Hackney Church Brew Co. in east London has declared war on single-file queuing at the bar, urging customers to abandon lines and order directly to "save our pub culture."
In a tongue-in-cheek Facebook post, the watering hole blasted the "bizarre" trend, stating: "WHY ARE YOU ALL QUEUING SINGLE FILE AT THE BAR?!" The post continued: "A BAR IS NOT A POST OFFICE. You do not need to form one enormous, beautifully polite British queue stretching halfway across the taproom while four members of staff stare forlornly at 15 feet of completely empty bar."
Pub's Intervention
The pub said it has tried everything from "polite encouragement" to "signs" and "gentle shouting" to stop the lines, which have become a "problem." They are now "appealing directly to your common sense and your deeply buried pre-Covid pub instincts."
The post added: "So next Thursday, if you walk in and discover a single-file queue snaking away from the bar, do not join it. Walk past 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."
Public Backing
The Facebook post has amassed thousands of likes as boozers rallied around the pub's war on queuing. One social media user commented: "Oh dear what are folks like, you would have been laughed at in the 90s for doing this." Another added: "Just experienced this in the centre of Bristol, just walked to the side of the bar and ordered my beers much to the astonishment of all the youngsters who were queued in 3 lines – bizarre."
A third person said: "It seems to be spreading, seeing it all the time, a queue out the door of the pub whilst the whole bar is empty."
Broader Context
The development follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham's criticism of council penpushers for attempting to ban standing up drinking at pubs. Burnham has vowed to confiscate powers from local authorities trying to restrict customers from standing while drinking or ordering at the bar.
No.10's intervention comes after Westminster Council recommended not allowing "vertical drinking" or ordering at the bar in its new draft licensing policy, suggesting pubs apply for new licences to allow only table service.
