New Business openings and closures around you?

MurdyWurdy

We're big nandos fans as hubby is South African but I know some people don't rate it. We do Looking forward to it opening. I was just wondering if there was any more info on opening dates. I know they are hiring at the moment anyway. I added it on fb just to see but no info has been added really. Must keep an eye out.

Bring on the chicken not far from home! (although we do enjoy a trip to The Hen House occassionally too, they also do nice chicken)

Synode

Xtra-vision in Rathmines closing down. They were clearing all their stock today

youcancallmeal

Synode wrote: »

Xtra-vision in Rathmines closing down. They were clearing all their stock today

Xtra-vision have gone into receivership so expect to see a lot more closures in the future as well

MurdyWurdy

The second hand bookshop on Dun Laoghaire Main Street, Readers is closing down. Books are all on sale. It's a pity, there 's not many second hand bookshop a around these days.

fjon

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

The second hand bookshop on Dun Laoghaire Main Street, Readers is closing down. Books are all on sale. It's a pity, there 's not many second hand bookshop a around these days.

Oh no I remember popping in to browse there coming home from school in the early 90s. I was surprised it has stayed open so long though.

dublinman1990

My mum and I will be disappointed with this news. The people who run the shop are very helpful.

The only secondhand bookshop that the community of Dun Laoghaire will depend on now is Book Value further down George's Street.

Fratton Fred

Eamonn's in Sandycove has a good selection of secondhand books.

the groutch

With so many charity shops in Dun Laoghaire, the 2nd hand book market has been diluted greatly.
Throw in the success of the Kindle and it's no surpise to see book shops struggling.

reprazant

There has always been lots of charity shops in Dun Laoghaire so I don't really see why that would cause a change now.

it is quite possible that the lease was up and either they decided enough was enough or negotiations with the ll didn't go too well.

Bits_n_Bobs

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

The second hand bookshop on Dun Laoghaire Main Street, Readers is closing down. Books are all on sale. It's a pity, there 's not many second hand bookshop a around these days.

End of an era - that place and the one in Dalkey provided me with all my books for years. The one in Blackrock seems to be thriving however (I think it's called Raven?)

crushproof

One of the few shops in Dun Laoghaire that I would still visit and browse, shame to see it go but no real surprise. They've had a sign outside the window for months saying they weren't accepting any more books.
The staff would always be helpful when looking for books.....one wonders how long the store will be vacant for once it shuts down.
If I was there now I'd definitely get down to it, I'd say there's some great bargains to be had!

dublinman1990

crushproof wrote: »

One of the few shops in Dun Laoghaire that I would still visit and browse, shame to see it go but no real surprise. They've had a sign outside the window for months saying they weren't accepting any more books.
The staff would always be helpful when looking for books.....one wonders how long the store will be vacant for once it shuts down.
If I was there now I'd definitely get down to it, I'd say there's some great bargains to be had!

There are discount posters of 33% on any books bought all over that shop's windows if you're interested in going there.

Tabnabs

Bakers/confectioners 'Sweetest Thing' by Marine Road entrance to the shopping centre has the shutters pulled down today. Is that gone too?

Larbre34

Tabnabs wrote: »

Bakers/confectioners 'Sweetest Thing' by Marine Road entrance to the shopping centre has the shutters pulled down today. Is that gone too?

Regrettably yes, I saw a shared statement on Facebook from the proprietors saying that it just wasn't viable in the current climate. Sounds like another DL shopping centre rent issue. That place will be a retail tomb before long. Bit like the rest of Dun Laoghaire I suppose :rolleyes:

Most importantly though a huge pity about ST closing, their stuff was gorgeous, I read they have another 2 outlets around town and Id encourage anyone to give them a try

MurdyWurdy

The council really need to sort out how expensive parking is in DL/the traffic warden situation and then maybe some of these businesses would be doing better. It would at least give them a better chance.

You can park in Dundrum town centre for 3 hours for €2 but the car parks in DL are €2.30 or €2.40 an hour. How can that compete?

zagmund

Disaster.

Mrs Zag used to get bread in Sweetest Thing & #1 son used to be a regular in the 2nd hand book shop. All in all, not a good week then.

Not strictly a new opening, but I was in the Purty recently for the first time following their relaunch. The food was very tasty, good value and we'll definitely be back. It's BYOB (for wine, not beer) and no corkage, so it doesn't get much better value than that. They also seem to be running combined entertainment & food events (like dinner followed by live music) which looked good. They may need to work on the publicity side of things - like a sign outside or something - to let people know they are doing these events.

z

OssianSmyth

Some coverage from the Independent:

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/more-shops-forced-to-shut-doors-as-town-struggles-in-face-of-recession-29278011.html

Larbre34

Something is going on with DL Shopping Centre. As mentioned in that article they skyrocketed their car parking charges for no obvious reason when you can park on street for 1.50 or 2.00 and hour and in the 3 other public multi-stories for 2.30 or so. As well as that Ive heard from a few former shop tenants in it that they sought mind-boggling increases in the rents when the reviews came up. The centre itself must be unviable at this stage. Time to demolish it and replace is with a more sympathetic residential building and let the other shops around the town rejuvenate

rubadub

Larbre34 wrote: »

The centre itself must be unviable at this stage.

It is snowballing at this stage as its so empty there is little point going in there, so the shops left have to be sufferring very badly. I remember as a kid you would go down to DL as something to do on a saturday afternoon, walking around all the shops, it would have been an advantage to be in the SC as it had footfall, now you are probably better off on the street. Last time I was in there the top floor was just weird as so many shops were closed.

the groutch

I have heard that SuperValu already want out, the footfall is so bad, once their lease is up I'd say that'll be the end of the centre.

ted1

the groutch wrote: »

I have heard that SuperValu already want out, the footfall is so bad, once their lease is up I'd say that'll be the end of the centre.

A basement shop as the only shop in the centre was never going to work.

Fratton Fred

It is managed very badly. They should do what Bloomfields did and get a big name in.

if they said to top shop or next, have these two adjoining units rent free for five years, it would transform the place, but there doesn't appear to be any sort of proactive plan for the place.

I presume the council own it.

Larbre34

Fratton Fred wrote: »

It is managed very badly. They should do what Bloomfields did and get a big name in.

if they said to top shop or next, have these two adjoining units rent free for five years, it would transform the place, but there doesn't appear to be any sort of proactive plan for the place.

I presume the council own it.

Since when do Councils own private commercial buildings? Like most other commercial lease buildings its owned by an investment / pension fund and administered by a large property agents.

They had a big name and they went off and built Bloomfields and eventually closed the smaller shop in the centre. Dunnes wouldnt touch it with a barge pole. I was amazed Super Valu took it up, they would have been better off getting a unit on the main street, Id say outside of the lunchtime shopping of the local office staff that they do no business

Fratton Fred

Larbre34 wrote: »

Since when do Councils own private commercial buildings? Like most other commercial lease buildings its owned by an investment / pension fund and administered by a large property agents.

They had a big name and they went off and built Bloomfields and eventually closed the smaller shop in the centre. Dunnes wouldnt touch it with a barge pole. I was amazed Super Valu took it up, they would have been better off getting a unit on the main street, Id say outside of the lunchtime shopping of the local office staff that they do no business

It isn't uncommon for town councils to own older shopping centres like that and get it managed by a third party.

Do you work for the council, because you get very aggressive at the slightest mention of their incompetence.

RainyDay

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I presume the council own it.

Why would you presume that?

Larbre34

Fratton Fred wrote: »

It isn't uncommon for town councils to own older shopping centres like that and get it managed by a third party.

Do you work for the council, because you get very aggressive at the slightest mention of their incompetence.

What Rainy Day said.

I should be so lucky, Im self employed, thanks for asking. I am friendly with one of the Councillors though and I know how exasperated she can get by how things work. I also grew up in DL and theres more than just the Council causing problems for the town. The Nimby-ism and in-fighting among the 'representative' groups of businesses and residents goes back 30 years and it has culminated in so many lost investment opportunities that even in the good days anyone with money to speculate would avoid DL like the plague. I know this from my parents time as small business owners locally. The negativity has killed the place. Even in the latest Indo article the business groups criticise the new library centre as a waste of time and money, yet it will be a huge public facility that replaces a stagnant pond and drinking den. why should anything that at least brings footfall and potential to the place be a waste? When you look at Blackrock, Dalkey, Malahide, Howth, DL should be a goldmine, or it should at least have been in the boom, people need to ask themselves why not?

DL has a lot of problems, contributed to by a lot of people but IMO the hierarchy of issues is roughly as follows.

Commercial Rents > lack of local coherent planning for the town itself > lack of foresight and realism by community and business groups > drugs and drug treatment clinics > anti-social behaviour > parking costs

The parking thing is a bit of a red herring anyway, most towns have it now. Ten years ago you couldnt get a space within 1.5 miles of DL town centre, now the opposite is the case, with the same apparent outcome for business.....

Fratton Fred

RainyDay wrote: »

Why would you presume that?

couple of reasons. Firstly I come from a town with a similar sized Mall that was council owned, because it was strategically important to the town centre.

secondly, because it just isn't being run in the way I would expect a commercial operation to be run.

Fratton Fred

Larbre34 wrote: »

What Rainy Day said.

I should be so lucky, Im self employed, thanks for asking. I am friendly with one of the Councillors though and I know how exasperated she can get by how things work. I also grew up in DL and theres more than just the Council causing problems for the town. The Nimby-ism and in-fighting among the 'representative' groups of businesses and residents goes back 30 years and it has culminated in so many lost investment opportunities that even in the good days anyone with money to speculate would avoid DL like the plague. I know this from my parents time as small business owners locally. The negativity has killed the place. Even in the latest Indo article the business groups criticise the new library centre as a waste of time and money, yet it will be a huge public facility that replaces a stagnant pond and drinking den. why should anything that at least brings footfall and potential to the place be a waste? When you look at Blackrock, Dalkey, Malahide, Howth, DL should be a goldmine, or it should at least have been in the boom, people need to ask themselves why not?

DL has a lot of problems, contributed to by a lot of people but IMO the hierarchy of issues is roughly as follows.

Commercial Rents > lack of local coherent planning for the town itself > lack of foresight and realism by community and business groups > drugs and drug treatment clinics > anti-social behaviour > parking costs

The parking thing is a bit of a red herring anyway, most towns have it now. Ten years ago you couldnt get a space within 1.5 miles of DL town centre, now the opposite is the case, with the same apparent outcome for business.....

I couldn't agree more.

RainyDay

Fratton Fred wrote: »

couple of reasons. Firstly I come from a town with a similar sized Mall that was council owned, because it was strategically important to the town centre.

What town has a similarly sized council owned Mall?

Fratton Fred

RainyDay wrote: »

What town has a similarly sized council owned Mall?

Where I lived in the UK.

They owned it, but a management company ran it, or at least used to.