点评:Just got back from the Scarbrough Arms, a pub I used to regularly drink in on a Friday evening. Since being taken over by new management, early evening Friday has become a Mecca for parents and children wanting expensive burgers from an admittedly award-winning burger van. Sadly these means that many tables are occupied by children nursing halves of Coke for an eternity as they wait for their burgers, a situation that has alienated many regulars to the point that they now drink elsewhere instead. This includes the landlord, who is often in a rival pub with his friends early evening on a Friday.
Tonight I went in with a friend on the way back home, at quarter to nine, to find a table containing ten or so entitled 20/30-somethings with half a dozen children seemingly aged from 0-8. The noise coming from this table had to be heard to be believed, with screaming kids being shouted over by their parents, one of whom thought blowing a whistle was a good idea. The other 15 or so people in the room, all regulars, were clearly unimpressed. When I left, just before 10pm, some of the parents and children had left, but by no means all, and the din was still noticeable.
Whilst I realise that it’s only an industry standard that children are expected to leave pubs at 9pm, rather than actual legislation, I fear the landlord might be losing a few more regulars if this sort of thing continues.
As and when the burger van stops visiting, he may realise that alienating regulars isn’t a very good idea - the pub is noticeably less busy on Fridays when it doesn’t appear. However, I was informed that the group in question today had ordered in pizzas to eat in the pub rather than using the burger van, so maybe not all hope is lost if the pub crèche concept is the business plan for the future.
翻译:刚从斯卡伯勒阿姆斯酒吧回来,那是我以前每个周五晚上常去喝酒的地方。自从换了新经营团队后,每周五傍晚这里便成了家长们和孩子们的天堂——他们都想从那辆确实荣获过奖项的汉堡车那里买到价格不菲的汉堡。可惜的是,这样一来很多桌子都被那些孩子们占着了:他们一边喝着半杯可乐,一边漫长的等待着自己的汉堡。这种情况让很多常客都敬而远之,以至于他们现在都转而去别的酒吧喝酒。就连酒吧老板也是如此——每逢周五傍晚,他都会和朋友们去一家竞争性的酒吧里聚会。
今晚,我和朋友在回家途中九点差一刻时走进了这家酒吧,发现有一桌上坐着十来个自视甚高的二三十岁年轻人,旁边还跟着六七个看起来年龄在0到8岁之间的孩子。那桌人发出的喧闹声简直令人难以置信。现场有哭闹不停的孩子,他们的父母则在对他们大喊大叫,其中一位家长甚至觉得吹口哨是个好主意。房间里其他15个左右的人都是常客,显然对此毫无兴趣。晚上10点前我离开时,虽然有一些家长和孩子已经走了,但远不是全部,嘈杂声依然清晰可闻。
虽然我知道,规定孩子必须在晚上9点前离开酒馆只是行业标准而已,并非法律条文。我担心如果这种状况持续下去,房东可能会失去更多常客。
一旦那个汉堡车不再来光顾,他或许会意识到疏远常客并非明智之举——每逢周五,只要汉堡车不来,酒吧里就明显冷清许多。不过据我所知,今天那群人点的是披萨,打算直接在酒吧里享用,而不是去买汉堡车卖的汉堡。所以,如果“酒吧托儿所”真是未来的经营计划的话,或许也还不至于完全无望吧。