El Pinguino wrote:He he. I figured that would stir up some defensive responses. I am actually happy they're most likely making money off this event.
The losses on this one are minimal to me. I've never seen 100 people at Volo any time I've been there. Actualyl come to think of it most times I've bdropped by for an hour or two they've been pretty quiet.
In terms of not forgetting the bar is open to regular bar/resto service...also don't forget how often beer drinkers drop by for 2-3 beers over the course of a few hours and don't bother getting any food.
People like to shoot the shit and get into fun debates, like here on BT, and before you know it 5 hours have passed, you've only had 3 beers, so you drop $30 and leave...
So the $35 ticket price for a 4 hour session is actually more than what many people would spend on a regular event, especially for a quick lunch. To me, they've done a smart job of eliminating the 'loss' of revenue from the increased ticket price.
Just offering a different perspective. Sometimes people like to exagerate the oeprating costs and potential lost revenues. Can probably give the weekend off for the entire kitchen staff too if cheese samples are the only option.
Now, I really do like fancy, custom glassware....and am happy to pay a steeper price for a cool souvenir!
You are presuming to know roughly how much revenue Volo makes during an average weekend and then, apparently, drawing the conclusion that this event makes them more money. Sorry...but even I don't need to see their books to shoot that down.
First off, your personal observation of three of four people sitting around the place having a few beers and no food is certainly NOT the case on Friday-Sunday, particularly the evenings. It might be more valid for an afternoon or weeknight...but have you been in on a Friday around 9pm?). How on earth could the place stay afloat financially and carry four or five staff each shift with the kind of rents charged on Yonge Street if the place was only bringing in $40 worth of beer sales an hour (according to your scenario)? Consider this...if the place were to be open as scheduled during the times the Cask Days event is running (12-12 Fri,Sat,Sun) all the food and drink business they'd need to do to just equal the $2100 the cask event would bring in (if sold out) would be a paultry $58 per hour. That's right...an average bill for three or four people per hour. EVEN if the place was only open for 6-10pm on the three days (their busiest times usually) they'd only need to do $175 in sales to equal the Cask Days revenue. That's a figure that ten people could easily pay in a given hour of sales and the place is RARELY that empty during those peek hours.
I think it's fair to guess that an average gross sales figure for an average Volo weekend (Fri-Sun) is conservatively more like $2000-4000 or higher. So how does making $2100 add up as a money maker?
STILL think the losses are minimal? Seriously. At best Ralph and Volo now break even due to the higher ticket price.
I personally hate all this whining and suspicion that little bar owners like Ralph are taking advantage of us by hosting an amazing event like this with an increased ticket price. I guarantee you he is one of the good guys who does events like this, at a loss generally, because he loves beer and wants to promote it. It's got bugger all to do with making big money off the backs of beer geeks.
So buy a ticket or DON'T but stop assuming this is a cash grab when it so clearly is nothing of the sort.
I don't always piss in a bottle but when I do...I prefer to call it Dos Equis.
