New Shops/Businesses in Bray

murpho999

gavinjc wrote: »

It's a shame that this can happen, especially on the Main Street. The Main Street of a town like Bray does a lot to represent the character of the town, and shop fronts like that Nail Bar are damaging. Considering the impact shop fronts can have, it would be an idea for businesses on the Main Street to have to submit shop front plans to a committee before proceeding.

In fairness, the main street at present is full of closed shutters and scaffolded facades so it's not exactly showing a lot of character at the moment.

murpho999

zoobizoo wrote: »

Crazy to think that they were allowed to rip it out like that without any consideration for the nature of the street.

We've seen it before in Bray though where asthetics seem not to matter. Just look at Smyths on the Florence Road.

The original shop was probably the last of the shops in the town which had a historical look.

Wasn't Smyths the Quinnsworth/Crazy Prices shop before?

zoobizoo

It was indeed...

My reference in the last sentence was to Ledwidges.

murpho999

zoobizoo wrote: »

It was indeed...

My reference in the last sentence was to Ledwidges.

Aha....makes sense now.

I didn't think the Crazy Prices building had that much character!:D

geewiz

gavinjc wrote: »

Considering the impact shop fronts can have, it would be an idea for businesses on the Main Street to have to submit shop front plans to a committee before proceeding.

I agree. Normally, I'm happy for every new shop that starts doing business in Bray but that shop front sticks out like a sore thumb.

zoobizoo

murpho999 wrote: »

I didn't think the Crazy Prices building had that much character!:D

I like the parking spaces.

murpho999

geewiz wrote: »

I agree. Normally, I'm happy for every new shop that starts doing business in Bray but that shop front sticks out like a sore thumb.

Maybe that's the idea as it's a nail bar!:D.

Mahogany

I feel so sorry for Bray, the place has so much potential.

There's hardly an amenity or shop that WOULDN'T work in the town. It's large enough, there's a diverse amount of people, almost anything could work!

NobodyImportant

+1 for cant believe what they did with Ledwidges. Unreal. Shop had super potential to be vintage.

Speaking of Vintage, new shop on Albert Walk, "Maison Moli". Sells Annie Sloan chalk paints (lady folk love this paint for painting old chairs) and all kinds of vintage stuff. Lovely looking shop and quite fitting for that strip. Hope it lasts.

zoobizoo

Great to see. Going to check out the Albert Walk now.

I know the Tidy Towns people were planting there and tidying up over the weekend.

George White

Sadly, Florence Fortune's Antique Shop on Flo. Road is closing.

Mahogany

Any news on Weatherspoons?

zoobizoo

No news on Wetherspoons.

I was in the one in Blackrock last Thursday and had a curry and a pepsi for €8...

Had a non-alcoholic bottle of beer in a pint glass topped up with lemonade for €2.20.

Have been there til closing (1 am) on a Saturday (when I wasn't drinking) and witnessed no drunkeness and because of the sit-down nature of the venue/restaurant feel, it wasn't like other large pubs which are dedicated drinking venues.

Calibos

Mahogany wrote: »

Any news on Weatherspoons?

The owner of Barracuda/Finbees was in court applying for drinks licence for barracuda against objections a few weeks ago and the Bray People article quoted him as saying he has no clue how the Weatherspoons rumour got started and his head was wrecked from people asking him about it. Make of that what you will.

tea and coffee

zoobizoo wrote: »

No news on Wetherspoons.

I was in the one in Blackrock last Thursday and had a curry and a pepsi for €8...

Had a non-alcoholic bottle of beer in a pint glass topped up with lemonade for €2.20.

Have been there til closing (1 am) on a Saturday (when I wasn't drinking) and witnessed no drunkeness and because of the sit-down nature of the venue/restaurant feel, it wasn't like other large pubs which are dedicated drinking venues.

Can I play Devil's advocate for a minute?

Blackrock is a helluva more affluent spot than Bray, and would not, in my opinion, have the same public order (alcohol related) issues that Bray might traditionally have as well.

Also, and it has been raised many times on this thread/forum, that Bray has in the past had issues with people come out to Bray "for the day" and this has created /perpetuated an image of Bray, that we have been long trying to shake.

I really don't think that the availability of cheap alcohol in the form of a Wetherspoons or otherwise would be beneficial to the town.

NobodyImportant

More movement on Albert Walk. The old Polish Bakery has a sign up saying a new coffee shop is coming. Then the shop at the end is being cleared out (used to be a book shop, then a short lived cafe). Wonder is something planned.

uch

Blackrock was a ropey kip 10 years ago and still has some issues, due to certain Pubs, but Wetherspoons isn't one of them, they have proper, courteous security staff and have a strict policy on Drunkeness, so there's no reason it wouldn't be the same in Bray.

tea and coffee wrote: »

Can I play Devil's advocate for a minute?

Blackrock is a helluva more affluent spot than Bray, and would not, in my opinion, have the same public order (alcohol related) issues that Bray might traditionally have as well.

Also, and it has been raised many times on this thread/forum, that Bray has in the past had issues with people come out to Bray "for the day" and this has created /perpetuated an image of Bray, that we have been long trying to shake.

I really don't think that the availability of cheap alcohol in the form of a Wetherspoons or otherwise would be beneficial to the town.

zoobizoo

uch wrote: »

Blackrock was a ropey kip 10 years ago and still has some issues, due to certain Pubs, but Wetherspoons isn't one of them, they have proper, courteous security staff and have a strict policy on Drunkeness, so there's no reason it wouldn't be the same in Bray.

Have to agree with Uch.

I lived in B'rock for a couple of years. Before moving there I thought it was "affluent" but hang around the village and it's not that different to D Laoghaire, Bray or any other place close by.

I don't really see the difference between people coming out to eat / drink there than any of the other seafront venues - a bit cheaper and it adds some competition.

Also, there's a very successful one in Dun Laoghaire which has its fair share of scobes and that is managed well. They are designed more as eating venues than as pubs.

It's nice to have choice. I'd still stick with the Italians for my coffee, Platform for my pizza and Daata for an Indian and the Martello / Harbour for music.... but sometimes I'd like to have a cheaper night out drinking guest ales and having a cheap bite.

g0g

Always would have loved to open a business, but dunno if I'd have the guts and/or money to take the chance.

Out of curiosity, what do people think are the main types of shop that Bray Main Street (incl Florence/Quinsboro) lacks and most important could support?

I always thought maybe a Children's / Baby clothes shop as we only have Dunnes, but then again maybe people are happier to travel to Mothercare/Next in the shopping centres.

What else?

Woshy

g0g wrote: »

Always would have loved to open a business, but dunno if I'd have the guts and/or money to take the chance.

Out of curiosity, what do people think are the main types of shop that Bray Main Street (incl Florence/Quinsboro) lacks and most important could support?

I always thought maybe a Children's / Baby clothes shop as we only have Dunnes, but then again maybe people are happier to travel to Mothercare/Next in the shopping centres.

What else?

I was in Bray today running a few errands and I actually would have liked a baby supply store. I wanted to get vests for my little boy but I can't shop in Dunnes because of those stupid steps they have going up to the cash register. I have a buggy with me (like lots of other women out and about during the day) and am 9 months pregnant so no way I'm hauling it up any steps - so I just didn't bother, far too much hassle. I needed to get one or two things for my hospital bag too, I got one of them in Boots but not the other.

If it stocked the right things (perhaps items like slings or cloth nappies that you can't get in most baby stores), I think that kind of shop could do well. People travel for that kind of thing so people would come up from Wicklow etc

Antrim_Man

I wonder who took the Vevay Inn site.

Moody_mona

Woshy there's a ramp to the right of those steps to get to the till

Mahogany

g0g wrote: »

Always would have loved to open a business, but dunno if I'd have the guts and/or money to take the chance.

Out of curiosity, what do people think are the main types of shop that Bray Main Street (incl Florence/Quinsboro) lacks and most important could support?

I always thought maybe a Children's / Baby clothes shop as we only have Dunnes, but then again maybe people are happier to travel to Mothercare/Next in the shopping centres.

What else?

JD Sports

And of course, Penneys.

Dr Strange

Antrim_Man wrote: »

I wonder who took the Vevay Inn site.

Same guy who owns the Ardmore Bar.

Woshy

Moody_mona wrote: »

Woshy there's a ramp to the right of those steps to get to the till

Really? I asked the security guard by the door if they had one before I went in and he said no! What's that about?!

SparkySpitfire

Woshy wrote: »

Really? I asked the security guard by the door if they had one before I went in and he said no! What's that about?!

I dunno it's been there for years at this stage

murpho999

Woshy wrote: »

Really? I asked the security guard by the door if they had one before I went in and he said no! What's that about?!

Most likely foreign and thought you asked do they sell lamps.

Woshy

murpho999 wrote: »

Most likely foreign and thought you asked do they sell lamps.

Probably! Although I was gesturing wildly at the buggy.

The reason I asked is because I was in there before and couldn't see a ramp so I was double checking. Still, it's not a very nice Dunnes anyway so meh

The Reads on the main St annoyingly has stairs too and no ramp. The staff are helpful enough about lifting the buggy but it is a pain

zoobizoo

New coffee shop opening on the Albert Walk by the looks of things.

fjon

zoobizoo wrote: »

New coffee shop opening on the Albert Walk by the looks of things.

Just what Bray needs :rolleyes:
How many coffee shops are there? I'm thinking there must be 20 or more.