Tag: you’re the landlord

We asked what you would you do if a punter in your pub arrived after the kitchens had closed and wanted to bring a takeaway in to enjoy with their pint.

Thanks to everyone who had a guess.

When we saw this encounter in a pub earlier this year, the landlord said: “No, sorry.” The businessman sloped off looking dejected and, presumably, went to sleep crying in his hotel room without a bedtime pint.

The landlord didn’t offer any explanation but it did occur to us that it might set a precedent which would lead to people hanging on until after 8pm before whipping out their Pot Noodles and KFCs, losing him valuable business. The idea that he might have knocked a sandwich together at a nominal price (as per Mike McG’s suggestion) seems reasonable in that circumstance, though.

With apologies to Paul Trevillion and based on incidents witnessed in the course of our pub-going.

Your busy city centre pub stops serving food at 8pm and the chef has shut down the kitchen. A weary looking business traveller approaches the bar and asks if you are still serving food. He looks downhearted when you say no. He scratches his head and then asks if there’s any chance he might get some fish and chips from the takeaway next door and bring them into the pub to eat with a pint.

What would you do?

Earlier this week, we asked this question:

A large group of students has been drinking in your pub for a couple of hours. One of them has just enough money to buy a pint which he takes off to the back room. Moments later, he returns with an empty glass and says he spilled it. He asks nicely if there’s any chance of a replacement on the house. One of your regulars chips in sarcastically: “I accidentally drank mine. Can I have a free one too?”

What would you do?

We saw this happen for real in a pub in the south east of England. What really happened?

The landlord smiled and gave him a free replacement pint without checking for a spill or interrogating him. He reminded his regulars that they’d had their fair share of free pints and roast potatoes in the past.

We assume the logic was that:

1. the student had spent a fair bit of money and his friends were still spending
2. even if it was a con it wouldn’t be likely that the student would have the nerve to try it again anytime soon and
3. (although he probably didn’t quite put it in these terms) a show of generosity was good for his and his pub’s brand — the same reason restaurants give people free coffee if they complain about the steak.

We’ve got a few more of these to follow. Thanks to those of you who had a go this time.

With apologies to Paul Trevillion and based on incidents witnessed in the course of our pub-going.

A large group of students has been drinking in your pub for a couple of hours. One of them has just enough money to buy a pint which he takes off to the back room. Moments later, he returns with an empty glass and says he spilled it. He asks nicely if there’s any chance of a replacement on the house. One of your regulars chips in sarcastically: “I accidentally drank mine. Can I have a free one too?”

What would you do?