Premier Inn brings in queuing at bars - sparking fury from customers

Premier Inn has sparked a backlash among punters after one of its flagship hotel bar's introduce a queuing system. 

The hotel chain has claimed the new system is meant to provide a 'fair service' to all its customers. 

However, angry Brits have responded furiously to the change arguing that queuing for a pint puts to an end the age old tradition of huddling around the pumps. 

The new system was spotted at Premier Inn's Gatwick Airport hotel after a sign was erected near the bar. 

It reads: 'We want to provide a fair service to everyone. Queue up at the beginning of the bar and we'll be with you soon.'

The Sun reported that Brits have took to social media to slam Premier Inn.

One person said: 'Some of the best chats I've had have been with randoms at a bar while waiting to be served.

'It isn't a Post Office, there's no need to queue.'

Although the Premier Inn at Gatwick has made queueing mandatory, the practice is becoming a more and more common sight at public houses across the UK. 

Some pub landlords reportedly think Generation Z have maintained habits picked up during lockdown that were originally designed to ensure social distancing. 

The bizarre behaviour has resulted in an Instagram page, called Pub Queues, which is dedicated to campaigning against the recent phenomenon and to educate younger drinkers on how to approach the bar. 

People all around the country have sent in snaps of long single file queues at their favourite venues.

The campaign states its purpose is to 'end the recent phenomenon of queuing single file in pubs'. It says: 'We queue for the bus, or for the checkout, not at bars'.

Some establishments have even started fighting back and have put up signs to discourage drinkers from forming single-file lines.

One notice posted on the group reads: 'Please stop queuing in a line. Come to the bar.' Meanwhile, another sign states: 'If there is a single file queue in front of you, walk straight past it and go to the bar'.

'This is not a Post Office, there is no need to queue like one,' another read. While another said: 'Please come up to the bar for service! Please don't queue single file!'  

Oisin Rogers, the owner of the iconic Devonshire pub in London, said Gen Z - those born between 1997 and 2012 - are the main culprits.

He said: 'When people became 18 years old and they were under lockdown restrictions, they wouldn't have been in a proper drinking environment before and wouldn't have had that culture.

In a statement, Premier Inn said: ‘Our hotel at Gatwick North Terminal is our largest and busiest hotel in the UK – with over 700 bedrooms and over 1200 guests in house most nights. 

'Our team operate a hugely successful and efficient restaurant service where drinks can be served to tables, but on the occasion the guest would like a drink at the bar we have implemented a system in this hotel to ensure guests are served as quickly and fairly as possible.’