Comments on Punchs' Roger Whitesides article in Morning Advertiser

This is not a visionary statement and as most comments reveal its easy to read that this is simply more of the same.
Essentially the Gentleman is saying we'll just do everything we've always done but we'll do it better - well frankly just in pure management science terms never mind the troubled Pub sector anyone with even a little experience of organisations would read this is naieve.
The only little ounce of truth which is now coming through thick and fast from all Pubcos is the acceptance there are going to be less Pubs - the question of course is how many less - 20% ? 30%.
What we need from Punch ( and Enterprise) as custodians of a huge chunk of the sector is a vision of the future of Pub retailing that takes into account the inherent weaknesses in the sector which are
its cheap to enter
anyone can have a go
Pubs don't easily fit into a modern retailng model
punters prefer brands
Where is the strategy to ensure traditional Pubs living off beer sales can become and remain economic into the next three decades?
Where is the strategy to help food Pubs fight back against increasingly dominant, and growing branded food alternatives
This isn't just about more effective BDMs and better busines trained tennants - this is about a model that will ensure Pubs have a real place in the future of leisure time in the Uk
One final word on the fantastic team at the heart of Punch - they may well be internally an awesome bunch but externally there is and has been for years an ugly and completely unfounded arogance that pervades everything the organisation appears to do. It resulted in huge amounts of capital wasted in the early days and today it doesnt mix at all well with the undoubted fear that lurks.