Is a £4 Pint Night Worth It?

I summoned the local Wellness Wednesday WhatsApp (beer) group for what we loosely call “self-care” — a quick pint at a local taproom running a £4-a-pint deal.

A couple of pints in, we left a buzzing, packed-out bar, with even more people piling in for the midweek bargain. My mate Dom (not his real name) turned to me and said, “This is brilliant — why don’t more pubs do this? It’s a no-brainer.”

Well, in honour of Dom — and at the risk of boring half of you to tears — here’s why it’s not always a no-brainer.

£4 Pints on a Wednesday: What the Numbers Actually Say

Let’s break it down with some simple pub maths.

The setup:

• Cost per pint (to the pub): £1.50

• Regular price: £6.00

• Promo price: £4.00

• Average pints per person: 2

Regular Wednesday (£6 pints)

• 100 customers

• 2 pints each → 200 pints sold

• Revenue: £1,200

• Cost of goods: £300

• Profit: £900

• Profit per customer: £9

• Gross margin: 75%

Promo Wednesday (£4 pints)

• 300 customers (triple the crowd)

• 2 pints each → 600 pints sold

• Revenue: £2,400

• Cost of goods: £900

• Profit: £1,500

• Profit per customer: £5

• Gross margin: 62.5%

Yes — the total profit jumps from £900 to £1,500. But profit per head drops from £9 to £5. And you’ve just tripled the strain on your staff, stock, and operations… for an extra £600.

So, What’s the Real Takeaway?

1. You need serious volume.
At £4 pints, you’re making £2.50 profit per pint instead of £4.50. You have to sell nearly twice as many just to break even on profit — ideally more people and more pints per person.

2. Busier doesn’t always mean better.
A packed Wednesday looks great on Instagram, but if people aren’t buying snacks, shots, or cocktails (aka the high-margin stuff), your team is working harder for less profit per head.

3. Margins matter more than buzz.
At £6, you keep 75% of revenue as profit. At £4, that drops to 62.5%. It’s a big swing — and it adds up fast over the month.

As Missy Elliott Would Say… Is It Worth It?

A £4 pint night can work, but only if:

✔ You’re confident you can pull in 300+ people
✔ It’s a new opening or relaunch promo
✔ You can upsell to boost spend per head
✔ It doesn’t cannibalise your weekend trade
✔ The deal-hunters turn into regulars
✔ You’ve got the staff and systems to handle the crowd

Otherwise? You risk running yourself ragged for the same — or less — profit than a quiet night charging full price.

Personally, I think it’s worth a test if you understand the maths and know how you’ll measure success.

Final Sip

If you’re trying to turn “let’s run a promo” into an actual strategy, give us a shout. I’m always up for a pint (preferably not at cost price).