Twist, Dublin Street, Edinburgh
Pub profile
A one-room bar with a downstairs club
located in a part of the city designated a World Heritage site, Twist's landlocked site
is surrounded by expensive apartments housing high court judges and many of the capital's most exclusive restaurants.
Ray Nelson, who runs the Punch leasehold with business partner Andy Harrison, estimates that 80% of customers smoke.
The only place to accommodate smoking
is a small area on the frontage below pavement level, but the volatile mix of
World Heritage status and well-connected residents limits the options. Nothing can be fixed to the exterior walls including awnings, heaters, lights and even hanging baskets of flowers. Additionally, there is a 9pm curfew on drinking outside the premises.
Steps taken
A complete make-over has transformed
the interior into a style bar. Nelson and Harrison even managed to add windows to
a previously windowless bar.
Refurbishment included adding a kitchen to enable Twist to offer food. Smoking provision has been limited to a few tables and chairs under a single umbrella, which must be dismantled at closing time.
Other initiatives
Wi-fi access and an espresso coffee
machine have been added. Twist differs from more expensive restaurants by offering traditional pub fare at reasonable prices and adding dishes such as macaroni in response to customers' requests.
End results
Nelson says: "Since the ban like-for-like sales are down by about £26,000 compared with last year. The Edinburgh Festival is normally one of our best times but we were down £3,000 per week. But we don't regret the refurbishment, because we had to do something.
"We added food to compensate for the ban and we knew that it would take time to establish ourselves because we had never offered food before. Sometimes we can do 30 to 40 meals on a Friday and nothing on a Saturday."
Nelson says increases in energy prices and business rates haven't helped the trade cope with the ban. "Our energy costs have risen by £3,500 over the past two months and the council wants an extra £6,000 per year since we did the revamp."
