Technology
App offers opportunity to run 'virtual' pub
The Pub Landlord debuted on the App store this week and allows users to select their stock levels, choose cheap, mid range or premium beers, wines and spirits, order snacks, as well as balance the books and generate maximum returns on each day’s trading.
As the landlord, the virtual licensees can hire staff depending on the budget and pub’s performance and even run their own events from live football and rugby nights to karaoke evenings, quiz nights and pool tournaments.
Paul Austen, a chartered accountant conceived the idea after being brought in as a senior business advisor by a number of his clients who operate licensed premises.
“After speaking with many contacts and clients it was clear that running a pub is a dream job for many but having worked with real pub landlords in and around Cheshire I knew it was not as easy a job as some people thought,” Austen told the PMA.
“I had an idea to combine my accounting experience with a bit of fun to give people the chance to experience it themselves through the app without giving up their day job.”
‘As it happens’ notifications including updates on stock levels and information about incidents such as brawls in the pub have also been built into the free application.
“The app is really a bit of fun to demonstrate that running a pub is not as easy as it appears and may not be the dream job many think it is,” Austen added. “It demonstrates that there is much more to running any business that often meets the eye.”
