Pat de Brún, see President of UCD Students’ Union, ailment has stated that he is working with the Student Club committee on solutions for the future of the bar; including hiring a bar industry consultant to assist in the creation of a long-term business plan.
De Brún states that while the members of the committee are working extensively with the current bar staff “unfortunately [we] don’t have the time required to put into the bar on a day-to-day basis, capsule so we felt that bringing in an external resource would be prudent”.
The consultant is preparing a proposal to present to the committee in the coming week; his fees will be included.
The committee plans on examining every aspect of the bar’s activities in an attempt to make it profitable again.
Students have complained in recent years of the price of drinks in the bar. 2nd year student, Maria, informs the College Tribune that it’d “be better if the €3 drinks were more often … it’s much cheaper to just pre-drink at home.”
The SU President acknowledges this feeling, stating that “students are now more inclined to get their alcohol in an off-license and drink at home instead of the bar. In order to be competitive, I feel we need to reduce prices in line with the economic realities we’re faced with.”
He argues that there is potential in the Student Club as “it is a members’ club that is there to serve the needs of the [students]. That gives me faith that we can turn it around into a bar that students want to spend time, and money, in.”
De Brún’s aim is to deliver a lower-cost model “in time for the beginning of the next academic term, although it is undoubtedly a challenge, i think it would be fantastic to be able to re-launch the bar completely from the first week back.”
The new Forum bar should also be open in time for the beginning of the forthcoming academic year.
Conor Fox
News Editor
