Here we tend to have far more pubs (as you've described them) than bars (outside of cities maybe, but I don't live in a city). My hometown, population ~20K, had 22 pubs (not bars) when I was at school (I know this because it was part of a geography project). They can't all be centres of the community!Pubs, or Public Houses are the centre of a lot of things because they were one of a few places whole communities would gather in ye olde days. The other one was church (assuming they had one) so it was how people got to know each other. So when people lament their closing, they're usually lamenting one that's been around for anything between 50 and 400 years. No one gives much of a shit if a pub that opened in 2010 closes in 2022 beyond maybe "Awww, I liked that place". But when really old, borderline historical places go to the wall, its felt a bit more keenly. Its why I prefer pubs to bars or night clubs: their only purpose is to get shitfaced, or get shitfaced AND dance. If I go to a pub I can have a beer, yes. I can also have a plate of sausages and mashed potatoes, or a chicken and vegetable pie the size of my head, or a chicken parmie with chips and salad of sufficient size to sink the Titanic. And I can do it sitting outside on a wonderful, blue sky day. Or I can be inside on a cold and wet one and watch my favourite weather as I eat a meal sitting at a lovely table looking out a window.
I do understand the role of the pub, especially in smaller communities. But we didn't pull out all the stops to save the libraries, post offices and other communal services in those places (indeed, actively voted for the party we knew would do it), but we'll kill our granny to save a pub. Mad. Bring back village greens and wickermen, I say.
Edit: What I mean is, that pubs (and alcohol) have this position in the British (and likely other) psyche that says 'We must save this institution at all costs, and if you don't want to, well, you're hardly British at all!'