Popworld - Reading — Restaurant in Reading

My fiancé and I visited the club yesterday, and initially, everything seemed fine. Upon entering, the security informed him that wearing his cap backward was acceptable, so he complied. We then went to the smoking area, where one of the security personnel approached us with a rude attitude, insisting that he take off the cap. My fiancé explained that the security inside had told him it was fine as long as it was turned backward.

After an hour, we returned to the smoking area, where everything was going well, and we were chatting with others. Suddenly, the same security guard approached again, telling my fiancé to "let's go." We were confused, as we didn’t understand why. He began pulling my fiancé's arm aggressively, and when my fiancé asked him not to touch him and explained that the security inside had approved the cap, the guard ignored us and continued to pull him out, treating him like a criminal.

When I tried to intervene and talk to the security guard, who was just rude to me, not listening and along with two other guards, they forcefully escorted my fiancé out by holding his arms. This behavior is unacceptable. My fiancé remained calm, but they refused to listen to us.

There were others in the club wearing caps as well, but the guard seemed to target my fiancé specifically. As a Black man, he faced unjust treatment from three white security personnel, and for merely having his cap turned backward, he was kicked out of the club despite the earlier approval.

We intend to reach out to the manager to address this...

Visited here on Friday for a quick drink as the music sounded good from outside.

Walking in, one of the bouncers asked for my ID, which I was about to provide. Whilst doing this, another female bouncer appeared from outside and yelled at me to get back outside. She then insisted on me standing on a very specific spot, emptying my pockets and searching me (despite me being male and her being female, which is unacceptable). Once this was done, I then re-provided my ID, which was scanned and had my mugshot taken (that's a lot of effort just to get a drink).

In the window, they advertised a Friday deal of "Drinks £2.50". Not "Selected Drinks" or anything like that, just "Drinks". It turns out it's only a very limited selection. A pint of Coors costs £4.50, for example.

After paying at the bar, one of the staff came over to me a few minutes later and claimed my card was declined, so I was asked to pay again. They couldn't provide a receipt for the declined transaction as apparently the printer was broken.

I noticed the hygiene for spirits was very poor. The measuring cups for the spirits are stored in a tray of water. The staff put their hands (without cleaning them) into the water each time to retrieve a cup, use it, then put it back in the water. I wonder how many germs are transferred from fingers into drinks?

Unlike a lot of the other recent reviewers, I didn't get to know the name of any...

I’ve visited this club multiple times, both with friends and alone, and generally had a great time. The atmosphere is always lively, and I’ve never had any issues before. However, my recent experience tonight was a letdown, not because of the new policy (which requires being accompanied by a friend), but due to the rude attitude from the security staff. I understand rules change, and I can respect that. But the way I was treated was unnecessary. One of the security staff approached me with a whisper to another colleague while I was in line, making me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.

To make matters worse, when I went to check if other clubs followed the same policy, I was pointed at and shouted at by the Popworld security, which made me feel targeted and disrespected. A little more respect for customers and a positive approach would go a long way in maintaining the great vibe this club usually has. I hope management addresses their behavior to ensure better treatment for guests...