I used pick wicks as my title but in fairness many of the pubs around town are the same.

The price of beer has gone up, a pint now being 9.10chf, happy hour has either gone up or been abolished and they charge a cover charge to see the bands on the weekend.

What is this all about?? Drinking exported beers such as Heiniken or Fosters with the strong Franc and weak Euro surely prices should have gone down with the exception of Wartec or Feldscholossen (swiss home grown beers). Instead they raise them. You can go Interlaken which is in the middle of nowhere not easy air, rail or road connections and they charge 5 francs a pint, yes labour is higher here but transport costs must be lower and really is labour 4 francs a pint higher?

I know many people that like piwi in winter for the free live music, and believe me there not shy at going to the bar, now with the cover charge will this not deter people to enjoy a drink down stairs and send them somewhere else? Ok additional money will be made with the cover charge but what losses will be made when you stop passing by traffic or people that simply want to hear a song or two going down stairs?

I think the slogan is pick wicks is the oldest pub in switzerland. It has clearly had a winning formula over the years. I have been there a lot for happy hour, for sports, to see the bands etc etc. If happy hour is abolished, the bands charge, and the prices raise it has made me consider other venues, how many others. You can find the same drinks around town for 6 francs, I think it is time to start branching out and hault the greed of the owners.

Is this not a prime example of what happened to the pub culture in Britain? The prices simply got to high for the average Joe Bloggs to drink in the pub and so they didnt, hence the pubs shutting on a daily basis and the likes of weatherspoons becoming one of the fastest growing business's charging a reasonable price for what they sell.