How many cafes can Drogheda sustain?

Siobh73

I see that the former Wine Buff premises on Laurence Street is to re-open as a coffee shop. Off the top of my head I can think of 20 places in the town centre alone where you can get a cuppa to sit in. Is the town big enough to support that volume?

DublinWriter

It's fun watching 'musical-premises'. Monks went bust, became Cafe Fetes which went bust...now up for let. The franchise operations in the Scotch Hall seem to be surviving and the Mell is like the UN of foreign take-outs.

Siobh73

Absolutely but there also seems to be a new trend of "Empty Premises? - Lets open a cafe!"

kormak

the Cafe Kaya lads had to close up shop for a while too....
It is mad and whats worse... very few of these new cafes have all the major factors sorted either... i.e. Tasty food, relaxed atmos, cleanliness, reliability, location, etc...

whelan1

kormak wrote: »

the Cafe Kaya lads had to close up shop for a while too....
It is mad and whats worse... very few of these new cafes have all the major factors sorted either... i.e. Tasty food, relaxed atmos, cleanliness, reliability, location, etc...

is that the place in the abbey shopping centre? ... i bring the kids to aileens on stockwell street, she has good healthy kids meals, no chips, at very reasonable prices... also kids hot chocolate... hate the greasy spoon type of place, but obviously other like them!

gipi

Has cafe fettes gone bust? When I was in there before Xmas, the staff said that it's the lease that's up for sale, and it didn't affect them. Haven't been down that way since, are they still open?

closecall

Siobh73 wrote: »

Absolutely but there also seems to be a new trend of "Empty Premises? - Lets open a cafe!"

This sounds about right

kormak

whelan1 wrote: »

is that the place in the abbey shopping centre? ... i bring the kids to aileens on stockwell street, she has good healthy kids meals, no chips, at very reasonable prices... also kids hot chocolate... hate the greasy spoon type of place, but obviously other like them!

Yep, it's closed up now. Baaaad location.
Haven't tried Aileens yet... will give it a go next time.

Cafe Fettes - Bland cafe, bland food
Harpers - Jammers everytime I've walked in.
Bijou - very expensive, bland food, nice atmos
Esquires - Super building, again bland food!

How hard is it to put out some tasty snacks??!! :eek::eek:

gipi

If each coffee shop holds an average of 40 people (I know some are smaller, some are larger), then with 20 coffee shops, that's only about 800 seats in the town (not counting pubs of course!).

Drogheda and environs has a population of about 30,000 - and while not everyone goes out for coffee (and certainly not all at the same time!), maybe someone has done the sums and reckons there's enough of a market out there?

furiousox

Siobh73 wrote: »

Absolutely but there also seems to be a new trend of "Empty Premises? - Lets open a cafe!"

It's ridiculous, why can't they open a barber shop instead?
Not nearly enough in the town! :pac:

PS Simona's cafe is a cut above the rest, well worth a visit.

Siobh73

I think what is needed is more variety - too many coffee shops over the same scone/muffin/sandwich style menu. What about an American style diner or a Mexican restaurant to give us a change from all the Italian and Asian restaurants in town?

Siobh73

gipi wrote: »

If each coffee shop holds an average of 40 people (I know some are smaller, some are larger), then with 20 coffee shops, that's only about 800 seats in the town (not counting pubs of course!).

Drogheda and environs has a population of about 30,000 - and while not everyone goes out for coffee (and certainly not all at the same time!), maybe someone has done the sums and reckons there's enough of a market out there?

20 Was just the number I thought of off the top of my head - a few new names have cropped up in this thread already. It's not just the number, but the close proximity that struck me as a bit excessive?

jujumushu

Siobh73 wrote: »

American style diner

Eddie Rockets not good enough for you?
What ever happened to Jumpin' Jack's? :P

whelan1

went to jaffas today, treat for one of the kids birthday... i remember a few years ago you would find hard to get a seat there on sunday dinner time, we where the only ones there for a while... my how times have changed

Hanlor

Would have to expect there will be a shake out with some places closing simply because of the amount of competition. Survivors will be those that offer quality at a fair price. I'd agree with an earlier poster that Simona's is one of the better additions to the Cafe scene.

Siobh73

I'd love a real breakfast specialist to open up - with everything from the fry-up to pancakes, granola, fresh juices - that's what I mean by a proper American Diner!

I agree Simona Cafe is one of the best in the town. Hope it prospers!

gipi

whelan1 wrote: »

went to jaffas today, treat for one of the kids birthday... i remember a few years ago you would find hard to get a seat there on sunday dinner time, we where the only ones there for a while... my how times have changed

Yeah, I met a friend there a while back for Saturday afternoon lunch - I remember in the past queueing for a table, but not on this occasion, the place was half empty.

CMpunked

laura-can wrote: »

Eddie Rockets not good enough for you?
What ever happened to Jumpin' Jack's? :P

It failed the majority of its health inspections.

Gandalph

DublinWriter wrote: »

It's fun watching 'musical-premises'. Monks went bust, became Cafe Fetes which went bust...now up for let. The franchise operations in the Scotch Hall seem to be surviving and the Mell is like the UN of foreign take-outs.

afaik monks didnt go bust it moved out to laytown or something and renamed.

Cafe Fetes was aweful.

Goodiefoodie

Hi new at this, but in relation to cafe Fettes going bust, I know the guy who owns it and he isn't bust just looking for a new challenge abroad apparently. I heard the reason that there are so many cafe's in town now is that the council are giving out planning exemptions to nearly anyone without change of use permission!! This will ruin the town and cause business to close.

kk7

the council are giving out planning exemptions to nearly anyone without change of use permission!!

un.......believeable!!!!

Cost thousands a few years ago to get change of use from retail to restaurant / cafe / bar. Something to do with buying fictional car parking spaces.

Siobh73

Ah - that explains a lot!

calex71

Bring back Hollywood West /End of Discussion

Used to love that place. There is a new place opposite wogans on shop st. opened before xmas where that super expensive clothes shop was ? can't recall it's name. Used to be the book shop before that? Anyway it was stuffed last time I passed it, looks like it might be a nic eplace to pop into, also isnt there a new place next to kierans's on west st? that looked nice too.

Lord TSC

My problem with the Wise Owl place is the cafe right next door has just shut down :S

CMpunked

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

My problem with the Wise Owl place is the cafe right next door has just shut down :S

Called it!