As the hospitality sector continues to face an uncertain future, savvy landlords are finding alternative ways to stay afloat. From drone deliveries to takeaway pints, the future of the British pub could be very different.
With pubs and restaurants closed across the UK and no firm plans in place for a reopening strategy, smart landlords are finding new ways to keep their customers happy and the money coming in. While the vast majority of landlords have simply closed their doors and crossed their fingers, others are thinking outside the box and coming up with new ways to get punters drinking.
A pub in Leith, the Malt & Hops on The Shore, trialled brief opening times where drinkers could queue up and have ales poured for them that they could then take home. Regulars who were desperate for a pint were allowed into the bar one at a time and had to bring their own containers.
Police were called to the pub, but officers confirmed that no social distancing rules had been broken. On the Facebook page of the pub, a post says, “2-3pm Wed, Frid, Sat. Cask & Draught available at scandalously low prices. Grab yourself a container & enjoy a proper pint. Social distancing, one in at a time, all that good stuff. Support the local. Cheers.”
The pub in Leith is not the only one offering something new. With 7000 bars in Ireland shut down during the crisis, Mckeever’s Bar and Lounge in Rathdrinagh has come up with a whole new way of delivering what locals want: by flying drones loaded with food and booze!
Located 30 miles from Dublin, Mckeever’s has been an iconic presence for over 150 years, but the uncertainty of the current reopening strategy caused current owner April McKeever to start thinking of something new. Now, local residents in Rathdrinagh can order by phone, and the pub will fly out their drinks via drones. Beer, wine, and crisps are the most popular items, with McKeever saying that the current favourites are “Bottles of Heineken usually, or sometimes a few cans of Bulmers.”
Family member Paul Clark is in charge of flying the drone but admits that there are occasional challenges to the system. The weather is the most obvious issue, with Clark saying that “We had a bottle of wine and a bag of Tayto crisps ready to go last night, but it didn’t take off because of the wind.” Whether the drone delivery system will remain in place when Irish pubs reopen as expected on August 10th remains to be seen.
From home deliveries of ‘quarantini’ cocktail-making kits to beer vouchers that punters can buy now to reclaim when pubs reopen, landlords are working hard to earn an income in the face of the tight government guidelines. With no end in sight for the hospitality sector, home deliveries and ‘buy and collect’ options could become the new normal for those bars struggling to stay optimistic as the future remains so uncertain.
