To say most places are too cold to be enjoyable?

[Mushroo]

The cold snap has really emphasised this, but AIBU to say most places are freezing and it really puts me off going?

I love the idea of a cozy coffee shop, warm pub with a fire, warm restaurant and red wine.

in reality, most places are draughty, barely heated and you have to keep your coat on.

It's not the weather, as I've travelled in Europe to much colder places and everywhere is so toasty and lovely in comparison, even places that are warm in the summer seem to do winter heating well.

Is it just me, or are others often disappointed? I don't even think I'm a particularly 'cold' person.

Yep, totally agree, I've been to so many places recently and thought 'it's freezing in here' - assume it's to do with energy prices.

I agree with you but I imagine they can’t afford the heating bills.

I know what you mean op, we went to a different pub to usual on Boxing Day as our local was closed, absolutely freezing! Everyone sitting in their coats, I had one drink and left as it just wasn’t enjoyable.

I agree. I can't bear being cold when inside. I'm not one of those who has heating up super high but 18/19 degrees which is comfortable to sit without a coat on in this weather but it seems most places can't even manage that and it puts me off going in to spend money.
My works office is the same so I actively avoid going in unless I absolutely have to and even then, I will take a blanket in with me to help keep me warm.

Our main office is not too bad but go outside of it to the loo and it is blooming freezing. I was sat in the hairdressers yesterday and was actually shivering. I just assume small businesses are struggling with heating costs.

It's the heating costs, they are absolutely sky high. I was in a pub recently and the draught/cold feeling was awful, had to walk around and test the tables to see which one was warmest!

It’s cold in my hairdresser’s too. Puts me right off.

If you think your energy unit prices are high, double it for businesses.

It's simply not affordable for a business to heat their space so that it's "toasty warm" for 7 hours a day.

Yes, DH and I have given up going to cafes etc as we just end up sat there in our coats. At the cinema yesterday with the kids I nearly walked out halfway as I was so cold I felt ill

Other colder countries have better insulated buildings. Most British buildings are not well designed for the weather we have!

And energy costs for businesses are absolutely astronomical.

You are right OP. We booked a “posh” restaurant for lunch before DS’s graduation ceremony and the celebration was ruined because it was absolutely freezing in the dining room. Same thing happened again for office Xmas lunch. We went to another nice restaurant for our wedding anniversary in Xmas week and the first thing we noticed was how warm it was. We were delighted and surprised. How low a bar is that?!

I do it for my business, it's 25 degrees in here on the thermostat (actually feels a bit colder in real life because of the room sizes). It's a selling point, I put it on social media.

As a result I have far more customers in today - and every cold day - than my competitors.

It's a place where people typically stay several hours, so they see spending money with me as saving money because they're not putting the heating on at home.

And in summer I reverse it and put the air con on. Same result.

And we're open a lot more than 7 hours a day.

As a business there is no point scrimping on the basics because they will affect how long people stay and if they come back. For example I know my local pub is freezing today so I won't go and spend the afternoon there - they've missed out on 7 of us having roast dinners, desserts, and multiple drinks each, and that's just us. Meanwhile they're blaming the smoking ban, Brexit, the snow, their brewery, everything except the actual issue. They know it's cold, they work there. But the "keep calm and carry on" attitude doesn't work when people are looking for comfort.

I really don't understand why so many small business owners act like it's just them at home and not a business where they're charging people money.

@devilspawn erm.. good for you?

Our two local village pubs have fireplaces and are very cosy!

It's good for a lot of people, not only are they saving lots on their energy but it's so much better for the environment to heat one place well than have 20 odd homes being simultaneously heated inefficiently to still-not-comfortably-warm temperatures.

Yes i absolutely agree. So many places are extremely cold and I hate it. I also leave asap and head home where I know I will be warm enough. It just feels so inhospitable and it is a false economy.

I wonder if some places have the ventilation going full bung because of all the people coughing and spreading flu.

Costa was warm today though.

If these businesses fail to provide very basic comfort for customers, I imagine they won't be around for long.

I agree. I went for a night out with my DP on a Thursday and I sat with my coat on during our meal and in two bars!

I think most people understand that energy prices are high and that expense in general are very high for businesses. If you aren’t comfortable in a place where you’re spending a reasonable amount of time, you’re not going to keep going back, so the business loses anyway. I’m sure it’s a difficult balance , especially for small businesses, but it might be a question of spending more on heating and keeping clients/ customers, or keeping costs down and losing clientele.

My hairdresser’s prices are high, he lives in an expensive area in a large house, so I don’t think he’s short of money. I’m thinking of changing and that’s one of the reasons.

Marks and Spencers seem to gave turned their heating off, which is fine if I'm just flying about picking stuff up for dinner, bur I went to the cafe the other day and it was freezing. I couldn't get out of there quickly enough and won't be going back until the weather is warmer.

In contrast, I went to Finland a few weeks ago and all the indoor places were far too warm. Especially with everyone in ski wear. We had to open the hotel windows as there was no other way of cooling it down. I can only think energy must be cheaper there.

I have more sympathy for places like the M&S cafe which in my experience is open plan with the shop so they have to balance people who want to stay and take their coats off with shoppers who want to shop in full outdoor gear without getting heatstroke.

I say that as someone who left a department store an hour ago because I was unbearably hot.

For dedicated cafes / pubs I completely agree, though.

I’ve not noticed this at all. I was out and about today and the shops and cafe I went to were toasty. All the local pubs have fires blazing all day which make it too warm if anything. And the heating is on so high at the office that it gives me a headache.

I'm a warm person and find places like pubs and coffee shops stiflingly hot this time of year!