As England progressed through to the World Cup quarter-finals, pub companies have been reporting huge rises in takings thanks to early morning opening for soccer fans wanting to see matches live, with the bonus for the whole pub and bar trade likely to be north of £70m a week.
Karen Forrester, managing director of the Laurel Pub Company, said her estate had seen a £2.2m rise in sales during the first week of the tournament, an average of £3,600 a pub.
She said: "This is a fantastic result for pubs. Last week's sales were equivalent to Christmas and as the momentum builds we are on target for record-breaking sales."
At Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries' Pathfinder managed pubs division, when 400 out of 600 pubs applied for special extensions for the screening of World Cup matches, managing director Derek Andrews said: "It was extremely good on Friday as people stayed behind to celebrate the win over Argentina."
Roger Sargent, financial director of the Sports Cafe chain, said: "Things have gone exceptionally well. We are looking at several weeks' trade in a one-week period."
Of the 38m people in this country estimated to have watched the England-Argentina match on television, up to 7m are believed to have done so in the pub, with two thirds of those aged under 35, according to the research company Carat. An estimated 8m people were expected to be in a pub or bar to watch Saturday lunchtime's second-round match between England and Denmark.
Pubs have been reporting up to 500 customers crowding in to
watch matches. Almost two thirds of early-morning World Cup watchers are choosing to drink alcohol, with one third buying soft drinks and just one in 14 drinking coffee or tea.
However, the JD Wetherspoon chain is staying television-free during the World Cup month, despite reports that its pubs have been empty on match days.
Wetherspoon's managing director, John Hutson, said: "The World Cup lasts for just four weeks every four years and it would be wrong to change our television-free policy, which is something our customers like in our pubs."
SFI Group, owner of the Litten Tree, Slug & Lettuce and Bar Med chains, said takings at its outlets were up an average of more than £4,000 each in the first week of the World Cup as fans took advantage of early opening hours and big-screen TVs to come in and watch the matches.
The company, which operates 186 outlets, said total takings were up by almost £750,000 for the week. It said it had spent six months planning its World Cup activity, which included "football forums", allowing Capital Radio listeners to put questions to football pundits, as well as the chance to win one of nine pairs of tickets to the World Cup in Japan.
SFI revealed that business involving local firms had been a big part of the extra income, with many bars hired by companies for the matches, and takeaway sales from its bars to local offices.
Andrew Latham, SFI's chief executive said: "Both the Jubilee and World Cup have created a general euphoria which has been good news for us. Meticulous planning and detailed promotional activity have been key drivers of our results and we are confident that the next round on Saturday should be a bumper day for our pubs and bars."
At Yates Group, chairman Mike Hennessy said the World Cup was generating extra sales and that the first week ended "well up" compared to a normal week of trading. He said: "The result against Argentina Friday lunchtime meant that trading was strong all through the day."
Hennessy said most Yates outlets were open for breakfast to enable customers to watch the England/Nigeria match and he, too, expected another busy weekend
An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 pubs and bars are thought to have obtained early-morning licences to screen Saturday's game and serve up breakfast and beer.
However, the JD Wetherspoon chain is staying television-free during the World Cup month, despite reports that its pubs have been empty on match days.
Wetherspoon's managing director, John Hutson, said: "The World Cup lasts for just four weeks every four years and it would be wrong to change our television-free policy, which is something our customers like in our pubs."
Karen Forrester, managing director of the Laurel Pub Company, said her estate had seen a £2.2m rise in sales during the first week of the tournament, an average of £3,600 a pub.
She said: "This is a fantastic result for pubs. Last week's sales were equivalent to Christmas and as the momentum builds we are on target for record-breaking sales."
At Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries' Pathfinder managed pubs division, when 400 out of 600 pubs applied for special extensions for the screening of World Cup matches, managing director Derek Andrews said: "It was extremely good on Friday as people stayed behind to celebrate the win over Argentina."
Roger Sargent, financial director of the Sports Cafe chain, said: "Things have gone exceptionally well. We are looking at several weeks' trade in a one-week period."
Of the 38m people in this country estimated to have watched the England-Argentina match on television, up to 7m are believed to have done so in the pub, with two thirds of those aged under 35, according to the research company Carat. An estimated 8m people were expected to be in a pub or bar to watch Saturday lunchtime's second-round match between England and Denmark.
Pubs have been reporting up to 500 customers crowding in to
watch matches. Almost two thirds of early-morning World Cup watchers are choosing to drink alcohol, with one third buying soft drinks and just one in 14 drinking coffee or tea.
However, the JD Wetherspoon chain is staying television-free during the World Cup month, despite reports that its pubs have been empty on match days.
Wetherspoon's managing director, John Hutson, said: "The World Cup lasts for just four weeks every four years and it would be wrong to change our television-free policy, which is something our customers like in our pubs."
SFI Group, owner of the Litten Tree, Slug & Lettuce and Bar Med chains, said takings at its outlets were up an average of more than £4,000 each in the first week of the World Cup as fans took advantage of early opening hours and big-screen TVs to come in and watch the matches.
The company, which operates 186 outlets, said total takings were up by almost £750,000 for the week. It said it had spent six months planning its World Cup activity, which included "football forums", allowing Capital Radio listeners to put questions to football pundits, as well as the chance to win one of nine pairs of tickets to the World Cup in Japan.
SFI revealed that business involving local firms had been a big part of the extra income, with many bars hired by companies for the matches, and takeaway sales from its bars to local offices.
Andrew Latham, SFI's chief executive said: "Both the Jubilee and World Cup have created a general euphoria which has been good news for us. Meticulous planning and detailed promotional activity have been key drivers of our results and we are confident that the next round on Saturday should be a bumper day for our pubs and bars."
At Yates Group, chairman Mike Hennessy said the World Cup was generating extra sales and that the first week ended "well up" compared to a normal week of trading. He said: "The result against Argentina Friday lunchtime meant that trading was strong all through the day."
Hennessy said most Yates outlets were open for breakfast to enable customers to watch the England/Nigeria match and he, too, expected another busy weekend
An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 pubs and bars are thought to have obtained early-morning licences to screen Saturday's game and serve up breakfast and beer.
However, the JD Wetherspoon chain is staying television-free during the World Cup month, despite reports that its pubs have been empty on match days.
Wetherspoon's managing director, John Hutson, said: "The World Cup lasts for just four weeks every four years and it would be wrong to change our television-free policy, which is something our customers like in our pubs."
