Wardroom prices on the rise

For the second time this year, Wardroom pitcher prices have gone up. They’re now sitting at the legal minimum of $13.50, a toonie more than they were earlier this week.
“This has nothing to do with the ‘corporatization’ of the Wardroom,” said John Adams, the bar’s manager. “This is the law. We do our best to follow it, while at the same time still providing the cheapest beer in the city.”
The change came abruptly on Thursday night when two older women walked into the bar. One asked what the price of a pitcher was. The bartender explained that the draft actually wasn’t working that night (the gas pump was broken), which didn’t stop the woman from repeating her question. The bartender quickly realized that she was facing the provincial liquor inspector.
The inspector informed the Wardroom’s staff manager that the legal minimum for a 64 oz pitcher of beer is $13.50, no exceptions—even for happy hour. The manager promptly complied and upped the price. No other beverage cost was affected, except for draught pints, which the junior management dropped to $3.00 during happy hour, as a gesture to patrons.
At the end of the night, the Wardroom isn’t making any more money. The bar used to earn $5.00 off each pitcher sold, and now pockets $7.00, but that’s not where the money is. The Wardroom sells far more pints in an average week, and will now be earning 25 cents fewer off each of those. “It’s probably not going to help us,” Adams said of the price jump. “I don’t see this in any way being beneficial.”
But the conversation isn’t over. Adams thinks that the Wardroom might be exempt from general liquor laws because it’s a members-only bar, comparing it to golf clubs or Legion Halls. Sales Manager Asher Goldstein, meanwhile, plans on looking into what defines a unit of alcohol. He also claims that there’s discrepancy over Wardroom pint sizes, and is confused about how the liquor inspector measured a pint glass to be 12 oz when he was under the impression that they were 16 oz.
In the meantime, this coming week will show how much the bar is hurt. Adams suspects it isn’t, at least not the bar itself: “If costs are gonna go anywhere,” he said, “people are gonna tip less.”
Disclaimer: Both editors-in-chief of the Watch, as well as the writer of this story, work at the Wardroom. Doesn’t show, though, does it?