Any sports bars or pubs you go to that don't serve food during the day?

[CaptainHowdy87]

TL;DR version - 2 sports bars I went to today said they don't serve food until 5:30 PM. Has anyone else ever encountered this anywhere?

Long rant version - I probably go out once a weekend to watch the footy with my Dad at a sports bar or a pub near where I live. Today we had to drop someone in Rowville and the old man suggested a place called the Stamford Hotel which he used to go to with an old mate years ago. The sports bar was pretty amateur, but we found a seat near a crappy small screen to watch the Hawthorn vs Geelong game. Funny that you can call a pub with a couple of screens with sports on them a 'sports bar' but whatever...

About 10 mins into the game right after a goal was kicked I hurried over to the bar to ask for a bowl of chips and they told me they don't serve food until 5:30 PM. In all my years going to different sports bars and pubs that was definitely a first. The old man had already eaten, but I still wanted to share a bowl of chips with him and get myself a burger and a pint. They lost our business that day and any time in the future.

So we left at qtr time and drove about 10 mins down the road to the Knox Tavern in Wantirna. The 2nd qtr was already half over which I was annoyed about. Again, I go to the bar and ask for a bowl of chips and get the exact same response; We don't serve food until 5:30 PM. So I waited until half-time and just went and got a burger at Grill'd. That's another place I was prepared to spend a decent amount of money on an expensive burger, a bowl of chips and a few pints (probably close to $50) As a rule, if a place doesn't serve food then I'm not buying drinks and will get them elsewhere. I had a couple of corona's with my burger at Grill'd.

Do these establishments not care about making money? Both times the bar was filled with about 50-80 people and I'm sure half of them would've wanted a bite to eat during the footy. I don't get it. There's plenty of places to go that do serve food and people will just go somewhere else the next time. You don't need a full-time qualified chef to whip up some chips. A waitress or bartender could manage that in a very short amount of time like they do at most places. The serves they normally give you are tiny anyway and always cost about 7 or 8 bucks for about 50 cents worth of chips. $8 X 30-40 people is roughly $250-300 for the work of one person over 2 hours and the use of an oven/deep fryer and plates. Bartender/waitress wouldn't be on any more than $20 an hour. That's mostly profit and people who aren't gonna find somewhere else the next time where the establishment serves food.

Has anyone else ever encountered this anywhere?

 

[Silent Alarm]

I think it's a decent sign it's probably just a drinking den for teh oirish and not that great of a venue.

Lots of pubs in the UK don't serve food... at all. I find that pretty odd but then again with their stodge it could be a blessing in disguise.

 

[Brad Goodman]

That is odd, although both of those venues have fairly large bistros so I guess their daytime food service is concentrated on them.

Another possibility is that they were lacking staff due to not wanting to pay public holiday wages and thus had nobody in the kitchen at that time.

 

[Reynolds Number]

Never been to a pub in Perth that doesn't serve food at 12pm. I guess that is Responsible Service of Alcohol regulations at work.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Ahhh hospitality and the excuses of less staff and surcharges on public holidays.

If you get more than $25 an hour on a public holiday at most pubs you've done well. The vast majority of places do not pay their employees in the same way Woolies pay their casual staff on the same PH. Absolute ****in gip and joints that tack a dollar onto the price of a pint can get ****ed.

 

[Scotland]

Never been to a pub in Perth that doesn't serve food at 12pm. I guess that is Responsible Service of Alcohol regulations at work.

On the flip side good luck getting food after 7.30pm.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Most half decent kitchens close at 10 for somewhere reasonably busy, even after then there’s generally someone willing to fry up some chips until 11 or so.


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[Pakenhamsaint]

Depends on food. Some places have nibbles like hot chips and whatnot but some dont do thier lunch/dinner menu outside lunch/dinner times.
The Precinct at Richmond does just that. Have lunch 12-2/3 then dinner at 5pk

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The Stammo! Takes me back. Friday nights were a free-for-all, grab yourself a local loosie

 

[Starburns_]

Unlikely in this case but the new smoking laws have had an impact on when you can purchase food at plenty of pubs in Melbourne.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Some pubs have lunch hours (usually 12 -2 pm) but then close again till 5 or so. I'd prefer a drinking joint where the kitchen never closes, the bar's open 24 hours and 'responsible service of alcohol' laws are themselves illegal.

But we can't always get what we want, can we?

 

[Matty_G]

I've definitely had lunch at the Stamford sports bar before, must have just been because it was Easter Monday?

 

[perthblue]

if the kitchen isn't open all day then the food sucks

 

[Silent Alarm]

if the kitchen isn't open all day then the food sucks

If the menu is the exact same for more than about four months it too sucks.

I reckon 10 mains and about five, six small things is the good sign. Generally means they do most stuff pretty well, don’t spread themselves thin, but there’s also going to be a few things that aren’t beef burgers or parmas.

 

[wal]

Ahhh hospitality and the excuses of less staff and surcharges on public holidays.

If you get more than $25 an hour on a public holiday at most pubs you've done well. The vast majority of places do not pay their employees in the same way Woolies pay their casual staff on the same PH. Absolute ****in gip and joints that tack a dollar onto the price of a pint can get ******.

If you can't earn more than your salary in fiddles and tips working behind a bar you shouldn't be behind the bar.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

That's average. Most TAB sportsbar sections of pubs offer up chips and toasted sangas etc. outside of actual kitchen hours

 

[Dixie Normous]

Had a great steak in a strip club once

 

[Silent Alarm]

If you can't earn more than your salary in fiddles and tips working behind a bar you shouldn't be behind the bar.

I don't think all bars work like that, and it's less common in the age of the debit card. A fair few pubs have a glass with something lame written on them but they're generally split at the end of the night and total what, maybe an additional couple of knock offs? Not everyone is lucky enough to work in a nice restaurant with people who are in good moods and willing to chuck someone $20 even. How often do you really tip at a pub too? That work is just as hard on your feet and stressful.

 

[Reynolds Number]

Tipping just isn't a thing in this country due to the wages being high. And I wouldn't have it the other way.

 

[the_interloper]

Had a great steak in a strip club once

I had a shithouse fish and chips at the Royal once.

 

[Brad Goodman]

Who tips at a pub? Australian wages are sufficient.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Who tips at a pub? Australian wages are sufficient.

Nobody.

Seems swarmy hipster campaignerrags try and force me to tip at a "gastropub" charging $14.50 for a Pint can **** right off.

Don't ever try that on my you ****ing douchebag...customer gone

 

[Scotland]

America's tipping culture is horrible.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

America's tipping culture is horrible.

I noticed one thing that might be a positive for customers though - servers over there are almost INSANELY courteous. They have to ingratiate themselves for a better tip to supplement their meagre base wage, and it's something that just does not exist here. Some visiting Yanks told me they thought table service was almost straight-out rude because nobody smiled and greeted the customers like they do in the States.

The absence of a 'tipping culture' is why.

 

[craigos]

Tipping as a requirement is rubbish, I don't need a 5 minute internal struggle trying to decide what is a sufficient amount to tip someone every time I eat or drink.