Topic: Running a Small Club Bar (Read 18110 times)

uknsaunders · « **on:** February 17, 2015, 03:56:10 PM »

We don't have a bar at the moment and use our local pub. However the cost of a pint is nearly �4 and the landlord doesn't seem that keen on supporting the club. He's the only pub for a few miles and probably knows he can keep the (approx) �3k a year we spend with him on booze, without having to dip in his pocket to sponsor us. One of the things we have discussed on and off is having some kind of Bar at the club. For a number of reasons I don't think it would ever be a licensed one. However, we did think of having a non-alcoholic bar, essentially serving soft drinks and some non-alcoholic beer. Has anybody done similar in the past?

FattusCattus · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2015, 03:58:52 PM »

I'm sure you can circumvent licensing laws by having a cooler full of cans or bottle of beer and invite people to make a set 'donation' to the club in exchange for one.

simonmay5 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:10:36 PM »

We have this at our ground a couple off coolers with soft drinks and some cans off larger and bitter if any one ask we said they bought a raffle ticket and won the beer and I found the team you are playing don't mind as a nice cold beer sitting out side in the sunshine goes down well and it brings abit off money back into the club

TangoWhiskey · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:13:07 PM »

We are lucky in this respect. Our ground is owned by a social club who are quite accommodating to us. We include their �26 membership in our subscription so all members of the cricket club are members of the social club and we therefore get a whole pub on site with no volunteering required to run the bar from our guys. Pints are less than �3 which taking into account our proximity to London is very reasonable.

uknsaunders · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:16:24 PM »

Quote from: FattusCattus on February 17, 2015, 03:58:52 PM

I'm sure you can circumvent licensing laws by having a cooler full of cans or bottle of beer and invite people to make a set 'donation' to the club in exchange for one.

Possibly but it's a little more complicated. Our club sits on land owned by the guy next door. He isn't a fan of us and he's been quite firm on a number of things, including alcohol. So on top of an annoyed landlord we would have a landowner with an axe to grind if we went down that route. In all but the odd occasion it's probably not worth trying to bring alcohol down the club. Better off a "dry" bar that nobody can do anything about.

Maverick79 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:25:52 PM »

Nick, What about if we sourced a cheap fridge from gumtree/eBay (or find someone to donate one). We could get a Costco card (there's one about 5 mins from me and I don't mind going to get stuff on a regular basis) and we could get drinks/chocolate bars/crisps etc that way? We would just need a small float and lockable cash tin and away we go!

RF · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:30:40 PM »

A Club bar is a good idea, we have a large fridge and stock it with cans from the supermarket. We sell at �1.50 a can and still make nearly a grand a year profit (we like a beer). We only tend to stay for a couple of drinks then head back into the village.

I wouldn't try and get round licensing laws either, they are pretty cheap �60 / 70 a year, and the fines can be pretty hefty if you don't have one.

TangoWhiskey · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:34:58 PM »

Quote from: Maverick79 on February 17, 2015, 04:25:52 PM

Nick, What about if we sourced a cheap fridge from gumtree/eBay (or find someone to donate one). We could get a Costco card (there's one about 5 mins from me and I don't mind going to get stuff on a regular basis) and we could get drinks/chocolate bars/crisps etc that way? We would just need a small float and lockable cash tin and away we go!

It seems like a lot of effort to go to without any alcohol involved in my opinion.

RF · « **Reply #8 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:39:50 PM »

Also �4 a pint!!

Yet another reason why the North is a better place to live than the South.

Maverick79 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:43:47 PM »

Quote from: TangoWhiskey on February 17, 2015, 04:34:58 PM

It seems like a lot of effort to go to without any alcohol involved in my opinion.

That might be the case but there is little alternative if the land owner is adamant there is no alcohol. Last thing anyone wants would be to have no ground to play on. As much as people would love to have a beer at the ground, you can't just do as you please when you don't own the ground.

Just suggesting a starting point that maybe can be built on if relationships with the land owner improve with time

uknsaunders · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:44:04 PM »

Quote from: Maverick79 on February 17, 2015, 04:25:52 PM

Nick, What about if we sourced a cheap fridge from gumtree/eBay (or find someone to donate one). We could get a Costco card (there's one about 5 mins from me and I don't mind going to get stuff on a regular basis) and we could get drinks/chocolate bars/crisps etc that way? We would just need a small float and lockable cash tin and away we go!

It's on mine/Redders discussion list for the next committee meeting!. You are right, a cheap glass fridge and a rota of beer buying is pretty straight forward. I estimated the club would gain �500-1000 a season in revenue and drinks would be approx �1 cheaper than the Pub. Obviously we don't get to wait 10 minutes to be served from a warm coke bottle they got from One Stop, or get fried by the fire in the middle of summer while sitting on umcomfortable wooden seats but such is life. It's one of those things though, if you give the Landlord a choice between no business and paying up for sponsorship/price reduction, then he might come round. Just have to do a bit of due diligence first.

uknsaunders · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:48:00 PM »

Quote from: RF on February 17, 2015, 04:39:50 PM

Also �4 a pint!!

Yet another reason why the North is a better place to live than the South.

Well it's �3.60 at the moment, but you are bang on.

I use to pay �2-�2.50 at the Victory Pub in Headingley. That was thanks to a sponsorship deal we did with them. We got a few hundred pounds sponsorship + food on Saturdays + discounted beer and in return we drank probably �4k of booze + all our fines money. They took a hit on margin but got a load revenue

uknsaunders · « **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:51:05 PM »

Quote from: Maverick79 on February 17, 2015, 04:43:47 PM

That might be the case but there is little alternative if the land owner is adamant there is no alcohol. Last thing anyone wants would be to have no ground to play on. As much as people would love to have a beer at the ground, you can't just do as you please when you don't own the ground.

Just suggesting a starting point that maybe can be built on if relationships with the land owner improve with time

Absolutely, and I think we are in a better spot with the Landowner than a few years ago. It's interesting, we all talk about alcohol but most of us drive to games and therefore couldn't have more than a pint (if that) anyway. Unless you catch a lift with mates the only alternative is to get a taxi home or live near the ground.

tommo256 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2015, 04:53:09 PM »

We have a bar at the club, its �3 quid for pint of either bitter or lager! The bottles vary, but most of our club money is made from our bar

Gurujames · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2015, 05:21:14 PM »

Our bar makes around 1000 a year. we sell cans of lager and cider (somerset club) for �1.50 each. the wife of a club member works at a supermarket so she gets it cheap. According to a family member who used to be in the judiciary, clubs do not need a licence to sell alcohol to club members. You can choose whether you want to sell to visitors or to offer them a drink for a �1.50 donation.
We have had to replace our roller �2000, our outfield mower is totally knackered �1200. Without such revenue streams we would have to fold.

Author Topic: Running a Small Club Bar (Read 18110 times)

uknsaunders

Running a Small Club Bar

FattusCattus

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

simonmay5

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

TangoWhiskey

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

uknsaunders

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

Maverick79

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

RF

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

TangoWhiskey

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

RF

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

Maverick79

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

uknsaunders

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

uknsaunders

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

uknsaunders

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

tommo256

Re: Running a Small Club Bar

Gurujames

Re: Running a Small Club Bar