Drive thru coffee

John_Rambo

ProudDUB wrote: »

I used to live in the US and every single city I lived in or visited has a multitude of drive thrus. You don't find them in city centre

Ok... So the're in the suburbs? Right sorry, your saying city, I thought you meant the actual city.. My bad.

That's a game changer, but to answer your question, I'd say it's less likely to work in Dublin's burbs as we are getting a bit more European and people are getting less car reliant and beginning to use public transport and bikes. I'd also lean towards research that city dwellers are that bit less lazy!

ProudDUB

John_Rambo wrote: »

Ok... So the're in the suburbs? Right sorry, your saying city, I thought you meant the actual city.. My bad.

That's a game changer, but to answer your question, I'd say it's less likely to work in Dublin's burbs as we are getting a bit more European and people are getting less car reliant and beginning to use public transport and bikes. I'd also lean towards research that city dwellers are that bit less lazy!

The poster started a thread asking why there are no drive thru coffee establishments in Dublin. He did not say Dublin City Centre specifically, so I don't know why we can't discuss the city in its entirety.

There is more to Dublin City than just Grafton St and O'Connell St. People who live in Clontarf, Drumcondra, Portobello, Ballsbridge etc etc live in Dublin City too, don't they? There are some drive thrus in some US cities. There just wouldn't be as many of them in the heart of the city centres, as there would be suburbs, as space would be at a premium. They would start to pop up more when you get to within a few miles of the city centre, in the neighbourhoods that would be similar to Fairview, Clontarf, Phibsboro, Ballsbridge etc etc here. Once you get out a bit further out, they are very, very common, but they would all still be within the official city limits designation.

I disagree that we are getting so Europeanized that we don't want to import an American custom of drive thrus. Fast food restaurants with drive thrus here are thriving. There is room for both imo. I am no transportation expert, but I do know that Dublin Bus routes and schedules and DART times tables are being slashed all the time due to cutbacks. Dublin Bus/IE blame falling passenger numbers on the cutbacks. There will always be a sizeable population of people in cars in Dublin, who would use a car drive through facility if it is there imo.

There are also a lot of businesses in the US that operate a drive thru facility that are not always food or drink related. Banks have them. Post offices often have them. Dry cleaners have them. (My favourites are the drive thru liquor stores in New Orleans.:P ) I don't see why they wouldn't thrive here too. People like convenience, no matter where they live imo.

spurious

There used to be a drive through bank in Raheny - many moons ago when I was a child. It never really took off, but it might now.

alexlyons

spurious wrote: »

There used to be a drive through bank in Raheny - many moons ago when I was a child. It never really took off, but it might now.

likewise in cornelscourt, AIB had drive thru ATM's. Gone now though, they build a pretty big centre there. I think with the boom land turned far more valuable than the return a drive thru anything could provide due to the space required for roads/queuing etc

tempura

Another leap towards the americanised unhealthy way of life, no thanks.

The states is full of Drive through everything, coffee, food, donuts, banks, dry cleaners, dvd rental, an endless list. I'm surprised anyone even talks to anyone anymore.

I have been given many a funny look , from drivers, while " walking " to a local store in the States. Nobody walks, cars all the way, its sad . I would hate to see that happen here.

I'm all against the drive through anything.

alexlyons

tempura wrote: »

The states is full of Drive through everything, coffee, food, donuts, banks, dry cleaners, dvd rental, an endless list. I'm surprised anyone even talks to anyone anymore.

I have been given many a funny look , from drivers, while " walking " to a local store in the States. Nobody walks, cars all the way, its sad . I would hate to see that happen here.

Well see its full of drive throughs for two reasons.
First, the city's are pretty new and all focused around the car, more so in the suburbs than down town.
Secondly, land is so cheap, which facilitated low rise urban sprawl including drive thru's.

Neither of these things is true for Ireland so I I can't see it happening here.

I was in San Francisco last summer and walked everywhere, along with most other city residents. However I was downtown, or within the main city on the waterfront where space is at a premium so its not as conducive to cars, although its much more conducive to them than any irish city!

However if one was to start walking places in the more suburban areas, I could imagine looks being given, mainly due to the shear distance needed to get anywhere because it has sprawled so much.
I've nothing against long walks, I actually enjoy them, but as its not the norm which is understandable due to the distance, looks are inevitable and would happen in the same situation in any country.

jerrymc

Sonic2 wrote: »

Why is there no drive thru coffee establishments in Dublin?

I would really find it handy... thoughts?

Yes I would agree, I would love to purchase a delicious take away coffee to go from my car on my busy morning commute.
Although all the info that followed on planning regulations, the price of land, Dublin city boundaries is very interesting I think some people have moved away from the original question of the thread.

I may have a solution which I am considering as a future business venture therefore it would be good to know would commuters spend a reasonable amount of money on a quality take away coffee which they can conveniently purchase from their car on their morning commute?

ProudDUB

tempura wrote: »

Another leap towards the americanised unhealthy way of life, no thanks.

The states is full of Drive through everything, coffee, food, donuts, banks, dry cleaners, dvd rental, an endless list. I'm surprised anyone even talks to anyone anymore.

I have been given many a funny look , from drivers, while " walking " to a local store in the States. Nobody walks, cars all the way, its sad . I would hate to see that happen here.

I'm all against the drive through anything.

If you feel that strongly about it, fair enough, but I don't think that the average person does. If they did, why are drive thru's in Irish fast food restaurants so common and so popular?

jerrymc wrote: »

I may have a solution which I am considering as a future business venture therefore it would be good to know would commuters spend a reasonable amount of money on a quality take away coffee which they can conveniently purchase from their car on their morning commute?

Every single morning? No. When you do the sums and add it up by the week and the month, you are talking the guts of spending a thousand euros a year on your morning pick me up. I used the random amount of 4 quid every morning, 5 days a week. That is 80 quid a month, which is 960 euros over 12 months. It would be more if you are buying muffins and what not too. It might not seem so much on a once off basis, but when you add it all up, over the course of a year, it's a pretty big chunk of change.

I'd rather spend that kind of money on a holiday & just make the daily commute coffee at my house. But if I have an exceptionally early start one morning, or I have an usually long drive ahead of me and I want to stay alert, then yes, I'd pony up the bucks for a properly brewed espresso.

John_Rambo

ProudDUB wrote: »

If you feel that strongly about it, fair enough

Indeed if you feel that strongly about it you could get a business loan and set one up or talk to the relevant people about a franchise. Plenty of people have taken American models and made millions from burger joints to bowling halls.

Are any of the in Ireland drive thru places you're talking about 100% drive thru or are they fast food restaurants with a drive thru facility?

WHIP IT!

ProudDUB wrote: »

If you feel that strongly about it, fair enough, but I don't think that the average person does. If they did, why are drive thru's in Irish fast food restaurants so common and so popular?



Every single morning? No. When you do the sums and add it up by the week and the month, you are talking the guts of spending a thousand euros a year on your morning pick me up. I used the random amount of 4 quid every morning, 5 days a week. That is 80 quid a month, which is 960 euros over 12 months. It would be more if you are buying muffins and what not too. It might not seem so much on a once off basis, but when you add it all up, over the course of a year, it's a pretty big chunk of change.

I'd rather spend that kind of money on a holiday & just make the daily commute coffee at my house. But if I have an exceptionally early start one morning, or I have an usually long drive ahead of me and I want to stay alert, then yes, I'd pony up the bucks for a properly brewed espresso.

Um, where charges €4 for a takeaway coffee??

Tabnabs

ProudDUB wrote: »

. If they did, why are drive thru's in Irish fast food restaurants so common and so popular?

I think this is the key to the success of the model, are drive thru's really that popular in Ireland? Can anyone put an actual figure on the total amount for example? That's the product you're selling, the drive thru model, be it burgers or espresso. If McD's coffee is so good, are people who pass a drive thru stopping to buy this product specifically?

So see plenty of people commuting with those aluminium coffee cups in their cars, would they be tempted to stop and buy a drive thru coffee?

IS that all you're selling, coffee? Or what else would a coffee buyer be interested in purchasing in addition?

Starbucks, arguably the biggest worldwide brand in coffee, they are experimenting in the UK market with a drive thru in two locations. I'd say you'd need to watch them for any development in Ireland and perhaps piggy back on their marketing before you do a solo run by an unknown Irish business.


Starbucks Cardiff.

If you're clever, it can be done relatively easily
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2212341/The-drive-drive-away-Starbucks-opens-Ikea-like-flat-packed-store-unloaded-lorry.html

Speedsie

spurious wrote: »

There used to be a drive through bank in Raheny - many moons ago when I was a child. It never really took off, but it might now.

There was also a 'Drive In' aspect to AIB on Upper Baggot Street. Opened in, I think, the 70s, closed in the late 80s as I recall. Never used it myself, but I remember it in operation.

Gran Hermano

Dutch Bros Coffee have over 200 in the USA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Bros._Coffee

CJhaughey

Ballincollig in Cork has a drive thru coffee shack.
I am amazed that Dublin doesn't have at least one permanent one.

my friend

Bandara wrote: »

The reason there is no drivethru is simply that you could not sell enough coffee to stay in business

Tell that to McDonalds

Caliden

Drive through coffee in Clonskeagh beside Ryans Arbour House.

Tabnabs

Caliden wrote: »

Drive through coffee in Clonskeagh beside Ryans Arbour House.

Clonskeagh? They wish! That's Windy Arbour, Dundrum at a push...

http://www.thruthegreencoffeeco.com/

ProudDUB

Fair play to them. Wish I had a drive thru place near me. My fav coffee & donut spot has limited parking, so I don't go there that often on the way to work. It would be a different story if they had a drive thru.

greenbicycle

some guy has set up a tent on the sandyford road advertising "drive through coffee" he has been there a while now, I always pass by as he is just setting up early in the morning so never witness how many customers he gets. fair play to him!