Pubs had tables for drinking and taking around, not for dining in.

Most pubs were like this back in the 90s when I started drinking, where you could sit down, chat with friends while your glass chilled out in the table, able to talk to everyone because the music was either non existent or pretty quiet if there was a juke box.

Then some bright spark realised you could pack more people in if you got rid of tables, and what’s more, you stood with your drink in your hand and if the music was loud so you’re unable to talk to anyone, you’ll just stand and drink, with your drink an ever present reminder on your hand. Add bottled drinks to speed up the bar and you have the modern pub.

This worked for a while because my generation grew up thinking the pub is what you did of an evening when in your late teens/early 20s, so we suffered through it but complained.

Future generations saw how bad and expensive it was and it stopped becoming the “done thing”.

Now pubs are in a mess and it’s mostly their fault.

Those that are doing well are pubs like spoons that hark back to what pubs used to be like, and the “Lounge” pubs that have a lot of seating but are more of a restaurant type pub than a pub type restaurant.

I get that food has become a bigger thing in pubs since margins have been squeezed in the drinks area while food remains the cash cow where they make a profit, however.