For nearly 20 years now it's been possible for pubs to open through the afternoon. Surprisingly few take real advantage of it, though.
Of course, in some residential and rural areas it doesn't pay to open up before the evening. But there is surely much more that pubs in town centres and those near shops could be doing to improve the yield from the business.
Lunch hours, as they used to be called, are not so strictly timed as they were. But although the factory hooter no longer sounds, many licensees still call time, on food at least, at 2pm.
Are you missing an opportunity? Here are some ways of bringing the afternoon to life.
Bar food
There is a cost attached to running a kitchen, but plenty of bar food is quick and easy and can be handled by barstaff.
Back-bar microwaves may not produce haute cuisine but a hot pie can fill a hole for a late luncher or hungry traveller off the train. Pizzas, too, can be cooked on the back-bar and can come with a variety of toppings. So when the lunchtime rush has died down, why not switch to a simpler afternoon menu rather than miss out on a sale?
Shoppers
As with morning coffees, setting your pub up as a mid-afternoon café-style venue can pull in shoppers for a cuppa. As well as teas and coffees, cakes and pastries can provide the right cues, and music can generate a bright and cheerful atmosphere. A smoking ban will help, too!
After-school club
If you're near a school you might have noticed mums and the occasional dad hanging around for a chat with other parents when they've picked their kids up. They may be enticed to your pub-cum-café as well.
Families
Parents, or even child-minders, with pre-school children are always looking for things to do in the afternoons. If you've got a play area and you market it, you can easily get them in. If you haven't you can still turn part of your pub over to families by switching on a kids' channel and providing the right soft drinks and snacks.
Sports on screen
There are all kinds of odd sports on television in the afternoons, but there are others with a huge
following, the most obvious being horse racing. If you've got a specialist satellite channel you can show racing through the afternoon every day. See Back to Basics, pages 26-27 for more on this.
Horse racing can attract a crowd during the afternoon every day. If you've got a specialist satellite channel you can show racing through the afternoon every day.