Business Rates Rises

[sal]

Rural pubs probably aren't being charged £40k. Hence my caveat about what size/type of pub it is.

I was talking to a pub owner a couple of weeks ago, and their annual council tax in rural Devon is almost £40,000 a year. No wonder so many pubs are closing!

Business rates are ridiculous notion, straight out of medieval times. Raising them all the sudden is like killing the golden goose.

[SueEllen]

Had a blinding idea if I ever wanted to open my place as a pub, which all the local farmers and residents have been beseeching me to do since I moved to Devon.

Claim it is a B&B, where the guests all kip on folding beds in the same large room, like a down-market youth hostel if you like, then charge the regulars say a pound for the night so they can then drink as hotel guests (and not of course bother staying the night, unless they end up literally too legless to drive home).

I just realised charities are exempt from business rates. So if your members club was a charity then you would be exempt.

There as your B&B wouldn't be.

[SueEllen]

Listening to a guy running a pub based in Barnet on the radio. His business rates are going up from £9,000 to £23,000. He's suppose to get £1700 of trade a week on 900sq ft according to the fair maintainable trade calculation it is based on. He is now closing down his pub and making his 3 employees redundant.

Oh and lots of corner shops are going to close.

[tomtomagain]

Regarding beer prices for pubs ... I have a friend who runs a small pub company with about 25 pubs in it.

This is what he told me when I asked about the prices ( for another friend)

£75 ex vat free trade for 72 pints of cask beer
£83 ex vat free trade for 88 pints of Carling/fosters
Eg doom bar average price 3.60 so about £2.30 slightly more on Carling etc

[SueEllen]

Regarding beer prices for pubs ... I have a friend who runs a small pub company with about 25 pubs in it.

This is what he told me when I asked about the prices ( for another friend)

£75 ex vat free trade for 72 pints of cask beer
£83 ex vat free trade for 88 pints of Carling/fosters
Eg doom bar average price 3.60 so about £2.30 slightly more on Carling etc

Sounds good until you work out the rent, rates, staff wages, heating. lighting, water etc