Bar / Catering

[Deleted member 29109]

You’ve got to remember some people join a club just to play golf.
Some can’t afford to eat & drink after,or don’t have the time.

This is pretty much me. I don’t have the time and often the club has stopped serving food by the time I have finished playing.

It wouldn’t bother me in the slightest if we didn’t have a clubhouse. Particularly as we are currently spending an awful lot of money on an extension and renovations because of a few grumpy seniors.

 

[jim8flog]

We do have a small bar levy with the renewal but it equates to less than a £1 a week so all members pay a bit to the costs of running a bar and kitchen. My levy gets used up within the first month just on coffees.

I know of at least one member that does not use his at all and writes it off each year as it must used within the financial year.

 

[GB72]

This is pretty much me. I don’t have the time and often the club has stopped serving food by the time I have finished playing.

It wouldn’t bother me in the slightest if we didn’t have a clubhouse. Particularly as we are currently spending an awful lot of money on an extension and renovations because of a few grumpy seniors.

Same here, was always driving so no beer, eat lunch with my wife after. Give me a porta cabin with a vending machine and I am fine

 

[Deleted member 15344]

A golf club is a different place for different people

It’s a golf course - people arrive play golf and then go home

It’s a club - people arrive may have a coffee or breakie first play golf and then have a drink or some food after

For others it’s their main social life in swindles and rolls up and the after golf stuff that comes with it

Some will treat it as a local some as their go to for food regualry

There is no right or wrong

But for most clubs those takings over the bar for example help bring in extra revenue for a club to spend to keep the course going - and will help keep membership subs down

Thankfully for us we are a very social club and most stay afterwards , the juniors fill their room now with their hot choc and chips

We have a £50 levy which can be spent on food and drink and most use it all

 

[upsidedown]

Same here, was always driving so no beer, eat lunch with my wife after. Give me a porta cabin with a vending machine and I am fine

So playing Devils advocate here. At my club if we did that we'd potentially lose out on the income from visiting societies who pretty much all have food as part of the package. That would be £90K on last years figures which is integral to our budgeting. No societies would equate to members subs being £142 higher .

We've had franchises but are now going in house . We are aiming to break even

 

[KenL]

I usually play in the morning and we are lucky that catering is available very early.
I always have breakfast to support the staff.
Don't count, but I probably spend more in the club than I do in subs.

 

[GB72]

So playing Devils advocate here. At my club if we did that we'd potentially lose out on the income from visiting societies who pretty much all have food as part of the package. That would be £90K on last years figures which is integral to our budgeting. No societies would equate to members subs being £142 higher .

We've had franchises but are now going in house . We are aiming to break even

A very fair point. Just to keep the debate going, in summer months that could be covered with BBQs or other temporary alternatives or minimal catering facilities.

With regards the 90k is that what they pay or profit. You take a bar manager, chef bar staff, kitchen staff, waiting staff etc out if that as you would not need to hire any and you could save a chunk of that with less traffic in the course.

No right or wrong answer here as different things suit different clubs but sometimes I feel that some clubs have full and expensive facilities for the use of a few people.

 

[upsidedown]

A very fair point. Just to keep the debate going, in summer months that could be covered with BBQs or other temporary alternatives or minimal catering facilities.

With regards the 90k is that what they pay or profit. You take a bar manager, chef bar staff, kitchen staff, waiting staff etc out if that as you would not need to hire any and you could save a chunk of that with less traffic in the course.

No right or wrong answer here as different things suit different clubs but sometimes I feel that some clubs have full and expensive facilities for the use of a few people.

It's purely income and you're right it helps to pay for all the staff and running costs of the grade 2 listed clubhouse , which does cost an arm and a leg but it's also why folks love coming to our club .
There is no right answer which why we have such a rich diversity of clubs throughout the country which cater for all needs and desires

 

[Bazz]

Ours has started doing a full indian menu, mixed grills, curries, naans the lot. Hoping to use it more after our Friday night rounds.
They're trying to attract a lot of non golfers.

 

[balaclava]

My Club, this last year finacial year made a £30,000 loss on bar and catering - that shocked me - does it shock you?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My Club, this last year finacial year made a £30,000 loss on bar and catering - that shocked me - does it shock you?

Yes, it does me. Something needs to change there, unless all members are happy to subsidise that side of things.

Too many clubs are stuck with the idea that they need to offer full bar and catering facilities, 7 days a week, all hours. With the cost of wages alone you have to sell a lot to cover costs. If a club is losing £30k then they need to analyse costs and scale back what is on offer. Unless it is a luxury that members are happy to pay for..........

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My Club, this last year finacial year made a £30,000 loss on bar and catering - that shocked me - does it shock you?

Of course. Why would any club want to let any port of it run at a loss? It is the members that have to make up the shortfall in their subs and I am sure everyone has their breaking point somewhere so why then risk losing members with increased fees every year

 

[BrianM]

Ours has started doing a full indian menu, mixed grills, curries, naans the lot. Hoping to use it more after our Friday night rounds.
They're trying to attract a lot of non golfers.

That menu is right up my street, could definitely see more people using the clubhouse with this type of forward thinking.

 

[Slab]

My Club, this last year finacial year made a £30,000 loss on bar and catering - that shocked me - does it shock you?

I guess its all in the detail of what made the loss. Is it due to spoilage/waste, leccy and other supply costs, wages or maybe a refurb/new equipment etc etc etc

 

[Jimaroid]

I guess its all in the detail of what made the loss. Is it due to spoilage/waste, leccy and other supply costs, wages or maybe a refurb/new equipment etc etc etc

Precisely. Hospitality is a tough gig, especially in post pandemic recovery, but loss means many things and it’s all about the detail and whether it can absorbed or recovered elsewhere.

Our bar and catering makes a tidy 6 figure revenue with over 50% surplus. But overall it makes a loss due to staff wages. That loss is recovered elsewhere and overall the club is generating a surplus.

In the current climate, it’s getting difficult to break even and profit if your only business is food and drink.

All our local clubs, pubs and restaurants are struggling. I know quite a few restrauters and hoteliers locally who are getting very very worried.

 

[federalexpress]

I would suggest that with the hospitality industry on its knees right now, it's a little unlikely that amateurs running golf clubs are likely to make a profit. Those that do will do so by ignoring costs associated with running hospitality, faced by a normal business, such as real estate, energy bills and other overheads. The golf members usually carry all those overheads.

Put it this way, if your club were to split its business, how much would people pay for the golf side and how much for the accessing the golf club side? How would that look versus the properly apportioned cost of providing each?

There is no doubt that most golf clubs would be more profitable with a great golf course and a portakabin. But there is a lot of sunk cost and invariably a small minority of members who relish 'a gentlemans club' environment....