cathallangan Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 So the Notty House is about to changes hands again, continuing its turbulent history of recent times, and I'm the one whose hands it is going into!! Was hoping to get some feedback on what people have liked/disliked about the place over the past few years, and any opinions on what you think needs to be done to make it somewhere you would want to go for drinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM01 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I used to love the pies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerbyTup Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Not been in for years but, at one time, that area was the home to lots of students. Now, what I'm hearing, is that it isn't the case so much, because loads of students are now accommodated in the centre of the city. I'm sure there still are students in that area - but they may no longer be your main customer group. That's something you'd need to find out. And it's quite important. If you set yourself up to appeal to students you may be not appealing to others - and vice versa. For me to visit there it would have to have good real ale - and I don't mean the big brewery stuff or mainstream rubbish like Black sheep and London Pride and all that ubiquitous trash that you see in every pub in the country. I'm talking about small local microbreweries. It would also need to be a nice place to sit in. Comfy, nicely decorated, warm, characterful. But I'm not a student. If I was then I'd probably want Carling and Foster's on tap - no more than £2 a pint ideally - big screen TV, pool table, maybe a juke box. The thing is, you have to stand for something, you can't stand for everything. The Hallamshire pub at Commonside, I think, is a good example of how to create a pub that appeals to its local clientele. The renovation there is sympathetic to the nature of the pub, it is cosy and Victorian, and they have excellent beer and a good range of drinks overall. It is the opposite side of town from me - but I'd make a special trip over there because it's such a nice little pub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharLou Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 If I was then I'd probably want Carling and Foster's on tap - no more than £2 a pint ideally - big screen TV, pool table, maybe a juke box. Quite a narrow-minded statement that this is what students want. Maybe a certain demographic of student. But as a recent graduate who lived in Broomhill for the second and third years of my degree, I can assure you that pubs such as "The Place" are not what all students enjoy!! In my opinion, most of the pubs in Broomhill are grim and knackered - The Place, Broomhill Tavern, South Seas, Fox & Duck are all a bit crap. The York is nice, but so focused on food that its not great for boozing. I believe that Broomhill needs a pub which is a bit different, a bit cool, and which is student/young professional friendly. Get some real ales to cater for the old folk too and if you are able to strike the right balance of cool/unpretentious/fun, with prices that aren't designed to appeal to idiot students on a rugby bar crawl but wont exclude students who arent obnoxious morons you should, in my opinion, do very well. The Washington has the right atmosphere and mix of young and old with virtually no idiots. If you could achieve the Washingtons atmosphere, but update the interior to look a bit cooler and a bit different you'd have it spot on!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecanary Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Have been a regular visitor to this pub for many years - firstly as a postgraduate student, then as a young (or nowadays, not so young) professional. Not sure my tastes/requirements, or those of my friends, have changed much during this time. Yes please - a selection of real ales (and I'm female!), decent crisps (Henderson's Yorkshire have always been a firm favourite with our crowd) and basic but good quality food options (e.g. the pies, as someone else had said). The live music/open mic sessions held a few years ago were also great, though we rarely stay out late enough to appreciate them these days! Newspapers/magazines/coffee to attract daytime punters. No thank you - cheap booze offers targetted at large numbers of raucous students. Loud and obtrusive recorded music. TV screens blaring out sport/MTV/reality TV etc. With some big employers in the area (e.g. RHH, university), I think yout target market should be wider than students alone. I wish you all the best with this venture. It would be great to see the Notty restored to it's former glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wobblygob Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Get some real ales to cater for the old folk too Cheeky git! Real ale is no longer seen as an old man's drink and is increasingly popular amongst young people, even students. Are you one of those idiots who drink fizzy lager out of bottles because it looks cool rather than because you like the taste? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesogt Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 The biggest question is what arrangement do you have it on? Is it still Enterprise or Punch and if so, do you have any movement on the tie? If the answer to the question is one or the other and No, then you will need more than luck. How can you possibly compete with The York and The Fox and Duck that can buy beer at a thrid of what you can. If you have got it Freehold then you should be able to have a decent crack at making it successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathallangan Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 Appreciating the feedback. Am certainly not trying to be a student pub as such. Hoping that a comfortable friendly location with decent beer, and regular entertainment will keep people interested. Yes, it is still tied to Trust Inns, so that cetainly does have an effect on the prices that have to be charged. As for the Washington, it seems to be a very rare friday or saturday night when I am not sat in their beer garden with a pint and a ciggy!! I'm a fan! Will be making sure that I have daily newspapers, and still got to sort out hot drinks plan, will be basic, but decent is my thoughts! Cheers again for opinions! Happy to hear them all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strix Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I could be wrong, but the pubs that seem to be doing best in this financial climate seem to be those concentrating on food (and we travel right across town to eat in a good pub) Two ideas that could work for you are: 1 - there is a pub in the area of town near the solicitors' offices - they do pre-order food so people can dash in at a pre arranged time and have their food on the table NOW, and be back in work on time. You have a number of hospitals on your doorstep with both staff and patients who may be interested in this arrangement 2 - using a pub kitchen to do hot food deliveries. Again, the hospitals should be a ready market. As the parent of a baby incarcerated in the children's hospital with no access to decent food at the time, I'd have welcomed being able to even dash down to a van to collect a good meal. Hospital food is notoriously unappealing, so you should also have a ready market in the Hallamshire - even if you can only offer a service to the door for relatives or volunteers to collect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strix Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Will be making sure that I have daily newspapers, and still got to sort out hot drinks plan, will be basic, but decent is my thoughts! It doesn't need to be that basic, given the push button machines available these days Look at the coffee places you'd be competing with Will you be having free wi-fi? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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