Brigton Micropub - latest

[Biffer]

We were music-led and the way we worked it was that we'd pay the band 10% of the bar take from when they started playing until the end of the night. Support acts play free. If they bring a crowd they could have a gig of their own.
Popular bands such as Tragic Roundabout, Los Albertos, The Resonators make quite a few hundred quid for their work, but of course the pub took quite a few grand from them being there. It means the band tries hard to promote the night but if nobody comes you won't lose out.

In my experience though, it's a right pain in the arse, and you'd need to pay north of £1,000 for equipment plus regular relacements and repairs, a sound man £75 per night, the council and/or police may insist on security outside at weekends which will be £20 per hour or so. Oh, and you'd need to print posters and flyers.
Owning a pub is very costly indeed with a constant stream of things breaking down, going wrong, getting broken, smashed up etc. You're forever jumping through hoops to please the council and police.
It's a lot of hassle and I wish you all the best, but I'll never do it again that's for sure.

 

[Albumen]

Good to meet you all last night. Have woken up this morning still very excited by the prospect (clearly aided by not sinking more than one Harveys.)

Also, one interesting point about the Butcher's Arms (having just had a look at in on Google street view) is that it is right opposite two great big traditional boozers.

There's a pub opposite but I can't remember another one, situated in a very quiet area on a main road. It's a very 'village' pub, and I presume very cheap rent.

 

[BensGrandad]

We were music-led and the way we worked it was that we'd pay the band 10% of the bar take from when they started playing until the end of the night. Support acts play free. If they bring a crowd they could have a gig of their own.
Popular bands such as Tragic Roundabout, Los Albertos, The Resonators make quite a few hundred quid for their work, but of course the pub took quite a few grand from them being there. It means the band tries hard to promote the night but if nobody comes you won't lose out.

In my experience though, it's a right pain in the arse, and you'd need to pay north of £1,000 for equipment plus regular relacements and repairs, a sound man £75 per night, the council and/or police may insist on security outside at weekends which will be £20 per hour or so. Oh, and you'd need to print posters and flyers.
Owning a pub is very costly indeed with a constant stream of things breaking down, going wrong, getting broken, smashed up etc. You're forever jumping through hoops to please the council and police.
It's a lot of hassle and I wish you all the best, but I'll never do it again that's for sure.

You are obviously talking of large music venues which concentrate on music but I was talking of the average small pub that puts on music as an added attraction to the darts and pool, which is what our pubs were, local pubs for local people.

 

[Hamilton]

One pub is right next to the Butcher's Arms (The Smugglers I think), and then there is another opposite (name escapes me.) Take a look on street view and you'll see it. What's interesting for me is that my initial reaction was that such close competition would be problematic, but for the Butcher's it could be a blessing. The other 2 pubs are your classic food and Sky sports pubs, the sort of place you might be forced to go to watch a game, then forced to by John Smiths or Fosters, and never really want to venture into again. The Butcher's then offers that place that you can pop into to get a genuine pint.

 

[BensGrandad]

There's a pub opposite but I can't remember another one, situated in a very quiet area on a main road. It's a very 'village' pub, and I presume very cheap rent.

Which of the major companies would do that, none that I know of and I am sure that Biffer would agree unless it is on a short term lease as a pub that has previously had a number of people leave due to the previous high rent.

 

[Hamilton]

We were music-led and the way we worked it was that we'd pay the band 10% of the bar take from when they started playing until the end of the night. Support acts play free. If they bring a crowd they could have a gig of their own.
Popular bands such as Tragic Roundabout, Los Albertos, The Resonators make quite a few hundred quid for their work, but of course the pub took quite a few grand from them being there. It means the band tries hard to promote the night but if nobody comes you won't lose out.

In my experience though, it's a right pain in the arse, and you'd need to pay north of £1,000 for equipment plus regular relacements and repairs, a sound man £75 per night, the council and/or police may insist on security outside at weekends which will be £20 per hour or so. Oh, and you'd need to print posters and flyers.
Owning a pub is very costly indeed with a constant stream of things breaking down, going wrong, getting broken, smashed up etc. You're forever jumping through hoops to please the council and police.
It's a lot of hassle and I wish you all the best, but I'll never do it again that's for sure.

Agree with everything you've said here Biffer, but this really isn't the micro pub concept. The original link gives you much more of an idea of what it's about.

 

[The Large One]

My head hurts.

 

[Albumen]

Which of the major companies would do that, none that I know of and I am sure that Biffer would agree unless it is on a short term lease as a pub that has previously had a number of people leave due to the previous high rent.

Well it was a vacant butchers with very little passing trade, I'm just speculating having visited.

 

[BensGrandad]

That being the case it is possibly privately owned and rented out rather than owned by Enterprise, Punch or another large company.

 

[Hamilton]

The other pub is called the Upper Red Lion, but it looks like it is about to be turned into a Tesco Local.

 

[Colossal Squid]

My head hurts.

Ditto.

I don't even remember getting home

 

[Fungus]

I don't even remember getting home

My head hurts.

Wow, hope you won't abuse your future customers like that!

 

[Albumen]

Only £5000 to set up he reckons (or £2000 for him as he already had the cooling system)
Britain's tiniest pub: At 12ft by 14ft it's Herne's big success | Mail Online

 

[Biffer]

Agree with everything you've said here Biffer, but this really isn't the micro pub concept. The original link gives you much more of an idea of what it's about.

That's why I posted it. It really isn't the micro-pub concept so I was trying to warn you away from music.

As BG said, most pubs would have a rent of between £20k and £50k. If it's lower than that it would be for a short term (first year or so). They'll then hike it up and have rent reviews every few years with a view to hike it up as much as they can. The more successful you are, the more they will want.
Please, whatever you do, don't get involved with a pub company.

I thought the micro-pub idea was to lease a building that isn't currently a pub anyway...

 

[BensGrandad]

Please, whatever you do, don't get involved with a pub company.

I thought the micro-pub idea was to lease a building that isn't currently a pub anyway...

Another option if you have enough investors or sufficient money is to buy a pub that is on the market as a freehold but again the big companies wont sell them cheap as they would rather sell them off to a property developer to demolish and build flats. Purely for information if JD Wetherspons buy a property to convert to pub they set aside £1m for the rebuild and refurbish.

 

[Colossal Squid]

We don't want to buy a pub. We want to start a MICROPUB in a small disused premises, most likely a shop

 

[Hamilton]

We don't want to buy a pub. We want to start a MICROPUB in a small disused premises, most likely a shop

Shit! I've just gone and put an offer in for the King & Queen; have notified Carling that I'll need a monster delivery of Euro-Fizz and Jaegermeisters; have Sky on hold as I order every sports package under the Sun, and Dixons are delivering 8 x 128inch flat screen tvs!

Next you'll be telling me to send back the 10 fruit machines and 2 pool tables, and that my "Wear as little as you can and get a free vodka shot promotion" isn't worth pursuing! Shall I send back the Jessie J CDs as well?

 

[Tricky Dicky]

We don't want to buy a pub. We want to start a MICROPUB in a small disused premises, most likely a shop

Out of interest - and I'm not involved, so it's not really any of my business, just curious - but, what is the basic philosophy for you guys. Presumably you're not looking to make a living out of it, just run it as a hobby yes ? I mean, a pub, let alone a small one is barely enough to support one owner, as far as I know.

 

[Worthingite]

Shit! I've just gone and put an offer in for the King & Queen; have notified Carling that I'll need a monster delivery of Euro-Fizz and Jaegermeisters; have Sky on hold as I order every sports package under the Sun, and Dixons are delivering 8 x 128inch flat screen tvs!

Next you'll be telling me to send back the 10 fruit machines and 2 pool tables, and that my "Wear as little as you can and get a free vodka shot promotion" isn't worth pursuing! Shall I send back the Jessie J CDs as well?

Keep everything bar the Jessie J CD's and the Carling. And change the wear as little as you can deal to "a free shot" (You can give them stuff that's cheaper than vodka and they will not give a shit!!)

 

[Gordon Bennett]

Next you'll be telling me to send back the 10 fruit machines and 2 pool tables

Only if that means there is no room for the karaoke machine.