Friday night is officially quiet night for one of Preston's biggest bars.
Yates's Wine Lodge in Church Street, which is licensed to hold up to 726 drinkers, wants to reduce the number of bouncers guarding its door on a Friday night – and increase staffing on Thursdays to cope with demand for its £1 a drink offers.
It reflects a shift in drinking patterns in the city centre during the recession which has seen Thursday nights become more popular due to price reductions on drinks.
As the Evening Post reported last month, Thursday nights are busier for Preston's taxi drivers, with one claiming Friday nights are "practically finished".
Currently, Yates's bosses must have at least five doormen in place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from 7pm until closing time.
But a spokesman for Yates's, run by Town and City Pub Company Limited, said it plans to reduce this to four on a Friday but increase to six on a Thursday and Saturday.
>> 'Cheap drinks will get the party started'>> Nightlife dying as revellers stay at homeShe said: "We have worked closely with the Lancashire Constabulary on risk assessments, taking into account the number of people coming through our doors.
"As a result, we have requested that there be six door supervisors on a Thursday and Saturday night, four on a Friday and two on a Sunday, except bank holidays when there will be six. This reflects our business needs much better since . . . there has been a definite shift to people going out more on a Thursday, and Sundays are naturally quieter.
"We, and the local police, believe that the requested level of doorstaff will ensure that we maintain a safe environment in which people can come out and enjoy themselves, which is what Yates's is all about."
Mike Thorpe, head of licensing at Preston Council, said he expected to see more applications for changes in door staff in light of the "economic climate".
He said: "Pubs are trying to reduce their costs, coupled with less people in town."
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