City pubs and bars imposing minimum spend if you want to get in!!

[Usernamesgain]

DH and I decided to have a day in our nearest city on Saturday. We would often, pre Covid, go into town, wander from pub to pub, have a meal, few drinks etc.

I understand that it’s now only possible to get a table if you book - it’s a pain but due to social distancing acceptable.

What I am annoyed about is that almost all the places we tried to book now impose a minimum spend to book that table!! So you can’t hop from place to place after an hour or two, you have to stay and reach this minimum spend.

I felt a bit disgusted by it tbh, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if pubs decide to keep this ‘rule’ going forward, nice little earner for them really.

The spontaneity of bar hopping will be gone. Having drinks out will be only for the people who can afford a long stay at the table, drinking heavily to meet the minimum spend.

Personally I wouldn't generally spend that much on a night out but I think it makes a huge amount of sense to try to balance the books in pubs and bars, but even more so if it encourages people not to bar hop. Surely everyone should be giving a little more thought to how we can all get back to going out as safely and considerately as possible.

@DanglingMod

I would happily spend £30 per head if it included food but the OP implied it was purely on drinks that the pubs were insisting on... fifteen or twenty halves of coke!

They don't currently want people who only drink coke sitting at their tables.

Yeah, I get that. I'll know not to go to Cardiff then (no such minimum table spends in my busy, tourist city).

Where I live there is no minimum spend but most places will only take bookings for food and drink. If you want to just have drinks then you need to find a walk in table.

It's fine, I get it. We go out a lot and when we're enjoying our food and drinks I can see people outside queuing for a table. With limited seating, places can't afford to have people come in and take a table for an hour just to spend a tenner.