WETHERSPOONS are known for their affordable prices and consistent menu.
However, the boss of the beloved chain admitted that one feature across all the chain's proved to be “a waste of money”.
Tim Martin, founder of the popular pub chain, spoke to the Daily Express about a major change he implemented across all locations following on-site visits.
The businessman broke down the key ingredient to creating a successful pub.
“If you do a survey and ask people why they go to pubs, the number one issue is atmosphere,”;he explained.
“People will say it's a wooly concept, but we all know what it is when we see it.
“[Pubs] have got to have a good atmosphere, more than price, more than variety of beers. It's an elusive thing to try and improve.”;
When paying his pubs secret visits, the Wetherspoons boss soon noticed a recurring issue across all locations.
“I'm constantly trying to monitor things that I think could be improved,” he said.
And the most prevalent problem that stuck out to him was the lighting of each pub.
Since Wetherspoons are known for having no music or televisions, lighting is likely to be even more noticeable to customers.
And since the chain is famous for its extensive menu, often printed in a small font, good lighting seemed to be a non-negotiable.
Describing himself as a “caveman” when it comes to pub atmospheres, Martin introduced a number of spotlights to each location.
These ensured menus could be easily read without compromising on a more atmospheric ambience.
“I myself engineered a massive increase in the number of spotlights in our pubs over 25 years [because] customers were complaining they couldn't read the menu because the [lighting was] too dim,” he said.
However, with the prevalence of mobile phones, the boss said his efforts eventually proved fruitless.
“I think it's been a false move [because] people now normally look at the menu on their phone, [which] is backlit,” he explained.
“So one of the biggest problems we've had is trying to control the spotlights, which I myself put in at massive expense.”;
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