the business of 39K rent and a notional £100 a barrel discount. That needs 10K a week turnover to cover and it's simply not going to happen.

My desire to record the number of people in the place and provide clear evidence of the fact that George Canning is NOT packed (because it would be poopooed here as being a partisan lie otherwise) was driven by the appearance - out of nowhere on this forum - of some nutter likely an area manager hacking on about how brilliant the George Canning is now (!). It was then I realised that Simon Townsend thought his mission to push water uphill was failing and that I should record it for all to see.

If I went there and saw a session of 100 people having a great time, I'd be more than happy to provide the evidence for all to see. So, you see, there's nothing underhand about what I've been doing. I'm just observing. And if what I am observing were more exciting in terms of business performance, I'd bet a lot more than a dollar that you would not be posting here other than to say 'thanks for the publicity Mark'.

edited by: J Mark Dodds at: 08/02/2010 00:43:28

This post replies to J Mark Dodds > Enterprise inns thread removed?


* Reply to this Post
* Reply to this Thread
* Edit Post


J Mark Dodds 08/02/2010 00:50:05

5 Star Rating

Enterprise inns thread removed?

On this general note John, there were two things I came back to this thread to do:

1) I have just been too busy to get up there and do head counts since the 'open day' last Thursday - remember - it was when those guys were in doing snagging during lunch and drilling and banging and stuff - when the Enterprise sales' rep was at the back waiting for the queue of eager potential lessees - who didn't turn up.

2) To point out that someone forwarded this http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauletroad/4337603873/in/pool-32334552@N00/?addedcomment=1#comment72157623249540713 to me.

Luke and Rachel Pro User says:

Sunday 7 February 2010 - on arrival at 2:25pm 12-13 people, on departure similar number

Posted 5 hours ago. ( permalink )

Seems like the Canning Observation Society is growing.

Oh yes and

3) ACTUALLY on a more interesting note John. Did you bother to look at the contents of the information pack the Enterprise puppet was handing out? Among the expected codes of practice, promises of training and support, all at the customer's expense, the background to the company, the application forms and bank mandates and reference referrals, there was not one word printed about The George Canning. NADA.

That's transparency for you.