A DEFIANT pub is fighting back against price hikes by vowing to sell pints of Guinness for just €5.
But the proprietor admits business is just about “keeping the doors open” for punters.
Mayo-based publican Conor O’Keeffe has warned that the relentless costs challenge is going to put many boozers out of business before the Government act.
Conor, who runs The Ranch in Claremorris, said pubs and restaurants are closing “by the dozens every week” all over the country.
He told The Irish Sun: “Two weeks ago, I got four separate letters informing me of price increases. Diageo, Heineken, Sky, Richmond Marketing (seller and supplier of spirits).
“But we love our customers and have decided to go against the grain and drop the price of a pint of Guinness to €5.”
A pint of the black stuff can now cost punters over €6, and more than €7 in the capital.
Asked about his bargain offering, he added: “I’m not going to say we are the cheapest pint.
“There’s different pubs down in say Kerry, Dingle, north Mayo, whatever, that may actually sell it cheaper, but in a bigger town we probably would be one of the cheaper pints in the countryside.”
Diageo told publicans in January that the price of multiple drinks that they own will see a six per cent increase before VAT.
The list includes Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, and Hophouse 13.
Conor said: “There’s hardly any margin on pints, as it is.
“I’m not putting on a poor man’s. Everyone has to deal with the cost of living. There’s no issue there.
“The problem is, the multi-nationals are better able to cope with increases than the smaller businesses are.
“We just can’t. I don’t want to put prices up.”
‘SERVING THE PUBLIC’
He added: “I’m not making a fortune, we’re not making money. We’re getting by, we’re staying open, and we’re serving the public.
“Look, if we were in it for the money, obviously we’d want to make a few pounds, but it’s just not there. It’s not there anymore, and it’s just a case of keeping the doors open.”
Conor called on the Government to take urgent action before it was too late for business – but he was not optimistic.
He said: “It’s just not happening. It’s like anything in this country, it takes too long.
“Maybe they will bring something in to help small businesses, who knows – but in that time, I can guarantee you, there’ll be another 10 per cent of businesses closed. It’s just too late for a lot of them.”
The Wicklow native said the impact of pub and restaurant closures can be seen in every county – with places shutting up shop making the headlines daily.
BUSINESSES GOING UNDER
He said: “There used to be 28 pubs in Claremorris. There’s seven now.
“And that is the same picture countrywide from town to town.
“It’s not sustainable – the price increases, the cost of living, they’re just not helping. They’re not reading the room. They don’t care. It’s as simple as that.
“The only people they probably do care about would be the larger pubs.
“But even now I’m seeing it myself in Galway city, pubs are closing. Three or four have closed in the last few months.
“So, pubs are starting to close in major cities that have a major population. They have tourists, they have the college population.”
‘ZERO RELIEF’
Conor warned there’s “zero relief” for small pubs and businesses in Ireland with price hikes, energy bills and the minimum wage increase.
He said: “They’re talking about reducing the VAT rate for pubs that serve food, so that’ll have no effect for us.
“It’d be great for the other pubs and restaurants 100 per cent. I’d be fully behind that.
“They need to drop it, they’re talking about dropping it, it hasn’t been done, and now they’re talking about doing it next year. So there’s another year gone.”
‘SLOWLY DYING’
He added: “It’s our culture. Irish people and around the world, we’re known for our culture, our social habits, going to the pub, having a pint, having a bit of crack.
“That is slowly dying. It’s slowly dying because it’s not sustainable.”
“We just can’t. I don’t want to put prices up.”
Conor O’Keeffe
Although the boozer is a “quiet pub”, punters were delighted to see the fiver pints.
Conor said: “We’re lucky, we’re heavily involved in the community.
“We’ve got great GAA clubs, soccer clubs. We’ve got these clubs and they would be our customers.
“We look after them, we’re heavily involved in sponsorship. We look after [everyone].
“If anyone comes to me, we’re always open – even though we’re stuck to the pin of our collar, it’s just a little bit of giving back.
“That’s all it is, it’s not going to cost me to drop the price of a pint of Guinness.
“And as I say, it goes against the grain of all these price increases. I think people need a bit of good news at the moment.”
