Pulling in the punters so we can keep pulling the pints
How pubs are having to adapt to survive in trying times
“PEOPLE still have money to spend but now it is about working harder to get them through the door”, says Neil Walsh.
Neil is the landlord at two of Southport’s oldest pubs, starting out as a chef, he took over The Windmill with his partner Tom at 26, before saving the historic Cheshire Lines from collapsing in 2021.
It’s been a trying few months for pubs in Southport, the seaside town has seen several well-established pubs fall under the burden of rising energy costs.
Neil said that pubs need to adapt to the climate if they are going to survive, and landlords need to earn customers’ trust more than ever.
Neil said: “It does worry me a little when you hear of another one going, that could easily have been us during covid but I don’t think it is all doom and gloom. Pubs are having to diversify to attract customers that they would not normally have because you don’t survive by just people walking through the door. You have to get them in.
“Although we are living during a cost-of-living crisis people still do have money. They are just choosing to spend it more cautiously. So if they come to a pub and there is good clientele, a good vibe then they are willing to spend.”
The Cheshire Lines dates back to 1817, and the historic pub had not served a pint in two years before it was taken over by Neil. It was a big risk considering the post covid climate but Neil said people in Southport value a sense of community when it comes to pubs.
He said: “It was a good challenge and like the Windmill it was a traditional pub and I thought we could add something to it. We knew the demographic of Southport and what we could offer to people.
“They want a sense of community even if that means they will be paying a little bit more. We are not a Wetherspoons where it is £2 a pint or the most expensive we are somewhere in the middle. People are happy to pay more if they feel like the owner really cares about the place.”
The face of Southport’s main thoroughfare, Lord Street is ever-changing and increasing it seems that as the value of the street as a retail destination has diminished and watering holes, like pubs and bars, are becoming more common.
However, that has not stopped mainstays in the Southport pub scene from closing down and in December The Willow Grove Wetherspoons announced that it would be closing its doors.
This was followed by independent pub The Phoenix along with the Ship and Anchor.
Mark Brown opened the Southport Coaster on Lord Street 14 weeks ago, the pub rose from the ashes of Potting Shed that closed down in October last year.
“That is the way it has always been, a pub closes and then something else comes along. It just means more business for us” says Mark. He added: “I had a caravan in Wales I had left the game, to be honest. Then I was asked to take over this place.
“It has been mental I have never known a pub so busy. When we first opened it was quiet but since then it has gone from strength to strength. We started with three staff and now we have 15.”
Being a publican is in Mark’s blood, he was raised in a pub close to his native Stoke-on-Trent before venturing into the industry on his own.
Mark said that with the Southport Coaster, he wanted to bring back the feeling of an “old-school community pub.”
The 48-year-old said: “I think that is what the people of Southport respond to if I am honest. Even though it is a big pub we feel this is a communityled pub and that is what we have gone back to. The old days.
“We have to work make sure it is busy, we put karaoke on, drag shows, little things to get punters through the door. You have to make sure there is always something to offer aside from a good pint.
“The business has changed over the years. I think covid had a lot to do with it and people wanted to stay at home. The other pubs I have managed after lockdown have been quiet but this place is booming and I just want to keep that going.”
Further up Lord Street, another business is about to be born out of the empty shell of another. Luminita Maranda and Radu Ivan opened Sapori Italian restaurant last year. They are now converting the former restaurant and celebrity hotspot Casa Italia into a pub.
Luminita said: “The Casa is just next door and everyone who came here wanted somewhere to drink afterward. So we thought why not open a pub next door.
“It is the right time to do it as a lot of places are closing and I think we can provide something that people will want. I think the pubs are closing because of the climate rather than there not being a need for them and we just have to make sure this will be a place people want to go.
“We want to think for the future and I know it is going to bed hard to put the pub on its feet but it will be worth it. I also think it is important to remember that Southport is not what it used to be, so we can’t just rely on tourists coming in. We need good, local customers.
“It is sad when another pub goes but if you have the right people and the owners care about making it a good place to be then it will work. I have to keep believing that.”