Basement drink prices at Bungalow

Monday, 13 September 2010 11:45

A Castlebar pub has dramatically slashed prices signalling the start of a possible local drinks price war. Kevin and Mary Cunningham of the Bungalow Bar in Main Street are offering pints of Guinness or Smithwicks at €3.25 each in the period Monday to Thursday.
This is some 50 cents below the average price being charged for a pint elsewhere in the town.
Other 'bargains' offered by Kevin and Mary include €3.50 for a pint of lager; €4 for a pint bottle of cider and €3.50 for a can of Bulmers cider.
The 'regular' price for a pint of lager in the town is in the region of €4 while a pint bottle of cider costs €4.70.
The Cunninghams held a 'Happy Week' earlier this month in which they tested the popularity of the new price structure.
"It's gone so well we have decided to keep the price of certain products down during the week," Kevin explained.
"However, prices for these beverages will be higher at weekends", he added.
Competition between publicans in the region as a whole has never been greater due, apparently, to the recession.
Fewer people are going to pubs and those who do are leaving it later to go out.
Amongst younger drinkers, according to one publican, the trend is to drink cheaper off licence and supermarket brands at home until 11 p.m. or later and then go out to round off the evening in more traditional fashion.
Most publicans in Castlebar say they will not be following the example of the Cunninghams in cutting prices.
"Too low pricing is short term and might attract the wrong sort of demographic to our premises," one stated.