Is £2 a Decent Days Takings?

Oh my Lord what kind of task have we set ourselves? The first week trade was to put it mildly quite slow!

In those far off days at The Malthouse there were many days when I despaired of trade but our opening week here comfortably eclipsed them all. On the worst day we took not a sausage which would have at least subsidized the staff meal. Having said that the reaction from the customers we have had in has been overwhelmingly positive. They like the place and have shown that by coming back. We have had a very high repeat rate from the few that have come through the door which is a good sign for the future.

Realistically the low trade is hardly surprising as we have done no marketing or advertising at all. This may seem somewhat remiss on my part but it was quite deliberate. While we find our feet there are likely to be many hiccups in the quality of service. Only one member of staff, for example knew how to make a gin and tonic so on a skills level we are starting from zero. I wanted to make sure we had a decent product to start with before spreading our net – far better to have a few happy people than a lot of unhappy ones!

Trade was also slow because we have not yet started serving food. We are just not set up for it and the chef needs more time to get prepared (more on that saga in the next post). We need to get the menu up and running to boost both our appeal and takings.

Being quiet is a real de-motivator for the staff. Sitting about really dulls the senses and leads to a lackluster attitude but the guys have responded really well and every customer through the door has been enthusiastically greeted and welcomed. I am especially pleased that they are talking to the customers, something that will lead to repeat trade and the type of pub we want to create. Also they all now know how to mix a G&T as well as a number of other drinks including the cocktail of the week, my favourite a caiparinha – very refreshing a jolly nice.

Note to self: don’t drink the profits!