To think you can’t sit in a pub all evening and not buy a single drunk

I accidentally voted YABU!! You are absolutely right Op. Everyone knows pubs
are struggling these days.

‘You would’ is passive aggressive and very rude. I’d leave the group and I would tell them it’s because of rudeness towards you and because you can’t socialise with people who won’t even buy a drink.

The one who said ‘well, you would’, is decidedly not lovely. Anyone turning up to a pub, a business with running costs not a charity! and not buying at least one drink of any sort, is a CF.

A walk or free museum are hardly a good choice for an evening meeting, when people just want to sit with friends with access to water and toilet. This shouldn't be a privilege of the more healthy wealthy ones.

Presumably they all have homes. Perhaps they could take it in turns to host, if actually paying for a drink in a pub is beneath them?

"you would" is not the comment of a lovely person

Pubs are struggling. If people do this kind of thing the pub won’t be there when you need it.

Loathe embarrassingly tight people I would leave this group

Seems you've misread.
I've already acknowledged that the pub in question has a reasonable expectation to provide services to paying guests and is not responsible for providing a public services.

The sad thing is, that the general shared public space doesn't have good options for people to meet and chat without the expectations of spending money.

A walk or free museum are hardly a good choice for an evening meeting, when people just want to sit with friends with access to water and toilet. This shouldn't be a privilege of the more healthy wealthy ones.

Edit: bad autocorrect

It seems to be worse because it’s a restaurant where you need to book a table. Another customer could have that and spend £100+.

Not ok. They are piggybacking on the fact that you and 2 others are buying a drink.

They’re all lovely

They don't sound lovely OP. They sound entitled and tight-fisted, both of which are traits I like to avoid in people I socialise with!

I don’t know how people have the nerve to do this.

Even if the pub is otherwise empty that is rude. If you can't afford to buy something - coffee, soft drink, bag of crisps - you should arrange to meet outdoors or apologise and miss the meet up. I bet some of you are using their toilets too. It will be embarrassing if staff have to tell you all to leave.

Deleted soz, I thought you meant they had food but no drink.

I was part of a committee of volunteers who used to meet in our struggling only village pub. Most of them not only didn't buy a thing but also brought THEIR OWN DRINKS from home in travel mugs etc. I was always cringing with embarrassment. None of these people were struggling with money either but they were all a good bit younger than me so maybe it's a bit of etiquette not passed down. They were nice people apart from this.

No it’s not ok - if you book a table in a pub or other venue that’s not been paid for by a separate fee you should buy an initial drink then at least one every hour/90 minutes or so eg if I’m there 3 hours i think a minimum of 2 drinks to be reasonable. Coffee, tea, soft drinks etc absolutely fine but buying nothing is not, it’s a community service

The sense of entitlement is strong.

Especially making a sarcastic remark when you actually bought an alcoholic drink in a pub.

Horrible woman.

I'm surprised you weren't all asked to leave.

I'm really cringing for those who don't buy anything. How do they think businesses work?

I couldn't do that - sit in a pub and not even order a mineral water. Wow! Are you sure they are lovely? The comment wasn't lovely...
I would find that so embarrassing to sit with people like that it would put me off going again.

I would chose a different venue or ask the pub/restaurant if you can 'hire' your table/use of the facilitles for the evening.

I would cringe. Used to go to a pub quiz where two of the six wouldn’t buy a drink all night. Stopped me going as I felt embarrassed. The pub payed the quizmaster and the prizes too.

Thing is if you switch to meeting at each others houses you can guarantee who won't be hosting...

I go to a knitting group that used to meet at a local cafe/restaurant, and everyone who attended used to buy something - a coffee or tea, a bacon roll etc - and some of us used to buy a light lunch there too. The venue was very quiet - we met on a Monday morning - but we still felt it was only right to buy something.

We then met at another venue who charged us £5 for the use of the venue, but gave us free tea/coffee and biscuits.

@bagpuss90 - I think someone needs to say something to the group, along the lines of “This is a bar, not a free public space, and if people aren’t buying a drink while we are here, we run the risk of being asked to leave. As we like this place, it’s only reasonable that we all buy at least a coffee/fizzy water”.

If there is a reason they can’t, okay fine. I take medication in the evening and can’t have any food or anything but water 2 hours before. So if someone wanted to meet at the pub at 8pm, I’d politely come along, but not have a drink.

Just doing it because you’re cheap or don’t want one is silly. You need to meet at a different venue if that’s going to be the case for a sizeable number in the group.