Flagship pub will not open if city returns to Tier 3
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT TRADING ‘DREADFUL’
ONE of Nottingham’s flagship Castle Rock pubs will not reopen if the city returns to Tier 3 after the national lockdown.
Colin Wilde, managing director of 20 Castle Rock pubs, the majority of which are in Nottingham, said the measures will be taken at the Canalhouse, in Canal Street.
He said after “a dreadful” Friday and Saturday night trading under Tier 3, the Canalhouse would only reopen again if the city went into Tier 2 after the second lockdown.
He said: “A second lockdown was not entirely unexpected but it took us a bit by surprise, especially having just gone into Tier 3.
“Canalhouse has been fluid, but at the end of the day, we have got the groundwork of the law to deal with and have got to make sure it is financially viable.
“It is a ‘shall we open, shall we close’ and we decided on Saturday night that would be our last night because Friday was dreadful and Saturday was not great.
“Tier 3 is going out for a substantial meal and there are only so many meals you can have in a night.
“People just want a few pints. It has all been designed to stop people from going to pubs. It is another bad blow. The pub industry has done its best to stop the spread of the virus and there is no real evidence pubs have been a problem.
“We had July, August and September with no issues at all or growth of the virus. We won’t give up, though, without a fight.”
Mr Wilde, whose other pubs include The Barley Twist and the Vat and Fiddle, added: “I am confident we have the people and the premises and the passion, but if our costs are exceeded by our revenue for a substantial part of the time it will come to a point where you can’t continue.
“We will be okay in 2021 but we will have to see if there is a demand for pubs. We will look in 2021 to see where we sit.
“This clearly provides more uncertainty for us. It leaves us again with a business with zero revenue.
“Our overall message is we are disappointed that in seven months we have done everything and more only to go back to square one, like a proper game of snakes and ladders.”