Pope spreads the net in trawl for pink pound

by The PMA Team West Country pub retailer Eld-ridge Pope is to capitalise on success in attracting the pink pound by opening its third gay bar. The company, whose existing gay bars are Vibes in Bristol and the Branksome Arms in Bourne-mouth, is opening DYMK ­ Does Your Mother Know ­ in Bath this week. It will occupy the site of its Smiths bar in the city's Westgate Buildings. Chief executive Susan Barratt said: "The Branksome Arms is trading its socks off ­ high teens each week ­ and we extended the trading area earlier this year. Bath is very competitive ­ we have four sites in the city ­ but we thought there was a gap in the market. It can be a lucrative market with high margins." She added that the one downside of opening a gay bar is that it's "hard to go back". The Branksome Arms in Bournemouth is currently Eld-ridge Pope's pub of the year. DYMK's opening night this week will feature an Abba tribute band along with a drag queen called Cookie. Its opening follows an admission that Eldridge Pope was still finding high-street trading conditions difficult. The company is pursuing a back-to-basics policy. Chairman Miles Templeman said: "I shall be working with the team with the particular objectives of increasing margins both in food and drink and optimising returns from the company's total property portfolio.