New Shops/Businesses in Bray

murpho999

I was in the Porterhouse 2 weeks ago and noticed Butler & Barry menus behind the bar.

It was a Friday night at about 10 and there was about 10 people inside and some out in the smoking area whilst the Martello next door, which is nothing special was packed.

Will be a pity to see it go as I've always liked it there, and liked their beers, (Porterhouse Red) and loyalty card offers.

If it becomes "The Old Anchor" (what a stupid name) I assume this will all change which will be a pity but in fairness they have done a good job with the other places.

Antrim_Man

murpho999 wrote: »

I was in the Porterhouse 2 weeks ago and noticed Butler & Barry menus behind the bar.

It was a Friday night at about 10 and there was about 10 people inside and some out in the smoking area whilst the Martello next door, which is nothing special was packed.

Will be a pity to see it go as I've always liked it there, and liked their beers, (Porterhouse Red) and loyalty card offers.

If it becomes "The Old Anchor" (what a stupid name) I assume this will all change which will be a pity but in fairness they have done a good job with the other places.

Became the Old Anchor a week ago. Big big plans for the place and in fairness it was needed. Im sorry to see the PH go but they were treading water in Bray.

Alun

I always found the Porterhouse to be really dark inside, even worse now with all the monster tents outside every pub on the seafront.

Antrim_Man

Alun wrote: »

I always found the Porterhouse to be really dark inside, even worse now with all the monster tents outside every pub on the seafront.

Eyes adjusted soon enough :P

murpho999

murpho999 wrote: »

If it becomes "The Old Anchor" (what a stupid name) I assume this will all change which will be a pity but in fairness they have done a good job with the other places.

Butler and Barry is awful.

The volume from their "musicians" blaring out sh*te Oasis covers really ruins the prom.

How they haven't been done for noise pollution, I don't know. You can hear the pub sitting outside the hibo, and it's usually empty as well.

Antrim_Man

Deleted User wrote: »

Butler and Barry is awful.

The volume from their "musicians" blaring out sh*te Oasis covers really ruins the prom.

How they haven't been done for noise pollution, I don't know. You can hear the pub sitting outside the hibo, and it's usually empty as well.

Its empty because they are all down at BnB listening to Oasis covers

Antrim_Man

Antrim_Man wrote: »

Its empty because they are all down at BnB listening to Oasis covers

I meant bnb...

murpho999

Deleted User wrote: »

Butler and Barry is awful.

The volume from their "musicians" blaring out sh*te Oasis covers really ruins the prom.

How they haven't been done for noise pollution, I don't know. You can hear the pub sitting outside the hibo, and it's usually empty as well.

I have not been in BnB at weekend nights.

Been there for food at weekends during the day and early evening during the week and it's usually very nice.

All bars seemed to insist on having bands and loud music in them nowadays which is very annoying. Actually turns me off going to them.

Cakerbaker

murpho999 wrote: »

[QUOTE

All bars seemed to insist on having bands and load music in them nowadays which is very annoying. Actually turns me off going to them.

Ended up in duffs a few weeks ago for this very reason. Couldn’t hear ourselves speak in one of the other pubs on the Main St.

B0jangles

The new indian/pakistani shop 'Ingredients' is now open - it's up at Sunnybank, just opposite the Ravenswell gates. It's a nice big shop with a great range, they also have some chinese, central european and middle eastern ingredients - so reasonably priced pomegranate molasses, scotch bonnets and avjar a-plenty!

The Real Ramona

I noticed another cafe being fitted out on the Main St. On the Dunnes side of the street, but further up.

Annasopra

The Real Ramona wrote: »

I noticed another cafe being fitted out on the Main St. On the Dunnes side of the street, but further up.

There is a new coffee shop beside specsavers (not Copper and Straw) in the old central garage building called flower pot

WeleaseWoderick

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

There is a new coffee shop beside specsavers (not Copper and Straw) in the old central garage building called flower pot

Noticed that place last weekend but didn't get a chance to have a look inside.

Oddly enough I can't seem to find any online presence from them at all.

Thargor

That fish shop on the main street didn't last long as predicted, don't think I ever saw a customer in there.

Alun

Thargor wrote: »

That fish shop on the main street didn't last long as predicted, don't think I ever saw a customer in there.

They have been closed since around Christmas.

Calibos

I just can't get my head around it. What do these 'Entrepreneurs' be thinking?

'You know what Bray really needs!! Another Coffee Shop!! I'm going to be RICH RICH RICH!!!!'

Thargor

Alun wrote: »

They have been closed since around Christmas.

Has it? I cycle past it every day

Is Bray worse than other towns for the poor choices by entrepreneurs do you think? The sweet shops and the little restaurants and coffee shops that come and go so fast, they're fitting out the failed cafe between Acme Blinds and San Marino on the Vevay Road as another cafe today, that'll be empty from the day it opens and dead inside 6 months, you can just tell.

One shop I dont understand how its still going is that weird toy shop down near Dealz, I thought it was a temporary pop-up shop for Christmas a couple of years ago but its still there, completely deserted 99% of the time.

Alun

What surprises me is how these people get any kind of finance for their doomed-to-fail enterprises, don't banks ask for business plans any more?

Chevy RV

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057962614

zoobizoo

Alun wrote: »

What surprises me is how these people get any kind of finance for their doomed-to-fail enterprises, don't banks ask for business plans any more?

How many coffee shops have failed compared to those which are still in business? Very few.

Cooper & Straw took over from a horrendously designed coffee shop with no vision. They have based their model on Bear Market in Blackrock which does extremely well.

I've never been to the one on the Vevay - their problem is no parking and little passing business trade. Then again, they have 1200 school kids in close proximity as well as a so if they create the right place, they could easily do well.


I like that there's so much choice - it's never a bad thing

2011

zoobizoo wrote: »

I like that there's so much choice - it's never a bad thing

So much choice? Only between dozens of similar coffee shops!
There are so many now that it leaves no room for choice for anything else. So instead of giving us more choice it is limiting our options.
It’s beyond ridiculous.

zoobizoo

2011 wrote: »

So much choice? Only between dozens of similar coffee shops!
There are so many now that it leaves no room for choice for anything else. So instead of giving us more choice it is limiting our options.
It’s beyond ridiculous.

The coffee shops aren't preventing other businesses from opening.

2011

zoobizoo wrote: »

The coffee shops aren't preventing other businesses from opening.

Yes they are, by occupying units that could be used for something other than a coffee shop. I also believe that the shear numbers of cafes concentrated in one area encourages potential visitors to the area to take their business elsewhere.

Annasopra

2011 wrote: »

Yes they are, by occupying units that could be used for something other than a coffee shop. I also believe that the shear numbers of cafes concentrated in one area encourages potential visitors to the area to take their business elsewhere.

Not convinced at all of that

justincasey

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Not convinced at all of that

Its a running joke at this stage .. how can bray main st be expected to attract outside custom when all we can offer is an array of half decent coffee shops..

zoobizoo

2011 wrote: »

Yes they are, by occupying units that could be used for something other than a coffee shop. I also believe that the shear numbers of cafes concentrated in one area encourages potential visitors to the area to take their business elsewhere.

There are plenty of free units on the Main St.

2011

zoobizoo wrote: »

There are plenty of free units on the Main St.

Yes, they are not all gone.

Is your position that coffee shop saturation point has not reached yet?
I think that that we reached sufficient coffee shop “choice” a long time ago.

Do you not see any downside to Bray only being able to offer a very limited shopping experience?

zoobizoo

2011 wrote: »

Yes, they are not all gone.

Is your position that coffee shop saturation point has not reached yet?
I think that that we reached sufficient coffee shop “choice” a long time ago.

Do you not see any downside to Bray only being able to offer a very limited shopping experience?

My position is that businesses can open in empty units that are there.

I don't see a downside of choice.

I do see a downside of a limited shopping experience but that isn't caused by the number of coffee shops we have.

And I would prefer to see coffee shops than empty units.

The only thing that would bring me up that end of the town on. Saturday afternoon is Cooper and Straw.

The Real Ramona

zoobizoo wrote: »

The only thing that would bring me up that end of the town on. Saturday afternoon is Cooper and Straw.

The coffee in Copper and Straw is lovely. Nice, friendly atmosphere too.

Regarding that end of the town, the cafe in The Mermaid is lovely too. Really nice food and a huge selection.

murpho999

About coffee shops, I don't get the complaints about them.

Most are more than coffee shops and offer food.

The market dictates and if the street is overrun with them as many say then they will fail and close.

Also, retail is changing as on-line is eating more and more into retailing and therefore we're going to need less shops in the future simple as that.

Either way as already said, coffee shops are not stopping shops opening.