THE PRINCE ALBERT, BROADSTAIRS. On the market, but more importantly what is a Prince Albert again?

Let's get the elephant trunk in the room out of the way.

The Prince Albert piercing style is named after Prince Albert of England, the husband of Queen Victoria. It is believed that the monarch had a piercing at the end of his (ahem) ding a ling. In the early 1800s, tight trousers were a popular style for men, I wonder if he was responsible for the saying "he was a dead ringer" then?

How anyone other than her late majesty Queen Victoria would know is beyond me. But it reminds me of another urban legend of Hitler having only one testical... Hitler has only got one ball, the other is in the Albert hall....

Why did Prince Albert get all the plaudits, eh?

Well back to the topic of The Prince Albert Pub and that's a shame because I would be happy to see what else it's namesake had been tarnished with. 

The Prince Albert is a beautiful looking pub on Broadstairs high street. Mock Elizabethan having been reconstructed in the 1900's and thankful we must be for such a glorious celebration of architectural history. 

The Broadstairs high street is a road I once lived on, a road where I also had a hospitality business so this is right up my street, or down it as the case was but that's beside the point. I know stuff.

Oh I remember many moons ago when I was 20...wow that's quite sobering! I popped in there on a lunch break and ordered a jacket potato. Even then it was very much, if not identical to what it looks like now, the faces have changed but back then it was a magnet for older customers who liked popping to the pub for a sandwich and a light and bitter. A nice, respectful town pub.

I've been in plenty of times since and it would be fair to say that I would have experienced it at its best for the years that followed were a little, shall we say, flaccid.

The last 25 years has seen a startling change.

 

Viagra for one, never saw that coming. 

But in pub culture it would seem then this is where we find The Prince Albert was sadly falling short. Tied by it's proverbial ring, piercingly bound by it's inability to get hard. (Was going to say tough but hard works better.)

But no matter the time that had gone by before, you couldn't have a tougher economic climate to run a hospitality business than today. 

If COVID didn't break you, then this perfect storm of rising costs and rapidly vanishing customers has decemated the industry.

This sadly means that opening the doors at a place like this as it stands achieves nothing more than accumulation of debt.

But that's not the case for everyone and if you are a follower of my work then you will know that I highlight those places and people who know how to make their business unique. I recognise the differences people have to make in order to thrive, even in these conditions. 

It's not for the faint hearted though, you need a plan.

This is why The Prince Albert is making me quite excitable.

I see an opportunity for a new beginning for The Prince Albert, but whoever comes in has to accept that it cannot stay as it is.

If you have not read my article on the importance of attraction in hospitality then please do so, it will save me typing it all again, but in essence the challenge here is to turn the pub into a magical example of good old fashioned pub, traditional values but with modern fresh ideas that span all age groups and genres. Easy!

Rule number one. Play to your strengths. Aside from the name, what makes this place anything worth believing in? It is a beautiful pub so yes splash some paint, but don't ignore why people find this place so attractive from the outside and bring that back inside. 

Peacocking. It needs to strutt it's USP stuff. I'm writing an article about that now, so if you haven't a clue what I am saying then give the blog a follow to be alerted to it.

Careful consideration to what you do, or not do, but it is fair to say that whatever it is now is not where it needs to be, or it would be in a better condition or enjoying more success than it is now.

What and who is the target? Once you understand that then build your business to then...

Rule number two. Attract your target market and this is essential and where most people get it totally wrong. 

You don't have to look too far from this doorstep to see how spending a shed load of money transforming a place filth the equivalent of lip fillers and camel lashes in order to attract a whole new demographic only to discover those fantasy people never materialised, and another such place still has the same old customers, and alienated many more. Don't be a busy fool.

No, stay in your lane but make sure you are more attractive than your competition by making what you do a priority choice to visit.

Rule number three. Know your competition. What do they do that works that you can do better? 

You might think that people are led by their wallet, and the only way to survive is to cut your margins? Stop. Now, more than ever people want a reason to visit and will pay for it too.

Consider viable alternatives that compliment your business. But most of all be outstanding at what you do.

Rule number four. Do not compromise. Now more than ever standards must be spot on. 

This is Broadstairs which seems to have the highest volume of pubs and restaurants in a square mile than anywhere else in the world. Competition is unbelievably strong.

Taking on The Prince Albert is not for the faint hearted, but if done correctly it will delight people for generations once more.

If you are interested in running The Prince Albert then click here for more info.

The Prince Albert

38 High St, Broadstairs CT10 1LH