Gone are the days when the promise of a good pint and a friendly landlord was enough to entice people down to their local pub. The smoking ban in 2007 was a huge wake-up call to the industry, which is now faced with a new challenge due to the increasing number of customers of all ages seeking a healthier lifestyle by either cutting down or completely giving up alcohol.  

For brewers there’s been a raft of drink innovations such as Diageo’s Seedlip, which provides a gin taste with no alcohol content, and zero alcohol beers are becoming a more common sight in bars and pubs across the country. The changing habits of consumers are also having an effect on pub owners and tenants as they begin to rethink their offering in order to harness this change in lifestyle.  

The rise of takeaway services such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats, coupled with the on demand TV services and cheap supermarket alcohol, has led to more people deciding to spend their evenings at home rather than in a pub or restaurant. When people go out now, they usually want to spend their money on experiences rather than on a couple of drinks at the pub with their friends.  

In the wider leisure industry there has been a boom in places offering ‘competitive socialising’ which is reviving activities such as darts, pool, table tennis, crazy golf, video games and bingo by putting them in fashionable surroundings with new technology. These concepts have been particularly successful in creating a space that is popular with those who are looking for an activity alongside their drink.

We are already beginning to see some of the most innovative operators introducing these activities into their sites with pubs like the Bat & Ball in Stratford, the People's Park Tavern in Hackney and Champs Sports Bar in Loughborough being excellent examples. With continued demand for other activities that are ideally suited to a pub environment, such as live music, comedy and quiz nights, there’s no shortage of options available to try and lure customers away from the comfort of their homes. 

From a property perspective the biggest challenge comes when looking at how to accommodate any new additions. There may be some fairly significant alterations and investment required, but for those operators of larger sites who are willing to adapt their venues to appeal to a more demanding customer base then the future looks anything but bleak.

• This article first appeared as a column on the Morning Advertiser.

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