Reopening Nerves!

How best to describe how we are feeling? We are certainly excited and definitely nervous. Scared is maybe too strong a word, but to be honest , we are a scared. Maybe frightened. Call it naivety or bravado, but we aren't really scared of the virus as such, more all the pressures and responsibilities that come with it. We are scared of letting people down - our customers and our team.

After nearly 15 years of flipping coins, lashing out pints and spicing up goujons, we are kind of set in our ways. We know what we are good at, and more importantly we know what we aren't. We go with the flow, steered and guided by you all, friends, customers and the crew. We are working hard on how to keep doing what we do best - to be honest, the only thing we know how to do - create an atmosphere that people want to be in, and that's being challenged more than ever before.

We don't claim to have the best pints ( Sin E or Moks maybe) or best wings ( Soho or Scoozis I guess) or the best service ( Jesus on a coin flip Sunday its a lottery, sorry) about that) or even the best looking pub ( to be fair, 15 years in we've taken a hammering), but we always pride ourselves in our ability to relax and welcome people. When you walk in the door of Sober Lane after a tough day at the office, or a FIFA marathon, we challenge you not to loosen that (figurative) tie and feel that tension drift away, everyone is welcome and welcome is what we do!

Now we need to rethink that model, while trying to not lose sight of what is important - making people feel welcome and relaxed. We thought we had 2 more months to figure it out, then on Friday it turns out we have about 2 weeks. Don't get us wrong, we are delighted to be opening sooner, but it hasn't helped the nerves.Imagine you had your driving test in 2 months - you would be really looking forward to the freedom it would bring after, but you'd be apprehensive of the test. Now imagine someone said theres a cancellation and you're up in 2 weeks..... EEEKKKKK. What about all that practice you had planned, all the meetings and trial runs you wanted to do. Im bored of that analogy already but you get the gist.

We're rambling, sorry, thats the nerves! I guess what we are trying to say is bear with us. Be patient. We might take a few goes to get it right. Of course we will be all over the hygiene stuff. Thats just a must. Keeping the crew and you all safe is top of the list - which in itself is strange as before having the craic was the priority. That sums it up really - theres a balancing act in trying to look after you in the way we used to and the way we need to now. We are bar staff, but now need to be waiters, you used to come to us, now we need to come to you. Before you couldn't book a table for less than 6, now you cant book a table for more than 6. Its a bit like a Dr Seuss book, Freaky Friday or something, everything turned upside down.

If we promise to try our best to both keep you safe and happy - a fine line we are up for treading, and if you promise to be patient, give us another chance when we mess up, understand when all the tables are gone before you get here, I think we might just all get through this in one piece with our sanity and sense of humours in tact.Look, its pints and banter, not saving the world, but it is what we do, and love doing, and what you've asked us to do for 15 odd years so we are taking it seriously, taking the importance of not being too serious seriously.

Not sure when exactly we will be open but it looks like the start of July, God/Allah/Buddha/Arthur Guinness willing. Good luck getting ready and overcoming whatever is making you nervous, don't worry, we'll all get there.

Thank you for listening

Ernest