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Too many tourists

Posted by barry on 2013-09-29 08:34:15

That's pretty much exactly right, Fred. But now I'm going to let you in to a little secret as to why Mahrs is the chaos that it is! But first, just a few of the crazy things that happened in our two visits - and remember, we are not the mad Irish tourists who can't accommodate to local rules but two foreigners in a small group of locals who are all regulars at Mahrs, some being actually members of the stamtisch.

Last Friday week, J. and self got to Mahrs around 4 pm (U anstich time). We managed to get a seat at table where we were joined at about 4.30 pm by Frank and his brother Jürgen. Maybe half an hour later, the party became five with Robert and Ursl. Then reservation signs starting appearing and disappearing on our table, as the serving ladies argued who was coming and when. So, we sat tight until, eventually, a party arrived at around 7.20 pm - about 20 minutes late - and we shifted outside. Of course, all the time we were inside, the service was appaling. Some time after, Jürgen, who was slightly worse for wear, wandered off with Robert in assistance, while J. and Ursl scarpered elsewhere for a whisky, leaving Frank and self.

Off to the ausschank where we were now served with 2 seidlas of U. But it wasn't U, it didn't taste like U and it didn't look like U, it was not U! Back to the ausschank for a long discussion with a guy who simply didn't care two hoots - he poured another seidla from the cask that was identical to the two that we already had - 'that's U', he said. But we know our U and it wasn't. Eventually, the rest of the party came back, so we decided to cut our losses and Frank, J. and self headed back to town.

Second visit to Mahrs: J., Frank and self were the 'advance party' so we went to the 'schwemme hatch' to be told that we had to sit inside the first room or sit at a table outside and be served - no beer was forthcoming from the hatch. This had never happened before and we were completely at a loss. However, we managed to find some places and so ordered some U, which came, after a time, of course. We were then joined by Robert and Ursl who were surprised to find us inside when we had agreed to meet in the Schwemme. The tale was told and Ursl was enraged - it took a little time for Frank and Robert to calm her down but, as she explained, this was yet another in a long series of incidents.

So, what is the secret of the chaos: piecing things together from Frank, Robert and Ursl, it seems that the current proprietor of Mahrs (name escapes me - son of the old proprietor) has no interest in the day to day operation of the brewery or stube and has devised a management system that absolves him from any responsibility. The guy who runs the ausschank is not employed but buys the beer from the brewery and then sells it on to the serving ladies, who, in turn, sell it to the customers - one presumes that each add a little mark up. The kitchen is separate again and is franchised out, along with the room situated down the Schwemme on the left. I assume that the serving ladies have to 'buy' their customers meals from the kitchen in the same way that they buy the beer from the ausschank.

Why then is the service so bad, as you would think that there would be an incentive to sell more? I think the answer lies in the different rates of profitability between beer and food. To an extent, the price of the beer is governed by 'market forces' - i.e. the price that people will pay, which is relative to what other pubs charge, so I suppose that there is relatively little profit on the beer. There is probably a bigger profit on the food, which is why they are so keen with the table reservations. This explains also why things are so chaotic: there is simply no one in charge and they are all acting individually, not as a team but against each other.

If anybody knows differently, please advise, and if Mr. Mahrs is reading this, please get things sorted out because the situation is becoming worse and worse!

Mahrs by Uncle Jimbo on 2013-09-30 09:34:23

Mahrs by barry on 2013-09-30 11:35:59

Mahrs by barry on 2013-09-30 11:46:03

Mahrs by Fred Waltman on 2013-09-30 14:31:58

Mahrs by Uncle Jimbo on 2013-09-30 16:22:17

Too many tourists by Stephan Michel on 2013-10-01 00:09:05

Mahrs by Stephan Michel on 2013-10-01 00:25:11

Mahrs by Stephan Michel on 2013-10-01 00:28:35

Mahrs by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 03:17:37

Too many tourists by barry on 2013-10-01 03:24:00

Schwemme by Mark Andersen on 2013-10-01 06:54:05

Live aus der Schwemme by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 07:52:06

Live aus der Schwemme by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 08:16:05

Poor Greifenklau! by Mark Andersen on 2013-10-01 08:11:34

Live aus der Schwemme by Mark Andersen on 2013-10-01 08:25:00

Mahrs by Fred Waltman on 2013-10-01 08:36:04

Live aus der Schwemme by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 08:32:17

Live aus der Schwemme by Mark Andersen on 2013-10-01 08:39:37

Live aus der Schwemme by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 08:32:17

Live aus der Schwemme by barry on 2013-10-01 09:29:04

Poor Greifenklau! by barry on 2013-10-01 09:30:29

Live aus der Schwemme by barry on 2013-10-01 09:31:45

Live aus der Schwemme by barry on 2013-10-01 09:33:57

Live aus der Schwemme by TreinJan on 2013-10-01 13:08:35

Poor Greifenklau! by TreinJan on 2013-10-01 13:10:54

Poor Greifenklau! by Jason on 2013-10-01 13:11:36

Live aus der Schwemme by Fred Waltman on 2013-10-01 14:53:34

Poor Greifenklau! by Fred Waltman on 2013-10-01 14:55:50

Poor Greifenklau! by Uncle Jimbo on 2013-10-01 16:11:42

Live aus der Schwemme by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 23:14:10

Poor Greifenklau! by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 23:15:27

Oktober by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 23:26:41

Live aus der Schwemme by Nick B. on 2013-10-01 23:33:11

Poor Greifenklau! by DonS on 2013-10-02 06:40:03

Oktober by Uncle Jimbo on 2013-10-02 16:09:13

Oktober by Nick B. on 2013-10-03 01:47:58

Oktober by Uncle Jimbo on 2013-10-03 19:47:50

Oktober by Nick B. on 2013-10-04 00:56:08

Oktober by Uncle Jimbo on 2013-10-04 05:14:37