Aussie pub’s desperate plea after popular items ‘suspiciously’ vanish
After spending $100 per week to replace the missing item, one small pub has had enough.
Taking home a glass from the local pub is something almost every Aussie has owned up to doing at least once in their life. But what happens when "just one glass" adds up and the families running small pubs can't keep up with the cost of replacing the missing glassware?
The Dromedary, a family-run establishment in the tiny NSW South Coast town of Central Tilba, has found itself in this very situation and is pleading with patrons to stop taking their glasses, especially their "nice gin and tonic" ones, after losing so many at a "suspicious rate". "We can't afford to keep ordering new ones every few weeks," it shared in a post online.
"Maybe people have just borrowed them and intend to bring them back? It is pretty disappointing to think that it's anything more intentional".
Money 'walking out the door' for small business
The Dromedary's current owners bought the 128-year-old pub in 2018 and rely on a "small profit margin" to keep the place running smoothly which is why they feel the pinch of missing glasses so acutely.
"Schooners we will cop to a certain degree," pub manager Rex Hone told Yahoo News Australia. "But we had about 30 [gin and tonic glasses] and it went back to just six left in a period of a month — and not a lot had broken".
Hone said that last weekend alone, they lost about seven to eight over just the Friday and Saturday night. "They're quite expensive," he said. "We're easily losing $100 a week on just these glasses alone".
Do you have a story about your local business? Contact reporter Laura Koefoed at laura.koefoed@yahooinc.com
Support from local community
After sharing the post on its Facebook page, locals shared how disappointed they were that this was happening to their beloved pub.
"This is really appalling, This beautiful pub has been brought back to life from almost closing from when it was built in 1895 (sic). It is now the most popular award-winning hotel on the Far South Coast, and it is a tiny heritage village that has put Tilba on the map. The owners and staff put their heart and soul into the Drom. They aim for the best, please help them keep it that way," one local passionately said in response.
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