Guinness - The Irish Pub Concep
Abiel Rodríguez
Abiel Rodríguez
Origin of the Irish Pub Concept
While the Pub or Irish Pub & Restaurant originated from grocery stores or 'spirit grocers' in rural Ireland of the early 1800's, what is generally recognized as the classic Public House or Pub came into being around the late-Victorian and Edwardian era, between 1875 and 1910.
This was the era of the industrial revolution and an incredible increase in business and trade. Much of this business was conducted, sealed and celebrated to the social accompaniment of a glass or two of stout, ale, wine or whiskey, most often in Public Houses rather than in offices, which really didn’t exist as we would know them today. To match the importance of the business being conducted, these Public Houses became very comfortable and highly ornate in their design and finishes. So when we refer to the Irish Pub Concept, we are describing the 21st century version of the classic Victorian-style Public Houses of Ireland, keeping all the care and attention to design authenticity while adding in a premium standard of food along with great imported beers like Guinness, Smithwicks and Harp. This is a concept which has been prolific and successful for well over 100 years.
This concept was revitalized during the 1980’s and 1990’s throughout Europe, with encouragement from Diageo, and was introduced by them into the United States during the late 1990’s as a benchmark for quality and excellence in Irish Pubs. Diageo focused these quality benchmarks on five key criteria, namely authentic design, Irish food recipes using locally-sourced ingredients, great import Irish beers and perfect Guinness, great employees and Irish entertainment.
Although the Irish Pub Concept is predominantly under independent ownership across the United States and throughout the world, in its classic forms it is nevertheless an instantly recognizable brand, a quality that lends greatly to its success and longevity. In the same way that consumers trust well-known name brands and create positive bonds with them, the Irish Pub Concept instills in consumers an association with comfort, warmth, informality, hospitality, home-cooked food, classic beverages... particularly Guinness... and friendly service.
From the early days of the Irish Pub Concept, Diageo has been instrumental in promoting the core values the Irish Pub Concept, values researched over many years, and values which are known to build robust businesses. Diageo continues to provide initial guidance and direction to potential operators and investors through independent industry specialists on topics that include financing, site location, design/build, project management and operational execution.
However, while Diageo provides free access to these resources it cannot guarantee the execution of services by any third-party resource nor can it contribute materially to any development in any way other than with limited marketing and promotional support in those states where such is allowed by state and federal law.
If your objective is to develop an authentic Irish Pub Concept as described above, we strongly recommend you have an initial and free consultation with an expert who has worked with the concept for over 15 years. Ballance Hospitality is our nominated vendor in this respect and can provide you with the expert information you will need to consider whether developing the Irish Pub Concept is the right decision for you.
Abiel Rodríguez
Abiel Rodríguez
Abiel Rodríguez