Running a pub, bar or nightclub hasn’t ever been easy work; its a vocation and – as most owners will attest to – definitely not a lifestyle business, writes Nick Mosley.
There are the long hours of service whether pulling pints in the bar or cooking in the kitchen, food and drink menu planning and ordering, human resources management, door security, book keeping, marketing, hosting that weekly quiz night, cleaning up unmentionables… my list could go on and on.
Its easy to see that with high energy costs, rising wage bills and general inflationary pressure on other inputs including the food and drink itself, the financial margins that made running a pub, bar or club just about acceptable have disappeared like an evaporating spirit. As long publicised in the media, the big Pubcos – basically pub property management companies that the big breweries spun off, no doubt for huge profits – certainly haven’t helped the situation.
Data from the Office for National Statistics extrapolated from the Inter-Departmental Business Register in the summer of last year showed the number of UK pubs and bars had declined by 10% over the previous decade. Even more shockingly perhaps, the number of licensed nightclubs dropped by 28% in the same period.
In Brighton, the Pryzm nightclub in the embarrassingly dated Kingswest building was saved from administration earlier this year but now opens just three nights a week with a student night on Wednesday and general clubbing on Friday and Saturday. When I look back to my – a-hem – more academic years in sleepy Canterbury, we could party every night in a multitude of nightclubs – and usually did – with a tenner in our pockets. But today that feels like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
The key to all of the above is a seismic shift in consumer choices, perhaps most identified with Generation Z who were born between 1997 and 2012. Data shows a general trend that young people aged 16-24 are the least likely demographic group to have had an alcoholic drink in the previous week. Whether this is for financial reasons or more conscious health decisions – its probably a bit of both – there is undoubtably a lot more choice out there today so ‘going out, out’ no longer has to revolve around boozing as it has – to my mind at least – done in the past.
If we look at our high street today – especially here in Brighton where we can add into the mix our seafront offering – then there tends to be a lot more pocket-friendly places to go out to eat and socialise, and also further socialising options that might not include any food or drink at all.
Particularly midweek, there are offers a plenty out there for set menu and 2-for-1 dining at pizzerias, burger joints, sushi bars and the like. When a pint of average beer is £5 or more now in Brighton, for the cost of two pints you can have a hearty Mexican supper or head to one of the many vegetarian and vegan fast food outlets. Venues such as Shelter Hall on Brighton seafront also provide an open and uplifting space to meet with friends and the ability for individuals to set their own budget, and its most definitely no longer about liquor as there are coffees, smoothies and sophisticated sodas and soft drinks galore.
Following the long-standing popularity of the experiential offering of The World’s End pub on London Road – including a giant Skalextric-style race car track, which I have to say is ace even if I’m not the best driver in town –, the iconic Coalition club in King’s Road Arches has rebooted as a franchise of the Battle Bar brand with pool tables, karaoke, beer pong, shuffleboard, augmented reality darts, axe throwing – yes, thats an actual thing – and two ‘rage rooms’ where you can pay to smash things up with a hammer to a backdrop of murals of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson – and yes, that’s apparently an actual thing too.
Additionally, there are so many other social activities on offer of an evening that no longer revolve explicitly around alcohol. Back in the day, perhaps the best entertainment on offer in a pub was dragging a battered box of Cluedo off the shelf of the local pub – not doubt sticky and with half the pieces missing.
Now there are escape rooms, indoor day-glow golf, virtual reality experiences and the like, all of which are somewhat more sophisticated than the soulless roller rinks of the 80s and 90s and current bowling alleys that still can’t seem to throw the ingrained smell of sweaty feet and fetid odour of frying oil that has long seen its best day.
You’d be hard-pressed this summer to take a stroll around the centre of Brighton without bumping into an exuberant ‘silent disco’ walking or rollerblade tour. In the meantime, Madeira Drive has become quite the lifestyle hub of the entire South Coast well into the evening – perhaps to be termed a ‘promenade for the 21st century’ – with plenty of attractions including Jungle Rumble’s incredibly fun mini golf.
There is also no shortage of free outdoor cinemas popping up across Sussex this summer, notably ‘Central Park’ in front of St Peter’s Church in the heart of the city. Serving up big screen viewings of Wimbledon, Euro 2024, the Grand Prix and classic movies into the evening – and child-friendly much of the day – its a no-brainer space to head with friends and family without having to spend a penny. Although I understand if you do actually need to spend a penny then facilities are freely available.
Ultimately, its a case of looking at the societal shift again. Due to the lockdown, many young people missed their first taste of pub, bar and nightclub life, and quite frankly aren’t interested any longer in coming back to experiences they don’t connect with nor spaces that they feel are irrelevant.
Social media and the rise of streaming platforms mean a lot of entertainment and friendship networking can be done from the comfort of the sofa at home. In terms of the latter it is perhaps telling that, as reported in national media in recent weeks, Cineworld – the UK’s largest chain of cinema multiplexes – announced a restructure that would see the closure of a quarter of their 100 sites in the coming year. I cannot imagine my youth without a weekly visit to the flicks to check out the latest movie, but I now can’t recall the last movie I saw on the big screen primarily because I have a 65 inch one at home.
Even for older demographic groups perhaps the allure of a night – or early evening – on the town has dissipated. Unfortunately, Brighton’s nightlife pressure points – West Street and the seafront between the piers – only seem to get worse and never better.
What does the future hold, particularly for the city-by-the-sea? Some businesses who make their ker-ching from the traditionally alcohol-led nighttime economy will undoubtedly close through choice or necessity. But Brighton has long been a city of creativity and adaptability as the many new offerings that are fun, accessible, tasty, affordable and – dare I say, less chaotic – than the nightlife of the past has served up are now proving. Something for everyone to enjoy: I say a sober cheers to that.
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