A day in life of a pub operator

Brown Kamugisha, 28, operates a pub in Kira. He started the business three years ago having worked as a manager at another pub for a year. He told Youth Blitz that operating a pub is one of the most hectic things. Here is what his typical day is like.

Kamugisha, who stopped in senior four says running a bar is not for the faint hearted.

“A small mistake can be very costly,” he says adding that the profit margin on drinks is small.

Unlike other business people who report early to work, he says his day starts at 3.00 PM when he opens the bar.

“When I open I first establish what drinks I need to buy for the day. I then call the stockists and put in my order,” he says.

He stocks all the local popular beers plus spirits and wine.

He says beers move a lot but have little margins compared to spirits.

On a good day, Kamugisha says he can make a profit of Shs 100,000 after subtracting all other expenses but there are days where he makes less than Shs 30,000 in profit.

Kamugisha employs three other people who help him to run the place. These are waitresses.

“Sometimes it gets so hectic, especially during the weekend when there are premier league matches and you need to have people to help you,” he says.

Kamugisha says being nglerace oilient in the face of challenges because life has its ups and downs. Up on life. single has enabled him to work unhindered.

“If I had a partner or children, I would not be able to work these long hours,” he says.

The busiest hours are from 7.00 PM to midnight, he says.

He says normally closes the bar at 2.00 am when the last customer leaves but on weekends this can extend up to 6.00 am as the sun comes up.

Challenges

He says the biggest challenge in running a pub is balancing the costs of the business.

“Sometimes you make what appears to be a lot of money yet your net profit is small,” he says adding that one must know what to take out of the business.

The other challenge, he says, are rowdy customers who don’t want to pay after consuming the drinks.

“Some of them want to fight you but you must keep your cool otherwise you run mad,” he says.

Kamugisha says the current poor economic situation has also impacted on his sales because not many people have money but he remains hopeful that things will change for the better, soon.

Advice

Kamugisha advises young people to be very hardworking and innovative if they are to succeed in life.

“Young people lament a lot that there are no jobs. It’s true that there are no jobs but this does not mean that you should give up on life,” he says.

He also urges young people to be resilient and patient in the face of challenges because life has its ups and downs.