Pub tells punters to be patient with staff
A historic Perth pub has been reminding customers that they have to stick to the Scottish Government’s rules and their patience is needed if the pints are to continue to get pulled.
Landlady at the King James Pub and Kitchen in Kinnoull Street Helen Ratcliffe recently gave punters a reminder on Facebook that things now are a bit different for everyone, but the smooth running of the pub was essential if it was to keep its doors open.
She posted: “Can customers please remember we are still working under government controls for a pandemic.
“We have not chosen these rules but to keep you and our staff safe we will implement them.
“Please do not take your frustrations out on the staff. This is all new to us all and you should try to be patient.
“Table service is the new normal and you will not be served quicker by annoying the staff.
“Please bear with us. We will get to everyone quicker than if you were standing at the bar waiting.”
Helen, who has run the pub for 11 years, told the PA that ‘the new normal’ meant she and her staff were “working about a hundred times harder for a fraction of the return.”
The reaction from customers since the King James reopened in July has been good on the whole she said, but weekends are difficult, particularly when regulars expect to come in when the premises are at their new capacity limit.
“It is difficult, on a Friday and Saturday night we mainly take bookings,” she explained. “We can take a maximum of 60 people inside.
“So when the seats are full up and a regular comes by, expecting to just come in, it can be a problem.
“We also remind people who have booked a table to arrive on time. We are losing money every minute you are late and we are turning people away.
“We are trying to have our business here after the pandemic but we do need everyone’s help to do this.
“We don’t make the rules and the last thing we want is for us to have to shut again, so it is a fine balance operating in these times. Nobody is used to it yet. Not the customers or the staff.
“I have to say though, we have not had any really bad situations.
“I’m using Facebook to reinforce the message and that appears to be helping people understand what everyone has to do now.
“We want people to relax and enjoy the fact they are served at their table. No one is allowed to stand at the bar and in people’s heads, it can be annoying because it feels like it’s taking longer, but really it isn’t.”
The King James was previously called Christie’s, but changed its name to salute the murdered medieval monarch after the only remains of the Blackfriars Friary were discovered in the cellar of the pub during renovations.