Not that I don't think pub/restaurant drinks are overpriced, because they are, but you are also paying for the salaries of the employees, overhead, and so forth. Several people sitting for an hour or three drinking beer or soft drinks use up as much of the fixed costs of operation as would several parties passing through in the same amount of time eating a meal...and the owner doesn't get his exorbitant profit for the meals not eaten. I don't think pub coke is particularly overpriced in relation to beer - look at the relative prices of one bottle of either bought at a grocers compared to one drink in a pub, and the mark-up isn't all that much different. Of course, soft drink refills are free in many places, which is another reason for the proprietor to jack up the price of the first one.