If they re open pubs with alcohol ban in April Will many go

[IsitSummeryet21]

Just seen it come on my news feed that there's talks of pubs re opening April with alcohol ban.
Can you really see many going?
I don't go to the pub often. Maybe 3 times a year max for a meal and don't drink anyway but obviously the vast majority of people probably have an alcoholic beverage.

Lots of pubs around here have your regulars that are in there noon till Night supping a few pints, my dsf is one that only goes for a few pints. Would never eat or buy a soft drink.

Would it be a good move?

No. I presume - if they do this, which seems a bit unlikely - that there's something else at play here, such as cutting support to those employed in hospitality.

Doesn't seem like it would be worth the risk.

What would be the point ? Why ban alcohol , fair enough limit it to with a meal as I guess they are trying to not have groups standing around drinking and getting hammered. Surely by restricting numbers , sat at a table etc etc can achieve all this

Once we get to April then maybe we could have outdoor pub gardens etc open with small groups and social distancing again, and alcohol til a certain time perhaps.

I do quite enjoy a glass of wine or gin with my dinner at the pub.

I would, as long as I could get a Scotch Egg

Joking, absolutely I would not go, i'm a very moderate drinker but one of the appeals of going out is a decent cocktail or chilled white.

Right now i'd be happy to go and sit in another building; regardless of what they sold. Would be a nice change

If it's a kid-friendly pub with somewhere for DS to run around and nice food then yes definitely. I've spent most of the last 3 years pregnant (so not drinking) and still been to plenty of pubs!

It'll either be smuggled or sold secretly, it's a daft idea it won't work. Alcohol sales are a big portion of pubs revenue

We went in the summer and it was shit, no bar service, you are seated at a table and isolated from others, by a plastic screen. No atmosphere, just seated, eat your meal, leave, you may as well be at home with a takeaway.

This. It’s a ridiculous suggestion. We made the most of everything that was open over the summer, but pubs in particular were a depressing shadow of their former selves - clinical, miserable and zero atmosphere. Don’t think I’d be in a rush to go back.

I’m not a big drinker but I’d want a pre-dinner G&T and nice glass of wine with my meal. And if they’re deliberately manipulating things so that going out is no longer a pleasurable, relaxing experience and people never ‘drop their guard’ then why bother at all?

The government have already dismissed this

To be honest, we probably would go, for a change of scenery. Particularly if it's warm enough to sit in the beer garden by the time they open.

@Monkeymilkshake

Right now i'd be happy to go and sit in another building; regardless of what they sold. Would be a nice change

Yes, same here. As a practical idea it’s got some problems, but if the question is whether I’d personally go then yes I would be there in a shot. So sick of my house.

I quite enjoyed pubs with restricted numbers and table service, as long as we could go with people outside the household (otherwise, what's the point, it's nothing you're not doing at home?)

Going with a few friends, knowing we'd have a table and getting drinks brought to us was quite civilised.

Probably just about fine for pub/restaurants, but completely stupid for wet-only pubs and bars. There’s loads of really nice small independent craft beer bars in my area and I really wonder how any of them have kept going.

I'd go, but I don't really drink anyway. We often go out for meals as a family (in normal times) and since we don't live near one I drive therefore don't drink. I do like good pub food.

However, I do understand why people wouldn't go and do agree it is a bad idea and that it's probably just an excuse for the government to stop supporting the hospitality industry.

If they're worried about alcohol, why not allow cafes etc to open that don't serve alcohol first? It seems so odd to me that our local cafe/tea shop is classed in the same category as the two pubs. They're very different businesses that mostly cater to different clientele.

Cafes and tea shops are usually small and poky, whereas pubs are much bigger. I imagine with social distancing of any type you’d only get a few people in a cafe at any one time. Hardly good for business.

Pre-covid me and friends would often go to the pub for lunch and not drink because we were all driving (live quite far away from each other)l

But that was country pubs with car parks ... can't see it working in the city!

Yes. Would be great to go and eat and socialise without poor behaviour from drunk people

It's probably aimed at the ones that serve food so they can operate as restaurants? I would imagine many landlords would be aggrieved if restaurants could open to serve food but they couldn't operate in the same way because they were classed as pubs.

Most of a pubs profit is on food (if they serve it of course) and on branded spirits and the premium price attached, draught beer etc is hardly anything. I would definitely go for some pub food and soft drinks, as would my friends. Whether that would be viable for individual pubs would depend on the local appetite I guess!

There has been no alcohol served in pubs in Scotland since mid October and all pubs have had to shut at 6pm. Some pubs didn't open. It put me off going to the pub.

Actually no alcohol served anywhere in Scotland ie. pubs, restaurants etc since mid October.

Ah crap hang on I said earlier I'd go but I did NOT realise I'd said I'd go to a pub with no booze! No I would not go but I would go to a nice cafe or something for a soft drink ....

They did it here from early December - most shut but some that do food and restaurants did stay open. They had to shut at 6 too.

@IsitSummeryet21please report these pubs if you are sure.

I don't think this will happen- perhaps an idea being floated that is done so pubs can stay shut until say May.