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Post by banksy on Jan 6, 2020 22:00:44 GMT
Firstly, sorry that my intended posting of this thread turned out to be later than planned.
Now, onto the subject of the Blues Bar.
There has naturally been lots of comments on the current situation with the bar, and I want to take this opportunity to ask you all, what you would do to improve the facility, and to make it more attractive to fans to come down early and spend an enjoyable time in there, both before and after the game.
I don't want to start a debate on who should run the bar, that's something that's already being discussed at board level anyway.
I'm more interested in what you would do to improve it, or to make the experience of going in there more worthwhile.
Try to keep the ideas realistic as we do of course have financial limitations as to what we can do now and in the future.
Please also try to keep it on topic as we all know how these threads can go, but I'm genuinely interested to see the thoughts and suggestions of those who do go in and those who currently don't, but would if improvements were made.
Thanks Jeff
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Post by bluejay on Jan 6, 2020 22:14:59 GMT
Service is a huge bottleneck. There's only a very limited time to have a drink and it will only ever be one if fans have to wait 20 minutes to be served. The temporary bar used to speed things up a lot as does plenty of bar staff for the hour either side of the game when it makes a difference.
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Post by paulinem on Jan 6, 2020 22:51:25 GMT
The bar is far too small. Sadly it desperately needs the wall knocking down to double it’s length. Never understood who designed such a small bar?
If you do expand then you need more staff and staff who are experienced in serving thirsty fans. The quicker you’re served the more you drink. Felt sorry for the agency staff as they couldn’t cope.
I am not a real ale drinker but a lot of football fans and many of our Exiles are so you have to attract them into the bar with a selection of ales. I know that is a problem due to shelf life and wastage. When Andy ran the bar there seemed to be a lot of evening functions booked as we were often shuffled out of the bar hence real ale would be sold on later at those do’s.
Much as we know the damage tv premier matches do to us we have to live with it and we should be providing that entertainment pre and post match. Plus food. Nothing fancy but good quick grub to keep the hunger at bay.
And why oh why can’t we sell crisps and peanuts??? Their sell by date isn’t that short! It is a community club and it would be lovely to see families sitting in the Blues bar with their soft drinks and crisps. We all remember our parents treating us to those in our childhood.
Perhaps we could get in a team of people (put out a call for volunteers) to do a makeover on it. The curtains are hanging off their rails, the decor is shabby and we need to rethink the tables and chairs to make it welcoming and comfortable. It looks third world at present.
I also thought it a good idea to collect £1 entry per match. A bit of income lost. Surplus pies at £1 after the match always sold well too.
Finally - I know you all work hard Jeff but it seems to me there is a great reluctance to mingle with the fans and listen to our concerns. I really feel an info table in the Blues Bar would provide a contact point between those that run the club and the fans - also an outlet to sell programmes, CFU memberships, 50:50 tickets, Seals Lottery and any other campaign we have going.
We visit many other football clubs with vibrant and profitable social clubs we should we looking at some of those for guidance and ideas.
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Post by histsci on Jan 6, 2020 23:29:46 GMT
I second everything paulinem said. Just want to suggest as maybe an alternative or supplement to the cask ales would be to get a big fridge and fill it with local/different ales, craft largers, IPAs etc. It would take up a bit of room but you could serve from that pretty quickly I would have thought, and it would provide more variety than there is currently with a decent shelf life.
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Post by CH3STER on Jan 6, 2020 23:42:00 GMT
Other than the obvious suggestions around the bar and it’s layout I don’t think there is any excuse to not have the BB plastered in decent memorabilia (famous programmes, photos, shirts ect). The legends lounge, corridors and tunnel are covered in interesting stuff but the BB is empty by comparison. Loads of the wall space could be utilised to create a more interesting and atmospheric club bar at a small cost.
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Post by trev on Jan 6, 2020 23:53:14 GMT
Whatever happened to the idea of providing extra space, seating and bar in a Marquee in the short term ? The use of a large and fairly basic marquee behind the main stand at tranmere seemed quite successful, or would something similar not be cost effective for CFC ?
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Post by Frank Owen’s Paintbrush on Jan 7, 2020 6:40:24 GMT
Whatever happened to the idea of providing extra space, seating and bar in a Marquee in the short term ? The use of a large and fairly basic marquee behind the main stand at tranmere seemed quite successful, or would something similar not be cost effective for CFC ? SAG
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Post by sealking on Jan 7, 2020 7:53:40 GMT
The tables are huge and sometimes I see only 4 or 5 people sitting around them, take up far too much valuable floor space on match days. I can see why we wouldn't want to charge a 1 pound entry but if we did it for a season or a period of time and explained it's to improve the blues bar I think must people would be fine with it
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Post by exiled on Jan 7, 2020 9:51:09 GMT
I understand we've got financial limitations, so can't do much about the size of the place for now But a good tidy up is a start. And maybe a few vending machines for soft drinks, teas, coffee and snacks. That wouldn't cost the club much and could help to free up the waiting time at the bar.
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Post by bing on Jan 7, 2020 10:09:26 GMT
Other than the obvious suggestions around the bar and it’s layout I don’t think there is any excuse to not have the BB plastered in decent memorabilia (famous programmes, photos, shirts ect). The legends lounge, corridors and tunnel are covered in interesting stuff but the BB is empty by comparison. Loads of the wall space could be utilised to create a more interesting and atmospheric club bar at a small cost. 100% this. Needs to feel more like a football bar as that will increase the ambience. Feels a bit sterile at the moment. Regarding a second mini-bar - could we link-up with a beer merchant - like Chester Beer and Wine - to sell weird and wonderful beers? They're very good value, but we would still have room to mark-up their prices. I'm sure a member of their team would head down for a couple of hours every other Saturday to man the bar given the extra business for them.
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Post by Si on Jan 7, 2020 10:25:45 GMT
It's a tricky one, as I imagine if Stuart's plans come to any sort of fruition then the renovation of the bar will be part of that, so I'm guessing we're looking at quick, cheap wins. Either the small portable bar needs to come back in use, or a big fridge in the corner selling bottles/cans - those solutions are quick wins for taking the pressure off the main bar. And it does need a bit of love in terms of painting, fixtures and fitting repaired, some fresh memorabilia on the walls and improved tv's. I imagine those of are the sort of things that can be considered for a modest investment, to improve the experience before hopefully a full rethink of it when Stuart's plans kick in.
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Post by Neil Hunt Nonsense Potter on Jan 7, 2020 11:05:17 GMT
Agree with a lot of the above. I think since Andy Cummins left the place feels unloved. It often feels dark and unwelcoming, takes far too long to get served and there are fewer and fewer seats as the weeks go by.
Long trestle table style seating to make the most of the available space, a lick of brighter paint, replace some of the light bulbs (maybe add a few light fittings or lamps to some corners), a wet bar or second bar selling cans/bottles/beer/pop, more memorabilia creating a sports bar feel. All easy wins.
If any money becomes available then taking out the not used kitchen and making the bar longer is essential.
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Post by dc2cfc on Jan 7, 2020 12:23:38 GMT
I think simple straight forward ideas which would improve it would be the ones mentioned above:
- Tall Fridge which stocks different ranges of bottled beers/ciders/ales, quick to serve. - Redecoration, adding shirts, photos to the wall etc - Adding Crisps/Snacks to the bar - Maybe Music played in the background, just adds a bit of atmosphere
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Post by Lobster on Jan 7, 2020 12:53:55 GMT
I am not a real ale drinker but a lot of football fans and many of our Exiles are so you have to attract them into the bar with a selection of ales. I know that is a problem due to shelf life and wastage. When Andy ran the bar there seemed to be a lot of evening functions booked as we were often shuffled out of the bar hence real ale would be sold on later at those do’s. I think the future for smallish bars and social clubs like ours has to be bottles and cans. Doesn't mean the beer has to be bad, just that drinkers need to get used to 330ml and 500ml rather than pints. I really liked the 'Rush Hour' bottles that were in the Blues Bar last time I was in there.
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Post by lincolnexile on Jan 7, 2020 12:59:10 GMT
Regarding the televisions how about having a couple of screens showing the highlights from the previous matches during the season.
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Post by saltneykebabden on Jan 7, 2020 13:10:03 GMT
Just need to reduce the time it takes to get a bevvy. Standing there for 20 plus minutes is just a ball ache
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Post by weareblues on Jan 7, 2020 18:32:36 GMT
Get rid of D&A Serve a good variety of beers Mini bar outside selling cans or something to speed up Could also start selling cans inside ground poured into plastic cups like other clubs in this league do
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Post by Si on Jan 7, 2020 20:33:21 GMT
Get rid of D&A Serve a good variety of beers Mini bar outside selling cans or something to speed up Could also start selling cans inside ground poured into plastic cups like other clubs in this league do We also have a responsibility to be as sustainable as possible, so not sure the plastic cups is a great idea as it’s doubling the waste.
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Post by weareblues on Jan 7, 2020 21:57:03 GMT
Get rid of D&A Serve a good variety of beers Mini bar outside selling cans or something to speed up Could also start selling cans inside ground poured into plastic cups like other clubs in this league do We also have a responsibility to be as sustainable as possible, so not sure the plastic cups is a great idea as it’s doubling the waste. Can be recycled however. Was only a suggestion
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Post by RhosesmorBlue on Jan 8, 2020 9:02:45 GMT
Bar needs to be bigger, better selection of beverages, definitely crisps,nuts, scampi fries, pork scratchings etc etc.... but the decor is so drab its depressing and not a welcoming warm place for home fans and visitors alike... check out this guy who is brilliant at Murals, his football ones are amazing and would certainly brighten up the whole room and make it a talking point for years to come! www.facebook.com/Noodesignsmurals/
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Post by bing on Jan 8, 2020 11:19:43 GMT
Did something a while back for the club for outside the stadium, but it was never used. This sort of thing lends itself better to iconic Chester images (as current players will soon get outdated!)
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Post by iandychesterfc on Jan 8, 2020 13:16:34 GMT
Move all tables to the perimeter wall to create maximum space and get bottled Bitter/IPA etc on the back table/mobile bar. That stuff can be served without having to come direct from a fridge.
Get a specific Guiness point at the bar for people who believe the wait is worth it which will enable us the serve the draft lager/cider/bitter to the majority.
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Post by eyeswideopen on Jan 8, 2020 15:46:15 GMT
I would quite happily enter a bar with a giant mural of Kevin Rapley on it.
Imagine explaining to away fans the reasoning behind possibly the worst striker to ever play for the club plastered all over the walls
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Post by Frank Owen’s Paintbrush on Jan 8, 2020 16:36:00 GMT
I would quite happily enter a bar with a giant mural of Kevin Rapley on it. Imagine explaining to away fans the reasoning behind possibly the worst striker to ever play for the club plastered all over the walls Give over, we’ve had absolutely loads worse than Rapley. Scored our first goal back in the League at Notts County, worked tirelessly a few months earlier at Shrewsbury to essentially win us the title. Even more recently we’ve had worse - Gritton, Proudlock, Bell. Wasn’t Adewale Kwik-Ajet a striker? Bloody Steve Finney and Dean Spink. Come on.
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Post by Lobster on Jan 8, 2020 17:04:11 GMT
Did something a while back for the club for outside the stadium, but it was never used. This sort of thing lends itself better to iconic Chester images (as current players will soon get outdated!) The problem is even icons are not foolproof. You'd have had Graham Barrow in that category until 18 months ago, but not sure a mural of him would go down too well now.
I do like the idea though.
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Post by billyw on Jan 8, 2020 17:07:55 GMT
The bar is far too small. Sadly it desperately needs the wall knocking down to double it’s length. Never understood who designed such a small bar? If you do expand then you need more staff and staff who are experienced in serving thirsty fans. The quicker you’re served the more you drink. Felt sorry for the agency staff as they couldn’t cope. I am not a real ale drinker but a lot of football fans and many of our Exiles are so you have to attract them into the bar with a selection of ales. I know that is a problem due to shelf life and wastage. When Andy ran the bar there seemed to be a lot of evening functions booked as we were often shuffled out of the bar hence real ale would be sold on later at those do’s. Much as we know the damage tv premier matches do to us we have to live with it and we should be providing that entertainment pre and post match. Plus food. Nothing fancy but good quick grub to keep the hunger at bay. And why oh why can’t we sell crisps and peanuts??? Their sell by date isn’t that short! It is a community club and it would be lovely to see families sitting in the Blues bar with their soft drinks and crisps. We all remember our parents treating us to those in our childhood. Perhaps we could get in a team of people (put out a call for volunteers) to do a makeover on it. The curtains are hanging off their rails, the decor is shabby and we need to rethink the tables and chairs to make it welcoming and comfortable. It looks third world at present. I also thought it a good idea to collect £1 entry per match. A bit of income lost. Surplus pies at £1 after the match always sold well too. Finally - I know you all work hard Jeff but it seems to me there is a great reluctance to mingle with the fans and listen to our concerns. I really feel an info table in the Blues Bar would provide a contact point between those that run the club and the fans - also an outlet to sell programmes, CFU memberships, 50:50 tickets, Seals Lottery and any other campaign we have going. We visit many other football clubs with vibrant and profitable social clubs we should we looking at some of those for guidance and ideas. Pauline, is there any chance of you moving up here. 🙂 We could certainly do with you on the Board.
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Post by agl on Jan 8, 2020 18:45:09 GMT
For me the main issues are the poor access to the bar and the length of time it takes getting served.
I think the entire system could be improved dramatically by making the Blues Bar debit card only. I've seen this in operation and you'd be amazed how contactless payments speed up the process at sports grounds. I know a few people prefer cash for whatever reason but it probably doubles (or more) the time taken for a single transaction if you consider the buyer rummaging around for cash, the bar staff walking over to the till, ringing up the payment, then handing back change. I use contactless all the time now ...never had an issue with security. It's the way forward, although I expect there would be some resistance initially from a few dinosaurs. Obviously you need a robust, reliable card system in place.
I'm not a great fan of bottled beer but keg/craft rather than real ale/cask would be a compromise (keg has a longer shelf life) Would be interesting to know how many pints of Guinness are sold (if that's on tap), as it takes a ridiculously long time to pour/settle. When bottled beer is on offer it should be clearly visible, not tucked away on a low shelf so that more time is wasted asking what's available.
Longer term, the bar definitely needs to be longer to allow access. It's horrendous getting anywhere near when the place is even moderately busy. On the occasions I get to home games I've invariably driven four hours plus, so it's a real pain in the arse to then have to battle through five deep queues. Not sure whether it would work, but I wonder if a supermarket style ticketing system would be worth trialling? That would allow better access to the bar and reduce the current scrum to catch the eye of the bar staff. Standing there, vainly waving a fiver is another real pain!
Got to sell food in there. It can't be that difficult to have a pie and pint deal for a fiver or six quid, or what ever.
Yes the place need sprucing up, long term, but I think most fans just want an easy beer (or wine!) I don't think there should be any entry charge...if you are just popping in for a quick beer a £1 fee is quite a big percentage on the price (by all means have a collecting tin, but don't do anything that is a deterrent to entry)
There are so many clubs that do this better than us. Tranmere's marquee is a classic example of getting it right. Decent music, easy access to the bar, good choice of beer and plenty of bar staff. Appreciate we are on a smaller scale but even at our level there are good examples
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Post by Si on Jan 8, 2020 20:41:59 GMT
For me the main issues are the poor access to the bar and the length of time it takes getting served. I think the entire system could be improved dramatically by making the Blues Bar debit card only. I've seen this in operation and you'd be amazed how contactless payments speed up the process at sports grounds. I know a few people prefer cash for whatever reason but it probably doubles (or more) the time taken for a single transaction if you consider the buyer rummaging around for cash, the bar staff walking over to the till, ringing up the payment, then handing back change. I use contactless all the time now ...never had an issue with security. It's the way forward, although I expect there would be some resistance initially from a few dinosaurs. Obviously you need a robust, reliable card system in place. I'm not a great fan of bottled beer but keg/craft rather than real ale/cask would be a compromise (keg has a longer shelf life) Would be interesting to know how many pints of Guinness are sold (if that's on tap), as it takes a ridiculously long time to pour/settle. When bottled beer is on offer it should be clearly visible, not tucked away on a low shelf so that more time is wasted asking what's available. Longer term, the bar definitely needs to be longer to allow access. It's horrendous getting anywhere near when the place is even moderately busy. On the occasions I get to home games I've invariably driven four hours plus, so it's a real pain in the arse to then have to battle through five deep queues. Not sure whether it would work, but I wonder if a supermarket style ticketing system would be worth trialling? That would allow better access to the bar and reduce the current scrum to catch the eye of the bar staff. Standing there, vainly waving a fiver is another real pain! Got to sell food in there. It can't be that difficult to have a pie and pint deal for a fiver or six quid, or what ever. Yes the place need sprucing up, long term, but I think most fans just want an easy beer (or wine!) I don't think there should be any entry charge...if you are just popping in for a quick beer a £1 fee is quite a big percentage on the price (by all means have a collecting tin, but don't do anything that is a deterrent to entry) There are so many clubs that do this better than us. Tranmere's marquee is a classic example of getting it right. Decent music, easy access to the bar, good choice of beer and plenty of bar staff. Appreciate we are on a smaller scale but even at our level there are good examples Debit card only is a great idea. However, at the moment when you want to pay via card the bar staff look at you like you have got 2 heads and. Invariably have to go and fetch the machine from somewhere. Coukd certainly do with more card terminals and on prominent display to allow for swift payment.
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Post by Imperial on Jan 8, 2020 20:55:46 GMT
Some kind of rails to organise a queue might help.
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Post by exiled on Jan 8, 2020 20:59:41 GMT
Did something a while back for the club for outside the stadium, but it was never used. This sort of thing lends itself better to iconic Chester images (as current players will soon get outdated!) View Attachment I agree probably wouldn't work the same if it was players. But it might be worth displaying images and facts about the history of the club , from 1885 to the present. Maybe something to consider for the future. More pressing issues at the moment.
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