Licensee Interview: Iain Reid, Game for hospitality

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Nicola Walker talks to The Tap Yard owner Iain Reid about his journey from football to hospitality.

The Tap Yard, located in Merchant Square in Glasgow celebrates its first birthday this month. So, it seemed an appropriate time to catch up with owner, Iain Reid who also runs Metropolitan Bar in the Square.  It’s rather appropriate that Iain has now opened a Sports Bar, because football was his first love.

Saltcoats born and bred, he moved to Glasgow at 18 with dreams of a football career with Queen of the South F.C. But he quickly realised that he needed to supplement his income and took on his first hospitality job in Bunker.  He says, “Football didn’t work out, and hospitality just fitted my lifestyle at the time. I didn’t go to university, but a lot of my friends did, and it was almost a way for me to live out that experience with them but earn a living.

“I realised I could make a career out of hospitality, and I really enjoyed the social aspect. I was working in the nightclub Kushion at the time and quickly moved up to supervisor. I could definitely talk the talk by that time, and I moved to Light nightclub after being offered a General Manager’s role there.”

However, he was tempted back to Kushion only nine months later. He explains, “I ended up working with what was then G1 for five years and moving up to the position of Operations Manager. It was a great experience, and I was given lots of opportunities with the business when I was still relatively young.  I didn’t move on until 2019. By then I knew I had to get out of the big company structure and work for an independent to learn more about the industry because I had also realised that I eventually did want run my own business. I had lots of ideas and ambition.”

It was then he took another step in this direction when he was offered the role of General Manager by the  owner of Metropolitan Kevin McGuire. Iain says, “I could see what I could improve there with my experience. We had a good first year and we increased turnover and reduced costs – the simple way of making a business work. Then Covid hit. By the time we reopened in March 2021 I knew I wanted to make a go of something on my own, but I loved Metropolitan. I approached Kevin, asked him if I could buy into the business, and he took me up on the offer.

“Kevin taught me a lot about the side of the business that I had never been exposed to before such as the differences between freeholds and leaseholds, the banking and the legal requirements. He also taught me how important it is to always be present and visible in your business.” Iain then went on to open The Tap Yard in August 2023. He shares,

“I love sports and had a concept for a modern sports bar where you could watch sports comfortably with great food and private TVs in the booths where people can pick what sport they want to watch. When I saw this venue, it just suited – it was the right size, the right cost and near enough to Metropolitan that I could do both at the same time. It was everything I had worked for – I’m really proud of it and the first year has been incredible.

“The turnover has been much better than I anticipated but the costs have also been higher. That’s the problem with hospitality just now, it’s hard for small independent businesses to keep up with the pace of costs rising. Especially when what you can charge the customer hasn’t risen at the same rate. You need to adjust, and you can’t have any passengers now. My business now employs 60 staff across the two units.

“I think hospitality will be challenging for the next year or so, but I can definitely see it turning a corner. People may go out less, but they are happy to spend on a great experience and that’s what we try to provide. With the growth of sports coverage, it’s a great time to have a sports bar and we’re excited about the years to come.” Iain is still only in his early 30s but he now has a wealth of experience under his belt and a lot of friends in the industry.

“I’ve been lucky to create an incredible network of friends and colleagues over the years. You get to meet incredible people at events such as the DRAM Awards and I’m also fortunate enough to be part of the Scottish Hospitality Group. I’ve spoken with some the most successful and ambitious independent operators in the country. There are not many occasions in a year when all these successful people are in a room together, so you’ve got to make the most of it and learn as much as you can from them.

“The pros for this industry are definitely the people and the experiences. I’ve been lucky enough to go to places like New York, Barcelona, Prague and London through the trade over the years and have money can’t buy experiences.

“However, on the flip side, it can be challenging. You do miss out on things when you have to work weekends, but for me the satisfaction of the job offsets that. I’ll probably always work on a Saturday. That can be 50% of your weekly take, so you need to be there helping your team.

“Patience and a level head play a big part as well. No one ever phones you to tell you everything is great, and there’s a level of stress that just becomes normality. You have to pick yourself up and deal with problems on a daily basis and not be phased by it. It’s like in sport, you may fail, but it’s how you recover. Remember, good times don’t always last long, but neither do bad times!

“In my spare time I love to play golf. I’ve played it my whole life and find it very therapeutic. However, I love all sports and I’m quite competitive. It’s so important to have good friends and people around you and that can keep you ambitious too.

“My advice to young people starting out is to be honest with yourself. Everyone can have great ideas, but going out on your own is very difficult. It’s about waiting on the right opportunity, place, time or partner and building relationships with people so when the time comes these people are excited to work with you and support you. You also need to be brave enough to take opportunity when it comes.

“I’d also say that your motivation can’t just be money, as there are definitely easier ways to accomplish that! My motivation was that I always wanted to work for myself, and I liked the flexibility of hospitality. I’d love to expand the business by the summer of 2025, however, it’s got to be the right location and space. I’ve already learnt so much in the last few years that will apply to my next venue. I’m just at the start of my journey and I’m excited about the future, but it’s about taking my own advice and taking the right opportunities when they arise!”

Iain is a shining example of someone in the hospitality industry who is set on achieving his goals through ambition, passion and hard work. I can’t wait to hear what he does next.

 

Category: Features, Licensee Interview, News, People
Tags: Iain Reid, Metropolitan Bar, The Tap Yard