The City Arms - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Coventry

The City Arms

Coventry

Good day. Right. Let's get stuck in, shall we?

Most reviews I leave are 5-Star. Not this one. It's 1-Star.

A person I know, let's just call her 'Cath', has been given a 3-month ban from the City Arms. You may ask why? Has she been fighting? Was she drunk? Was she causing trouble?

No.

She was sick. She was sick because of the treatment she was having for cancer. She had one beer in the City Arms. She wasn't sick because of drinking too much; she was sick because of a medical condition.

I have a Law Degree (Hons) and have studied at postgraduate level. I know the Law.

Under the Equality Act 2010, the 'City' should not have banned her. It's called Direct Discrimination.

Disability discrimination settlement amounts are £48,000, though some cases result in higher awards. The exact amount depends on factors such as the duration of discrimination and the emotional distress caused.

I spoke to the manager, Jazmin, on the phone. She was polite and helpful. She explained the pub has a Duty of Care, and Cath was banned because of this.

Incorrect. Cath was banned because of Direct Discrimination due to her medical condition which made her sick.

The case of Donoghue V Stevenson 1932 set out the legal status of the City Arms Duty of Care. Mrs Donoghue bought a ginger beer, which had a decomposed snail in it, and she was ill as a result of consuming the snail. She sued Stevenson (manufacturer), and the case went to the House of Lords. The House of Lords ruled in her favour.

I tried to call Weather Spoons' head office. The number on their website is incorrect. I then spoke to Jazmin, who said she would contact them and email me back. She didn't email me.

I called in on Saturday to speak to her. 'Cath' was there too. Jazmin's shift began at 6 pm. At 6 pm, I was told she was 'in a meeting'. No problem. I went back at 6.30 pm to be told she was still in a meeting. No problem. I went back at 6.40 pm and saw a bar lady called Anita. Problem. Anita said Jazmin was still in the meeting (what was it? A Knit 'N' Natter). I asked Anita (very politely) if she would please ask Jazmin to come over to speak with me when her 'meeting' was over. Problem. She rudely snapped back 'NO'. Normally, I would confront disrespect like that there and then. I didn't because I wanted to handle the situation calmly.

#Anita. Working with the public isn't the best job for you. You're not the most polite of people, and don't understand how to deal with customers. Get another job that's better paid and where you don't have to deal with the public.

#Weatherspoons(1). Anita is your front line and represents your brand. Replace her with an AI Robot. Many places already do this. In a few years time all pubs will use an AI Robot. No doubt you'll already be looking into this.

#Weatherspoons(2). I have to give you 14 days' notice, then I can take you to court. I'll sue for the maximum. It will of course, be up to the judge, but I think about 50K will be my target. Once I set the wheels in motion, it's a run away train. You'll likely offer an out-of-court settlement. Make it a good one ~ otherwise we go to court.

I also suggest you put a warning on all the bottled beer. State that this bottle may contain a decomposed snail. That way, you'll be covered if a person is ill because of consuming a snail. Your Duty of Care is covered.

I also suggest getting a very good Lawyer if this goes to court. I'm as sharp as a razor when it comes to such matters.

Interesting to read reviews of the 'City' on other platforms. They are not very good. Why? The 'Anitas' who work there. The negative reviews are about the staff's rude attitude to customers. Personally, I have found most of the bar staff very polite.

Except for Anita.

Paul, Out for now...

PS. I'll do everything I stated above. Let's try to get the matter sorted out, please, Jazmin, before it gets to that stage....

(visited: June 16, 2022) We ventured out from the house we recently inherited from my grandmother in Allesely, to walk Memorial Park and find a new “friendly local” to frequent regularly and blow some coin. We love nothing more than an evening out!

We stopped at, what appeared to be, a welcoming place with a sprawling forecourt, filled with a quiet, diverse crowd.

After taking a table outside in a quiet corner where our dog could recover from his walk, I returned with our drinks to find groups of customers laughing and smiling and playing with our dog. It was great to see and it brought some of us together as we started to chat and make friends.

However, what had promised to be a wonderful evening quickly turned sour when a female member of staff broke up the festivities to inform us we had to leave because only assistance dogs were allowed. She then pointed to a sign that had been turned to face the wall. After turning it around to face us she returned to tell us to leave again. Eventually, we managed to agree that we would go - and never return - AFTER we had finished our drinks. At this point, people in the courtyard we’re yelling at her to leave us alone and that no one minded our dog because he was so sweet.

Ten minutes later, a second member of staff - as equally forgettable - repeated the “policy” that we had to leave. Once more, the crowd joined us in protesting such petty and inane bureaucracy as I insisted that my furry companion assisted with my mental health.

My humiliating public confession was ignored by the upstart in uniform whom I eventually had to tell to leave us alone so that we could finish our drinks.

Not ten minutes later, and a third staff member came out, looking like a wannabe roadie who never quite made it. In a vain attempt to assert himself, he further insulted, offended and humiliated my partner and I in front of a courtyard full of customers, all of whom were now joining us is condemning such immature and insensitive behaviour.

It probably comes as no surprise to learn that this experience came courtesy of the Weatherspoon group. Had we realised that before dropping in for a pint, we would have walked on because the City Arms, Earlsdon is definitely NOT your good ole...

Good boozer in Earlsdon, its a Wetherspoons, so nice prices and does what you expect, not fine dining but good pub food at good prices. Always a good selection of ales at great prices, an ale for around £3 -£4 these days is a bargin and im yet to have a bad ale fron here after nearly 30 years of drinking here. Good vegan options and a small vegan pizza and an ale deal for under £9!! Vegan options a plenty from vegan breakfast, mains and desert. Breakfast options include vegan full English (decent vegan brekky), sausage butty, smashed avocado muffin or fruit. Mains like pizza, burger, curry's (the Mangalorean roasted cauliflower and spinach curry is bangin!! Well worth a try!), five bean chilli, jacket potato, no chicken nuggets, ramen bowl, chips and deserts. Good fast service and can order through the app to your table if your feeling lazy or a bit sozzled. If you don't fancy alcohol, theres loads of other options and not fogetting free refils on hot drinks, as many espressos as you can manage for price of 1!!! Challenge on!!Just don't leave it late to go to the toilet, there's a fair walk!!! Beer garden out the front and a smaller one...