May 02, 2023

Czech Village Pubs Are Vanishing, 1,300 Closed in Four Years

Prague Morning

The condition of pubs in Czech villages is incredibly alarming as more than 1,300 pubs have vanished in the last four years, which accounts for nearly 15 percent of the original number.

In 2019 alone, over 250 rural pubs closed their doors, according to data provided by Plzeňský Prazdroj, which categorizes communities with less than 5,000 residents as rural.

Although there were 8,929 pubs in March 2019, the number has decreased to 7,604 this year.

These figures take into consideration only pubs and restaurants, excluding bistros and cafes. The reasons for the decline in rural pubs are diverse.

The significant rise in input prices has adversely affected the gastronomy sector, especially the rural pubs have to decrease the customers” prices because they are open to any increase.

Furthermore, many people in villages and smaller towns prefer drinking beer at home than go to the pubs, which has resulted in a difficulty attracting new customers for rural pub owners.

Luboš Kastner reiterated that the revenues are increasing only for Prague’s restaurants and pubs, with a 36 percent revenue surge while there is a reduction in business profitability in rural areas.

As many rural pubs are shutting down, people living in secluded areas are having a hard time finding a nearby spot for socializing. This may lead to migration from rural to urban areas for socialization.

The scenario seems unlikely to improve in the future.