Pubs lose trade due to closures

PUBS on a busy Cardiff city centre road say they have lost trade as a result of the Champions League final after the public were prevented access to the road.

A number of bars and pubs on Westgate Street, on which the main entrance to the National Stadium of Wales stands, normally jam packed with fans on match day, were left missing out with no passing trade.

Kani Naim, operations manager with Zero Degrees, said there were only five customers in the building at around 1.30pm.

He said: “We make £30-£40,000 on a match day and they have virtually closed us down without telling us and we’re not making any money out of this.

“We will be lucky if we make £5-10,000 today. When we say to Uefa are you going to pay for this, they’re not going to listen.”

Just a few yards down, the Queen’s Vaults pub also experienced problems with trade.

Manager Kevin Howells said he thought it would be the busiest day the pub has ever had but had turned out quieter than a normal Saturday.

He added: “We have exactly the same problem, they have cordoned each end of Westgate Street but at all the briefings they said the footpath would be kept open.

“I am haemorrhaging money, I have had to take more staff on but I would have taken more money on a normal Saturday. It’s unbelievable.”

Despite the pub holding more than 300 people, Kevin said there was only 80 people in the pub at around 1.30pm.

Edd Clemas, manager of the Tiny Rebel, further up Westgate Street, he agreed that trade had been affected.

He said: “We’re a busy bar anyway but we have seen a large drop in trade.”