Hackney Church Brew, a brewery in London, is pleading with customers to stop forming single-file queues at the bar, a practice that has been costing the venue significant business. The brewery's managing director, Hamish Glenn, told Metro that the phenomenon has become increasingly common since the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly as more young people have moved to the Hackney area over the past year.
Queuing phenomenon costing business
According to Hamish Glenn, the trend of single-file queuing has steadily risen since Covid, but in the last year it has become the norm. Some nights, the queue snakes out of the building and onto the street, deterring potential customers. 'It is such a weird phenomenon,' Glenn said. 'And it is costing us business.'
Staff at the venue are now under strict instruction to tell customers to move forward, but many are reluctant to do so because queue jumping is considered social suicide in the UK. Glenn noted, 'The majority of people do not like bar queuing. But we are encouraging people to be brave, and skip past the line and get your pint.'
Impact on sales and customer behavior
The queuing issue is not just about customer preference; it directly affects sales. Queuing at the bar takes nearly three times as long as normal ordering, leading to longer lines and reduced purchases. 'If it takes a while to get your first drink, you are more reluctant to go up and buy a second,' Glenn said. 'And some people walk in, see the long queue and go find somewhere else.'
The brewery made an impassioned plea on social media, reminding people they are 'not a post office,' which has received an outpouring of support. The real test of the plea's effectiveness is expected tomorrow, when a younger crowd descends on the bar for £3.50 pints.
Advice for customers
Glenn offered direct advice to customers: 'If you walk in and discover a single-file queue snaking away from the bar, do not join it. Walk directly to an empty bit of bar. Order your pint. You're not queue jumping. You're doing your bit to save British pub culture.'
The brewery's social media campaign aims to change customer behavior, with the hope that more patrons will bypass the queue and order directly, helping to preserve traditional pub culture and boost sales.
