SOUTHAMPTON pub owners say they are scared of closing as rising prices push businesses into survival mode.
One landlord has said venues are facing a "bloodbath" due to spiralling costs.
"There's no light at the end of the tunnel for pubs and restaurants. There will be many closures," said Stewart Cross, owner of the Platform Tavern.
He has run the pub on Town Quay for 25 years and says it is the worst it has ever been.
"It's scary. It is really scary. It is tough for independent businesses like myself."
With autumn on the way, utility bills are set to rise and Stewart is debating closing the pub on its quietest days.
The 60-year-old said: "I am scared, to be honest. I don't know how much my electric and gas will go up.
"I might close Mondays and Tuesdays to reduce utilities, that will bring down the wages as well. Maybe closing during the evenings or closing during lunchtimes.
"It is a case of looking where we are quietest and closing during those times. It is a case of survival."
Ged Gorrie, owner and manager of Shenanigans in Carlton Place, also describes the predictions as "fairly doom and gloom".
He runs the popular Irish bar with business partner Bill Dearsley.
Although he says that he does not foresee putting prices up, the 58-year-old said: "From October, that will be the time we see businesses close in the week or go to the wall completely. Hopefully, that won't happen.
"We are screaming out for government support. We are keeping people in jobs all around the country. We require substantial business support in the next year."
Aidan Lavin, co-owner of the Dancing Man on Town Quay, said that rising energy costs are already "painful", but will get worse in the autumn.
The 43-year-old said: "Everyone is feeling the pinch, not just energy but food prices and household bills.
"If businesses start feeling strangled and not being able to cope, it’ll turn into a bloodbath.
"In 2020 we were paying £150 a kilowatt hour and we’re currently paying over £300 a kilowatt hour and it's set to rise again, we could be paying up to £600 which is a four-fold rise from 2020."
Rusty Pitlee, 40, owns the Duke of Wellington on Bugle Street with his husband Rob, 39.
They have only been running it for 18 weeks, and also run The Humble Plumb pub in Bitterne.
Rusty said: "I definitely see a lot of businesses closing if we don’t get the support from government.
"We know it’s coming, that both pubs will be hit quite severely and all we need to do is prepare and tighten our belts and save wherever we can."
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