So let me get this straight- bars owners are in a fight to the death for revenues and so even if we are on a guest list we wait in line up to get in- then we pay $5+ to get in- then we wait to get served- and we are expected to tip on top of all the hassle? Then if you a smoker you have to go outside but you can’t take your drink out and you can’t take your smoke in? And when you are finished your smoke you have to wait in line-up to get back in even though you have a stamp from already paying the cover? Ah…I have to think about this…pass…Think we’ll just have a party at home thanks and save the $20 in cabs. Good luck with that.
—Michael
This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 1, 2009.
And they (bar owners) wonder why they subsist off the university crowds that just don’t get what you have realized.
Their business model hasn’t changed in the past 20 years…and it’s not going to until they start closing down in record numbers.
In this society it is not the strong but the smart that thrive…they just aren’t smart enough to see the writing on the wall.
amen brother…
I’m sorry, but……WHINER.
Aw, you have to wait in line. Aw, you have to pay cover to see LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. Aw, you won’t be served within 30 seconds of entering. Aw, you have to tip (no, you don’t “have to,” actually). Aw, you can’t breathe all your smoke into an enclosed environment. Aw, you can’t drink in the street. Aw, you have to be re-searched. I’m in tears over your predicament. Yes please stay the fuck home so that I don’t have to hear you behind me in the lineup, complaining about how the pavement hurts your shoes or something.
If you’re on the ‘guest list’ and have to go through half of that you should ask your buddy to put you on the real guest list some time.
Dear Mole Rat, I don’t mind paying for anything, ever, especially when it comes to the art and entertainment. But you know, if you are a consistant patron over years it would be nice to get some love back. Know what I mean?
And I don’t smoke cigarettes but people do and they should be able to smoke in bars but outside on the patios. Most of Europe dropped their public smoking but kept it on the patio. Sounds like a good deal to me rather than sending those unfortunates into harm’s way on the street. It is cold out there man!
Is your bar crashing? Think about patrons and your bottom line should improve. You are there to serve after all. Remember service?
Hey, ya gotta do what you have to. If you don’t like the place, go somewhere else.
Oh my goodness this is exactly what happened to us on sat night at one of the clubs.
A buddy is getting married so we decided to have a Bachelor’s party for him. After a few drinks at home.. we hit downtown. Paid around $25 for cab right, 3 cabs mind you, Got downtown, to wait in line to get in, about 15 mins, paid $7 cover, paid about $7 a beer, it’s that place across from Citadel Hill. Not to mention the service was by far the worst.. not to mentioned the 20 yr bouncers that think they own the world. One of them actually used to work on the popcorn vending counter at empire theatres. on top of all of that, if you go outside for a smoke, you have to wait to get back in.
Where, in the line-up that was originally designed for hospitality staff, remember the time when hospitality staff used to get in at no charge?.. they no longer allow that eh!
Worst bar experience in the world. Been to Toronto, didn’t pay a cent to get in anywhere, In edmonton, no one single bar charge cover, in Victoria, of the 5 bars I went to, not one charged anything for cover.
To comment on Dino, the reason why bars in Halifax do this, because of the “Hey, ya gotta do what you have to. If you don’t like the place, go somewhere else.” mentality.
believe me, thing would be different if people actually stopped going!
It’s easier to pickup going out then staying at home.
So they had to build smoking rooms, which they can no longer use, and now they have to build a patio. Sure am glad I don’t own a bar. I don’t like the hassle of going out either but I’m sorry but you did come off as the kind of person for whom nothing is ever good enough.
What kind of crappy bar are you going to, OP? I’ve never had to wait in line to go back in, or get searched.
I’m going to have to side with MoleRat on this one….for the most part. I DO agree with having to pay a cover charge IF there is live entertainment. I DO NOT agree with having to pay one if it’s just some house dj fipping discs in the corner. As for the cost of drinks….where have you been the past 10-20 years?? The bars have ALWAYS charged more for booze…this should not be a surprise to anyone. Unless you’re there during a happy hour or some drink special,(which is taboo now as people can’t seem to hold their liquor anymore and want to start brawls in the streets…that’s a whole other post…but I digress…), expect to have a sizeable mark-up on drinks. (That’s why you start at home and have a few drinks BEFORE you venture downtown.) As for having to leave your drink inside when you decide to go for a smoke…refer to my above statement re: getting stupid and brawling not to mention open alcohol in public is illegal. Which leads me to my next point…I have absolutely, positively NO sympathy for you if you have to go outside to smoke…none, nada, zilch. You don’t HAVE to smoke..that’s YOUR decision to shorten your life…you, under NO circumstances have the right to shorten mine. You wanna smoke, get outside…if it’s too cold…quit..or dress for the weather and suck it up….er…back? muffin. Now, that being said, I DO agree with you in that if you’ve already paid the cover and have gotten that delightful “paid” stamp on your hand, if you go out for a smoke and come back in, you shouldn’t have to wait in line again. But I do NOT agree with the hospitality staff getting in for free or jumping the line. (Maybe a discount) Just because you work in a restaurant/bar/hotel why should you get any preferrential treatment over anybody else?
Bottom line, if you don’t like the way business is done…well, the way I see it, in a city that has more bars, clubs and pubs per capita than any other city in Canada, I find it hard to believe that there isn’t another place out there that you can go and avoid most, if not all, of these alleged pit falls. Or, you can just take your own advice and party at home.
Halifax does have too many cheesy bars that charge cover for nothing (Tabu) of for DJ’s (Tribeca) or bad cover bands (Palace) but really who cares? If these bars can survive because idiots are willing to pony up the dough then so be it. In some places bars even have live entertainment for free in order to attract business! What gets me is that I can’t just go to the Seahorse for a couple of beers without paying cover… back in the day… (old fart nostalgia). Thank god for Tom’s.
It’s funny too that the ones that charge cover are usually the ones that are the busiest. If you think they’re about to throw that revenue away, then you’re smoking something stronger than anything I’ve seen.
It’s also because those with the cabaret license have the monopoly on late night boozing. While others get out at one or two am, the drunkards want to keep on going so they mosey over to trashville or ho-town to keep the party going another couple hours.
I don’t think they’ll ever throw that cover charge away.
Too many idiots are willing to pony up the dough as lovehatehalifax said!
Too bad these idiots don’t realize that they’re spending at least $150 a night going out.
I miss the days when $40 went a long way at bars.. oh hold on.. that was about 4 years ago!
Lovehatehalifax, Taboo charges cover now?.. how much?
You know they sell martinis for $20 eh!!.. and normal cocktails are like $9.50.
I don’t really dig cover charges for nothing, but I’ve come to expect to pay it. I just hate when it’s super high (over $10 sometimes) for next to nothing. I don’t mind paying for bands though, that’s definitely worth it.
As for the smoking outside and drinking inside, there’s nothing bars can do about that. Do you think they like forcing their patrons out? Nope. It’s a law they have to deal with. As for keeping drinks inside, again, it violates your liquor license if people are allowed outside with drinks, which can lead to major fines.