Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

New Business openings and closures around you?

Options
1…9798100102103…218

Comments

  • Options
    #2972
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,532 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    I doubt people who eat food in Wetherspoons would be the same type person who goes to Ouzos.


  • Options
    #2973
    qb123
    Registered Users Posts: 210 ✭✭qb123


    Ouzos had a great area out the back with heaters, comfortable seats, TV that was very under utilised. I'd guess (a) most people didn't know it was there and (b) most punters going for a meal there wouldn't bother with the bar aspect at the rear. The new venture is probably aiming for better use of the entire space and will hopefully keep most of the old clientele and add some new ones.


  • Options
    #2974
    Awaaf
    Registered Users Posts: 204 ✭✭Awaaf


    qb123 wrote: »
    Ouzos had a great area out the back with heaters, comfortable seats, TV that was very under utilised. I'd guess (a) most people didn't know it was there and (b) most punters going for a meal there wouldn't bother with the bar aspect at the rear. The new venture is probably aiming for better use of the entire space and will hopefully keep most of the old clientele and add some new ones.

    I had heard about the bar and always meant to try it but never remembered whenever I was in Blackrock.


  • Options
    #2975
    aoh
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭aoh


    Problem with Ouzos was/is that if you don't like seafood or steak, there's very little choice. Have gone / been brought there on occassion and struggled to find a dish (allergic to one, don't like the other)!


  • Options
    #2976
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,532 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    aoh wrote: »
    Problem with Ouzos was/is that if you don't like seafood or steak, there's very little choice. Have gone / been brought there on occassion and struggled to find a dish (allergic to one, don't like the other)!
    I think that’s more of a problem for yourself. I wouldn’t say that a fish restaurant that also sells steak is a limited choice.

    I don’t eat piazza I wouldn’t say it’s dominos problem


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #2977
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 24,098 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    ted1 wrote: »
    I think that’s more of a problem for yourself. I wouldn’t say that a fish restaurant that also sells steak is a limited choice.

    I don’t eat piazza I wouldn’t say it’s dominos problem

    St. Mark's Square will be mighty relieved.


  • Options
    #2978
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,381 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    ted1 wrote: »
    I don’t eat piazza I wouldn’t say it’s dominos problem
    I would certainly describe it as "a problem domino's was/is" in the same way as that poster quite obviously meant. On numerous occasions I have been amongst groups would would decide not to order from dominos or other pizza places for the exact same reasons, lack of choice.

    I think many places would be far more profitable if they branched out just a tad.


  • Options
    #2979
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,447 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    ted1 wrote: »
    I think that’s more of a problem for yourself. I wouldn’t say that a fish restaurant that also sells steak is a limited choice.

    It is a very limited choice and the fact that they are revamping their food offerings would seem to bear this out. I would very rarely eat steak in restaurants and I never eat fish so Ouzos held no interest for me. I'm in Blackrock once or twice a week and its pretty clear that the customers were not exactly queueing out the door.

    It was a failed formula, time to try something different.


  • Options
    #2980
    qb123
    Registered Users Posts: 210 ✭✭qb123


    I don't think offering only seafood and steak is an issue in and of itself. Ouzos in Dalkey does very well; Fish Shack (owned by same people) always has the punters in. I also would tend not to look favourably on restaurants that try to cater to all people or have a long variety of options as it tends to have an impact on quality. What maybe matters more for Blackrock at the moment is developing a complementary ecosystem of restaurants so that it becomes a destination, somewhat like Dalkey but on a smaller scale.


  • Options
    #2981
    EricPraline
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭EricPraline


    qb123 wrote: »
    I don't think offering only seafood and steak is an issue in and of itself. Ouzos in Dalkey does very well; Fish Shack (owned by same people) always has the punters in. I also would tend not to look favourably on restaurants that try to cater to all people or have a long variety of options as it tends to have an impact on quality. What maybe matters more for Blackrock at the moment is developing a complementary ecosystem of restaurants so that it becomes a destination, somewhat like Dalkey but on a smaller scale.
    This is a good point - this has actually worked rather well for Monkstown.

    However, there were probably other factors. The property that Ouzo's occupied wasn't ideal, cramped with no atmosphere. On top of this, their prices were not exactly competitive (€25 sirloin? €28 ribeye?). While it would be nice to stay local, there are cheaper, better in the city centre or in other suburbs on the Dart line.

    Over-priced food seems to be a recurring theme in Blackrock (not counting Wetherspoons). Not clear if this is partially due to the rents being charged by landlords.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #2982
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,447 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    qb123 wrote: »
    What maybe matters more for Blackrock at the moment is developing a complementary ecosystem of restaurants so that it becomes a destination, somewhat like Dalkey but on a smaller scale.

    +1 can't argue with that but based on current trends, it's heading towards becoming the burger, chicken and steak capital of the county.

    With Dali's converting to Rage and now Ouzos going in the same direction, it's a culinary regression to the mean!


  • Options
    #2983
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    The thing about Ouzos is that sometimes you need a complete overhaul just to move with the times. I've never eaten there now but by looking the look of the restaurant it looks outdated by about 5-10 years and is not in keeping with the current trends in restaurants it looks like the kind of place that would have been popular in The Celtic Tiger era but not now.

    Another similar example would have been Barracuda in Bray which seemed popular during the Celtic Tiger but with the current trends in food it wouldn't really be that popular as it has now changed to a Gastropub and a Tapas Place.


  • Options
    #2984
    Blut2
    Registered Users Posts: 3,030 ✭✭✭Blut2


    coylemj wrote: »
    +1 can't argue with that but based on current trends, it's heading towards becoming the burger, chicken and steak capital of the county.

    With Dali's converting to Rage and now Ouzos going in the same direction, it's a culinary regression to the mean!

    Aside from the multiple award winning restaurants recently opened in Blackrock you mean? Dunne & Crescenzi, El Cellerel, Heron & Grey etc. Most suburban Blackrock-sized towns would kill to have a Michelin star restaurant in their midst. Categorizing Rage as a "burger" place is also highly reductive, its got a far more inventive menu than Dalis had with almost identical ambiance.

    Blackrock has more, and better, restaurant choice than any other village than Dalkey. And even thats a close call these days.


  • Options
    #2985
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,532 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    I wouldn’t go as far as saying better than Dalkey’s.

    Ragazzis, 1909, Devilles, Ozus, Jaipur, guinea pig are all top level and then you have Bennettos, queens , Kathmandu, thai house , magpie, wanderlust.


  • Options
    #2986
    EricPraline
    Registered Users Posts: 486 ✭✭EricPraline


    Blut2 wrote: »
    Aside from the multiple award winning restaurants recently opened in Blackrock you mean? Dunne & Crescenzi, El Cellerel, Heron & Grey etc. Most suburban Blackrock-sized towns would kill to have a Michelin star restaurant in their midst. Categorizing Rage as a "burger" place is also highly reductive, its got a far more inventive menu than Dalis had with almost identical ambiance.

    Blackrock has more, and better, restaurant choice than any other village than Dalkey. And even thats a close call these days.
    As much as I like Blackrock, that's quite an exaggeration. Heron & Grey is an outlier. Put it aside and the choice available is mediocre. If Dunne & Crescenzi and Rage are the best of the remaining offerings, that's faint praise. There is currently far better choice in Monkstown, Howth, Malahide, Ranelagh, Clontarf and so on. Which is a real shame, considering Blacrock village's potential. Hopefully the renovation of Frascati might have a knock-on effect on the rest of the village.


  • Options
    #2987
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,447 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    EricPraline wrote: »
    As much as I like Blackrock, that's quite an exaggeration. Heron & Grey is an outlier.

    +1 the 'halo effect' on the area resulting from Heron & Grey's Michelin star was a stretch of a fertile imagination.


  • Options
    #2988
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    The newsagents on the ground floor of Blackrock SC has closed. I can't say how long though as it's a while since I've been there and I only noticed it today. Not many independent newsagents remaining.


  • Options
    #2989
    Tabnabs
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,720 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    New kids clothes shop has opened in the basement of the Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre.


  • Options
    #2990
    Cyrus
    Registered Users Posts: 20,096 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    having moved from blackrock to dalkey i have to say i have yet to come around to dalkey as a town (god forbid one is caught referring to it as a village :P)

    restaurants and bars are great and superior to blackrock (if a proper night out if your thing) but there are very few kid friendly coffee / lunch places (ala Vanilla pod and even starbucks / insomnia / java) and the rest of the amenities pale compared to blackrock imo


  • Options
    #2991
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,447 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    Cyrus wrote: »
    having moved from blackrock to dalkey i have to say i have yet to come around to dalkey as a town (god forbid one is caught referring to it as a village :P)

    Unless one is lodging an objection to some upstart business proposing to open there and which is not owned by a local Nimby. In which case it's ok to liberally pepper the text of your objection with words like 'heritage' and 'village'.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #2992
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,532 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Rather than looking at the multinational chains , if you look at the local cafes I’m sure that you’ll find them just as welcoming to kids as the multinational tax dodging competitors.

    Mugs , idlewild, tropica, Country bake , select stores , queens etc


  • Options
    #2993
    Cyrus
    Registered Users Posts: 20,096 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    ted1 wrote: »
    Rather than looking at the multinational chains , if you look at the local cafes I’m sure that you’ll find them just as welcoming to kids as the multinational tax dodging competitors.

    Mugs , idlewild, tropica, Country bake , select stores , queens etc

    i named one multinational, the rest were irish companies.

    i have been in all of the above, and they are fine, but most of them arent equipped for people coming in with buggys or have enough space to cater for that kind of thing.


  • Options
    #2994
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,532 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Plenty of room in Killiney Castle for buggies. That’s where we go if we’ve a group. We had about 15 kids between us on NYE when we meet up for lunch.


  • Options
    #2995
    Cyrus
    Registered Users Posts: 20,096 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    ted1 wrote: »
    Plenty of room in Killiney Castle for buggies. That’s where we go if we’ve a group. We had about 15 kids between us on NYE when we meet up for lunch.

    Yep go there a lot to be fair great spot


  • Options
    #2996
    dublinman1990
    Registered Users Posts: 8,476 ✭✭✭dublinman1990


    I saw a bit of scaffolding surrounded with metal gates in the car park at the back of Blackrock Shopping Centre yesterday.

    Is this redevelopment plan for the centre going to start very soon?


  • Options
    #2997
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    Does anyone know what they're doing around the cinema, Lidl and AIB complex in Stillorgan. There's a lot building there including a crane and lots of scaffolding.


  • Options
    #2998
    caviardreams
    Registered Users Posts: 5,516 ✭✭✭caviardreams


    dublinman1990 wrote: »
    I saw a bit of scaffolding surrounded with metal gates in the car park at the back of Blackrock Shopping Centre yesterday.

    Is this redevelopment plan for the centre going to start very soon?

    I think the work is mainly putting in a roof rather than expansion of shops etc.

    I see the Tesco hardware branch in Stillorgan SC is closing this weekend - obviously relocating/downsizing to the new food one. Hopefully somebody will go in that unit soon - it's a decent size.


  • Options
    #2999
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    caviardreams wrote: »
    I think the work is mainly putting in a roof rather than expansion of shops etc.

    I see the Tesco hardware branch in Stillorgan SC is closing this weekend - obviously relocating/downsizing to the new food one. Hopefully somebody will go in that unit soon - it's a decent size.

    Is the off licence going aswell, if so maybe the two units could be merged into one. It might be a good location for an Aldi in Stillorgan.


  • Options
    #3000
    xper
    Registered Users Posts: 1,068 ✭✭✭xper


    dublinman1990 wrote: »
    I saw a bit of scaffolding surrounded with metal gates in the car park at the back of Blackrock Shopping Centre yesterday.

    Is this redevelopment plan for the centre going to start very soon?
    Well they are well stuck in to dismantling the adjacent office block's interior. While that is subject to a separate planning application, you would imagine the shopping centre works will be part of the overall project.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #3001
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,447 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    Stephen15 wrote: »
    Is the off licence going aswell, if so maybe the two units could be merged into one. It might be a good location for an Aldi in Stillorgan.

    Tesco do homeware alongside food in the Bloomfield store in DL, I expect that they will replicate that model in the expanded Stillorgan store. They could easily use that space for an expanded off-licence, it's busy all the time. There is no way they can move both the off-licence and the homeware section into the expanded main store.

    I know the days of exclusive leases involving the smaller units is gone what with two opticians in Stillorgan SC and so on but I seriously doubt that Tesco would have put in the investment that they did in their supermarket space unless there was a clause in their lease stopping any other large food retailer taking space in the centre. Dunnes used to do food in their unit but it was too small to be practical so they pulled back to fashion and homeware a long time ago. No way will you see an Aldi in Stillorgan SC.


Advertisement