demise of Wetherspoons?
demise of Wetherspoons?
Hand in hand with the removal of quiz machines is the disposal of Wetherspoon pubs up and down the land. Yes, there has always been disposals but the latest outlets put up for sale is quite a number. For a substantial amount of time Wetherspoons were the 'groovy' (a Tim Martin phrase that is bloody annoying) pub owner and Tim has become a media figure spouting forth on various outlets most notably on Question Time but I would suggest that the wheels have the potential to come off now that Wetherspoons has become complacement in its rise. They were innovative in a no music, no TV policy across the brand a policy that fractured from 1998 World Cup (Gatwick Airport were alleged to have 'forced them' to show England matches. They were innovative in their various clubs such as the popular Curry Club. Low food prices and cheap drinks. However competitors have arguably caught them up and overtaken them particularly Greene King and Marston, the food in particular is not cheap or good in comparison to other brands and Wetherspoons wrongly or rightly has long been associated with pissheads and layabouts, the early opening of the pubs facilitating these chavvy lifestyles. Opening predominantly city centre in pioneering locations former cinemas, bingo halls, banks doesn't seem so great now as there has long been an about turn with many former pub conversions and City centre locations = high rents with many Wetherspoon outlets appearing to directly compete with each other. The high number of fruities smacks of desperation, the removal of quiz machines only confirms that they are chav heavy (excepting are Pro fruity friends from this pointed)observation. Will Wetherspoons continue to conquer the world, seems unlikely, remember Barracuda? How the mighty can fall...
Yep got 30 up for sale now (a few that still have a Quiz machine in aswell....) and already in the West Midlands several have already closed. In places like Walsall and Tamworth where there were 2 100 yards from each other on the high street.
Looks like a business that wants to streamline and just go for one main bar in an area. Plenty of machines still around in their old ones but I don't hold up much hope for the future as really struggling to remember the last 'spoons they actually opened that had a quiz machine in it.
A shame as there are some genuinely nice buildings that have been coverted (that old theatre in Tunbridge Wells and the cinema in Stafford are two personal favourites especially as both have gamesnets) and the £5.49 beer and burger is always a winner but it's just the way things are going isn't it.
Looks like a business that wants to streamline and just go for one main bar in an area. Plenty of machines still around in their old ones but I don't hold up much hope for the future as really struggling to remember the last 'spoons they actually opened that had a quiz machine in it.
A shame as there are some genuinely nice buildings that have been coverted (that old theatre in Tunbridge Wells and the cinema in Stafford are two personal favourites especially as both have gamesnets) and the £5.49 beer and burger is always a winner but it's just the way things are going isn't it.