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O’Neill’s introduces pint pricing surcharge at Soho pub
O’Neill’s on London’s Wardour Street has introduced a surcharge which will add an extra £2 to the price of drinks purchased after 10pm.
The Soho branch of the Irish-themed pub states on a sign that it operates a “a variable price list” – what that means in reality is that after 10pm, the price it charges for drinks increases.
It is reported that this results in the price of a Brewdog IPA going from £7.40 during the rest of the day to £9.40, while a 500ml bottle of Budweiser goes up from £6.05 to £8.05. Even a tonic water goes up by £1 under the system, with the price rising to £3.15. Drinks purchased in the evening are also served in plastic cups, rather than glass.
One consumer rights expert was scathing about the policy. Scott Dixon told The Telegraph: “The hospitality industry needs to rethink their business model instead of inventing new ways to rip people off, there needs to be more transparency.”
The bar’s website does not seem to share that it operates with a pricing surcharge policy.
“Pubs and venues ought to display clear pricing and notices so consumers can make an informed decision before they enter into a contract to buy drinks, they cannot simply post an A4 piece of paper in an obscured location,” argued Dixon. “It’s immoral and it will rightfully be putting customers off.”
O’Neill’s is operated by Mitchells & Butlers, which also hands the likes of Toby Carvery, All Bar One, Harvester, Ember Inns, and numerous other brands. A spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers sent the following statement on its controversial pricing policy to The Independent: “Most hospitality businesses and retailers deploy a form of dynamic pricing, but this means that prices can both rise as well as fall through tactical discounts being offered in the form of time-limited promotions and fixed price menus…Dynamic pricing varies on a site-by-site basis as it reflects the local market conditions, but temporary price increases tend to reflect the need to offset additional costs such as at times when door security is required.”
It is understood that other O’Neill’s sites in London are yet to introduce a pricing surcharge, but the practice is certainly not unheard of from other operators.
A year ago, pub giant Stonegate Group revealed that it would be charging customer 20 pence more for drinks purchased during peak business hours, but, even though this surcharge is a tenth of that introduced by the O’Neill’s on Wardour Street, this dynamic pricing policy was similarly negatively received.
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