Visit to Tramore

the roo

I have to say having being out to Tramore over the weekend left very disappointed. My wife ,two kids both under 5 and I went into an establishment on the lower prom . Unsure if I can name it but it is the business with a cafe shop and chipper out of the one building. We were having something to eat as the kids menu was non existent we said we would get a portion of chips out of the chipper for the kids and we would order then for ourselves in the cafe. I had ordered coffees for us while missus got the chips for the kids and when the management saw the chips back for the kids we were asked to leave. Now I must say to turn business around €20 from us because the kids had a portion of chips does not endear Tramore as a family friendly place to visit and a good day out was badly soured . Business people these days in Tramore have to learn from the mistakes of the past . Customers first is always a good place to start !

taytobreath

the roo wrote: »

I have to say having being out to Tramore over the weekend left very disappointed. My wife ,two kids both under 5 and I went into an establishment on the lower prom . Unsure if I can name it but it is the business with a cafe shop and chipper out of the one building. We were having something to eat as the kids menu was non existent we said we would get a portion of chips out of the chipper for the kids and we would order then for ourselves in the cafe. I had ordered coffees for us while missus got the chips for the kids and when the management saw the chips back for the kids we were asked to leave. Now I must say to turn business around €20 from us because the kids had a portion of chips does not endear Tramore as a family friendly place to visit and a good day out was badly soured . Business people these days in Tramore have to learn from the mistakes of the past . Customers first is always a good place to start !

Sorry, just to clarify, but did you bring chips into the cafe or had them outside in the seating area outside the cafe

Sully

Those would be two different businesses, it's not the same owner despite how it appears.

Most Cafes/Restaurants wouldn't allow you bring another cafe/restaurants food onto their premises. I don't think it's an issue if you sit outside though.

jameswtramore

I often visit the establishment in question here with my 3 kids. regards the kids menu, my kids love their ham and cheese toasties served with crisps and a hot chocolate with mallows to wash it down. the seating area is inside the café which has their own menu of food and I don't think it would be fair if the place was full of people eating chips and no seating left for the café customers. their is plenty of outdoor seating which you can eat chips at as I often do. your situation is equal to buying the kids happy meals in mcdonalds and expecting to sit in costa coffee eating them while you grab a coffee

touts

Tramore strand area is one of the worst places I have come across for eating. The quality of food is exceptionally bad. It was bad in the 1970s and most of the places have not updated their menu or customer service ethos since. And they seem to compete viciously for business. If you sit at the wrong tatty picnic table with a bag of food from the wrong premises you will have some old fella come out shouting and ranting at you. I can only imagine what they will do if you actually brought food into their cafe.

My advice is avoid the strand cafés and chippers and head up into the town centre. Even just a little way up the hill from the strand (near the AIB) is an ok place to eat. The food away from the strand is infinitely better, you won't be sitting on dirty old plastic furniture and the staff/owners actually have some idea of customer service.

Sully

touts wrote: »

Tramore strand area is one of the worst places I have come across for eating. The quality of food is exceptionally bad. It was bad in the 1970s and most of the places have not updated their menu or customer service ethos since. And they seem to compete viciously for business. If you sit at the wrong tatty picnic table with a bag of food from the wrong premises you will have some old fella come out shouting and ranting at you. I can only imagine what they will do if you actually brought into their grotty cafe.

My advice is avoid the strand cafés and choppers and head up into the town centre. Even just a little way up the hill from the strand (near the AIB) is an ok place to eat. The food away from the strand is infinitely better, you won't be sitting on dirty old plastic furniture and the staff/owners actually have some idea of customer service.

The Lower Promenade has received huge investment, this year alone, by the council. The paths have been extended and improved, the road surface has been improved, and a new relief road has opened at the rear leading to the main Waterford-Tramore road.

All the buildings on the lower promenade have gone through considerable change in the last year or two on top of that after the businesses themselves invested heavily into the areas - we now have an additional bigger cafe with the Sandcastle Cafe and they also now have a bigger shop. McCarthy's Take-Away is extremely busy and has been around for years remaining very popular with locals and tourists. That much is obvious when you see the crowds outside during the summer. Moe's Cafe is new to the area and has expanded this year offering juices and ice cream. It's also extremely popular, often packed out, and has been mentioned in several national newspapers as a great place.

Each business has it's own seating for it's own customers. They pay for the seats, they pay the rates, they pay to clean up and so on. There not seating provided by the council. So if you purchase something from the business, you can sit outside. If you don't, do you really expect them to allow you take up a seat for a paying customer? You can't go into McDonalds with Starbucks or visa-versa. You don't go into someone elses restaurant and eat someone elses food. If you set up to the businesses on the hill and sat in their restaurant without buying or eating someone elses food, you would be asked to leave.

Furthermore, the Pavilion just across from it has all new businesses in it with the exception of the Surf Shop & School which is the oldest (but still relatively new). There is a new Juice Bar this year, there is a new Burger Joint this year and in the last year or two a new very popular Pizza Joint opened up.

So to suggest the businesses haven't changed since 1970 is ridiculous. Different cafes, different businesses, different owners and most definitely new menus. The whole are has transformed and this is widely recognised by locals and regular visitors to the area.

Tramore has a fantastic selection of Pubs, Restaurants and Shops at the 'top of the town', many of which are award winning. Only one of those businesses has outdoor seating and it's for customer use only.

touts

Sully wrote: »

The Lower Promenade has received huge investment, this year alone, by the council. The paths have been extended and improved, the road surface has been improved, and a new relief road has opened at the rear leading to the main Waterford-Tramore road.

All the buildings on the lower promenade have gone through considerable change in the last year or two on top of that after the businesses themselves invested heavily into the areas - we now have an additional bigger cafe with the Sandcastle Cafe and they also now have a bigger shop. McCarthy's Take-Away is extremely busy and has been around for years remaining very popular with locals and tourists. That much is obvious when you see the crowds outside during the summer. Moe's Cafe is new to the area and has expanded this year offering juices and ice cream. It's also extremely popular, often packed out, and has been mentioned in several national newspapers as a great place.

Each business has it's own seating for it's own customers. They pay for the seats, they pay the rates, they pay to clean up and so on. There not seating provided by the council. So if you purchase something from the business, you can sit outside. If you don't, do you really expect them to allow you take up a seat for a paying customer? You can't go into McDonalds with Starbucks or visa-versa. You don't go into someone elses restaurant and eat someone elses food. If you set up to the businesses on the hill and sat in their restaurant without buying or eating someone elses food, you would be asked to leave.

Furthermore, the Pavilion just across from it has all new businesses in it with the exception of the Surf Shop & School which is the oldest (but still relatively new). There is a new Juice Bar this year, there is a new Burger Joint this year and in the last year or two a new very popular Pizza Joint opened up.

So to suggest the businesses haven't changed since 1970 is ridiculous. Different cafes, different businesses, different owners and most definitely new menus. The whole are has transformed and this is widely recognised by locals and regular visitors to the area.

Tramore has a fantastic selection of Pubs, Restaurants and Shops at the 'top of the town', many of which are award winning. Only one of those businesses has outdoor seating and it's for customer use only.

Perhaps it has been updated in the last year. I'll take your word for it. It was very badly in need of that because this time last year I had the worst meal of my life in one place there (won't name it in case they have updated as you claim).

shanemul

touts wrote: »

Tramore strand area is one of the worst places I have come across for eating. The quality of food is exceptionally bad. It was bad in the 1970s and most of the places have not updated their menu or customer service ethos since. And they seem to compete viciously for business. If you sit at the wrong tatty picnic table with a bag of food from the wrong premises you will have some old fella come out shouting and ranting at you. I can only imagine what they will do if you actually brought food into their cafe.

My advice is avoid the strand cafés and chippers and head up into the town centre. Even just a little way up the hill from the strand (near the AIB) is an ok place to eat. The food away from the strand is infinitely better, you won't be sitting on dirty old plastic furniture and the staff/owners actually have some idea of customer service.

How can you make such a claim when in a later post you've not being there in over a year. The amount of work that's gone into the area is fantastic. The amount of new business that has started and then the more established places renovating and update has led to the lower end of the Prom becoming a hub for people to meet and relax away from Amusements end on the Strand Road

Sully

touts wrote: »

Perhaps it has been updated in the last year. I'll take your word for it. It was very badly in need of that because this time last year I had the worst meal of my life in one place there (won't name it in case they have updated as you claim).

It's outrageous that you would come on here and slam the town and it's businesses when you haven't actually paid a visit here in recent years. The businesses along the lower promenade are popular with locals and tourists. So much so nearly all of them have undergone renovations or expansion recently to further accommodate demand. So much so the council has put in a considerable amount of money improving the area for the volumes of traffic and people it gets. It's a fantastic part of the town and an essential aspect due to the beach with so many people visiting each year.

Every year the vast majority of restaurants in Tramore are nominated for awards or have received awards for the quality of their food & service.

Unfortunately, it's a fact of life that sometimes you will have a bad experience or a bad meal in a place that 99% of the time has an excellent reputation.

touts

shanemul wrote: »

How can you make such a claim when in a later post you've not being there in over a year. The amount of work that's gone into the area is fantastic. The amount of new business that has started and then the more established places renovating and update has led to the lower end of the Prom becoming a hub for people to meet and relax away from Amusements end on the Strand Road

It was awful in the 1970s. It was just as bad if not worse last year. That much I can speak to. Some people claim that after years of appalling standards the whole place improved in the past few months. I can't speak to that no matter how unlikely it seems.

touts

Sully wrote: »

It's outrageous that you would come on here and slam the town and it's businesses when you haven't actually paid a visit here in recent years. The businesses along the lower promenade are popular with locals and tourists. So much so nearly all of them have undergone renovations or expansion recently to further accommodate demand. So much so the council has put in a considerable amount of money improving the area for the volumes of traffic and people it gets. It's a fantastic part of the town and an essential aspect due to the beach with so many people visiting each year.

Every year the vast majority of restaurants in Tramore are nominated for awards or have received awards for the quality of their food & service.

Unfortunately, it's a fact of life that sometimes you will have a bad experience or a bad meal in a place that 99% of the time has an excellent reputation.

What awards have the ones along the strand won?

Sully

touts wrote: »

What awards have the ones along the strand won?

Moes got mentioned in the Irish Times & The Irish Examiner last month and was in the running for Best Shop, which will be announced next month. The Pizza joint is only new but is packed out every single evening it's open. Not sure about the Burger Joint as it's only there a couple of months.

TBay has been around for years and very popular (recently expanded) as has been both The Sandcastle Shop (recently expanded) and McCarthys Take-Away. The latter two only open during peak season. Both are very busy and obviously they expanded to cater for the demand.

The Victoria House, The Raglan Road, The Esquire, The Majestic Hotel, and many other restaurants have been either nominated are won awards recently.

cookie.monster

touts wrote: »

What awards have the ones along the strand won?

hey tout go troll some where else your opinion don't matter!! people still come to tramore and many have mobile homes in which many spend the entire summer down here!! just because you were here in the 70's and again many years ago does'nt make your argument valid

touts

cookie.monster wrote: »

hey tout go troll some where else your opinion don't matter!! people still come to tramore and many have mobile homes in which many spend the entire summer down here!! just because you were here in the 70's and again many years ago does'nt make your argument valid

I'm not trolling. It is my honest opinion based on a visit to Tramore last summer. Perhaps if people looked more at the service they provided in Tramore rather than condemning customers who make very valid complaints then Things would improve. And to be clear I think there are places that are nice to eat in wider Tramore. As you head up the hill from the strand there is a nice place just before the AIB. And in the town centre there are a number of places. It is just the restaurants along the strand and amusement park (mainly chippers and cafés) that in my opinion serve awful food in awful conditions with awful attitude from staff (some of whom I suspect are posting here). The Tramore tourist brigade have rallied around here and insist that money has been pumped in to the area in the last 12 months fixing all the problems. Under the current economic climate I seriously doubt that but next time I am in the area I will check it out. If things have improved i will be happy to come back here and write about it.

looksee

Well, one of the chippers is Dooleys, who have a couple of other outlets, and their food is excellent and very professional.

taytobreath

And the other one would be maccarthy's which i think is the nicest in tramore

cookie.monster

touts wrote: »

I'm not trolling. It is my honest opinion based on a visit to Tramore last summer. Perhaps if people looked more at the service they provided in Tramore rather than condemning customers who make very valid complaints then Things would improve. And to be clear I think there are places that are nice to eat in wider Tramore. As you head up the hill from the strand there is a nice place just before the AIB. And in the town centre there are a number of places. It is just the restaurants along the strand and amusement park (mainly chippers and cafés) that in my opinion serve awful food in awful conditions with awful attitude from staff (some of whom I suspect are posting here). The Tramore tourist brigade have rallied around here and insist that money has been pumped in to the area in the last 12 months fixing all the problems. Under the current economic climate I seriously doubt that but next time I am in the area I will check it out. If things have improved i will be happy to come back here and write about it.

put your money where your mouth is then and take a trip down and judge for yourself!!! also stop living in the past while everyone else is in the present looking to the future!!!

Sully

touts wrote: »

I'm not trolling. It is my honest opinion based on a visit to Tramore last summer. Perhaps if people looked more at the service they provided in Tramore rather than condemning customers who make very valid complaints then Things would improve. And to be clear I think there are places that are nice to eat in wider Tramore. As you head up the hill from the strand there is a nice place just before the AIB. And in the town centre there are a number of places. It is just the restaurants along the strand and amusement park (mainly chippers and cafés) that in my opinion serve awful food in awful conditions with awful attitude from staff (some of whom I suspect are posting here). The Tramore tourist brigade have rallied around here and insist that money has been pumped in to the area in the last 12 months fixing all the problems. Under the current economic climate I seriously doubt that but next time I am in the area I will check it out. If things have improved i will be happy to come back here and write about it.

The 'Tramore tourist brigade'? That's a new one!

Don't take my word and the word of many others who think you're opinion is ill-founded and completely out of date. Of course people are going to go on the defensive when you read someone's review that slates the town when your last visit was in the 70s!

Yes in this current economic climate the whole lower promenade has been transformed, partially due to funding allocated due to serious storm damage that left the place in a very bad way. This is on top of improvement works carried out in recent years by the council and the new Lifeguard Training Center that is nearing completion. Yes, it's completely factual to say that The Sandcastle Shop has extended and now has a larger shop & cafe with indoor seating, T-Bay has extended, Moes has extended, and there is more outdoor seating in the area than before (provided by private businesses, not the council). Moe's, being a prime example here, is about two years old, the building was originally used by BaySpa (a popular spa on the seafront) but the owners opened a cafe than following demand extended the cafe into the building next door (formerly The Reef).

The Pavilion has two new businesses (a shake shop and a burger joint to compliment the Surfing School & Shop and the existing Cafe that has been there donkeys years) this year and another restaurant (an actual restaurant, it's fair to call it) which opened up last year if memory serves me correctly. It's packed out every evening this summer.

If the businesses were as bad as you maintain than they wouldn't be still trading and they certainly wouldn't have extended to cater for the demand. That alone proves your argument invalid.

But as I said, don't take our word for it. Look up Discover Tramore on Facebook, pop into the photo albums and you will see the change for your own eyes. Unless of course you think the tourist brigade doctored the photos?

looksee wrote: »

Well, one of the chippers is Dooleys, who have a couple of other outlets, and their food is excellent and very professional.

Exactly. They have two chippers in Tramore and one in Waterford. They started with one in Tramore and have grown into three successful businesses. That says a lot.

Massimos & McCarthys are both very popular take-aways, with Massimos open all year around and late evenings too.

Sully

In other good news, Tramore has came joint fourth in a survey of 40 towns & cities across Ireland in the Irish Businesses Against Litter. We are 'Cleaner than European Norms' according to the survey.

Credit to the local businesses who do their best to keep the front clean and Tidy Towns for doing such fantastic work!

the roo

As the person who opened the discussion having extensively travelled abroad especially with children, some establishments in Tramore have a lot to learn about customer service. Yes I purchased chips for my children in the chipper in the samebuilding and was having two adult meals in the cafe and for the management to hunt us out for this in this day is outrageous. This is a Tramore thing because in my time in using bigger and more well known businesses as mentioned MacDonalds, Costa never has this being an issue. Indeed Mahon Point in COrk IKea in DUblin even provide customers with sinks and mircowaves if they wish to feed their children their own food of choice.
And to hunt out paying customers over chips for children is ridelous especially when the place was empty.

Sully

the roo wrote: »

As the person who opened the discussion having extensively travelled abroad especially with children, some establishments in Tramore have a lot to learn about customer service. Yes I purchased chips for my children in the chipper in the samebuilding and was having two adult meals in the cafe and for the management to hunt us out for this in this day is outrageous. This is a Tramore thing because in my time in using bigger and more well known businesses as mentioned MacDonalds, Costa never has this being an issue. Indeed Mahon Point in COrk IKea in DUblin even provide customers with sinks and mircowaves if they wish to feed their children their own food of choice.
And to hunt out paying customers over chips for children is ridelous especially when the place was empty.

If you went to McDonalds, would Starbucks allow you eat in there even if you got a coffee? Or Costa, would Costa allow you eat someone else's food in their establishment? The vast majority of businesses, even Subway which I saw more recently, do not allow people to consume food from other businesses on their premises.

I think you're being very petty and unfair complaining that you couldn't eat chips from a separate independent business in another separate independent business even if you were having something in there. It's not in the same building either. There right beside each other but you can't walk from one into the other without walking outside. Nor can you see the inside of the business from the other and visa versa.

Odd you would compare Ikea and Mahon Point to a small independent business. An awful lot of small and large chains won't allow baby food be heated due to insurance reasons. I asked for a muffin to be heated in BB Muffins once and was told they weren't allowed! I've no idea what the policy is with businesses in Tramore.

the roo

Sully you say I am being petty and unfair. I beg to differ and say this business was petty and unfair. Small independent business not to compare to larger ones ad you say like Costa etc, need to be able to stand out and need an unique selling point. My experience was bad was handled badly and all it results in is bad press I was offering an opinion based on experiences and if this is Tramores family friendly welcome is it no wonder that Tramore had had its day, considering the amount of closed businesses in the town. What a great way to attract new ones

Sully

the roo wrote: »

Sully you say I am being petty and unfair. I beg to differ and say this business was petty and unfair. Small independent business not to compare to larger ones ad you say like Costa etc, need to be able to stand out and need an unique selling point. My experience was bad was handled badly and all it results in is bad press I was offering an opinion based on experiences and if this is Tramores family friendly welcome is it no wonder that Tramore had had its day, considering the amount of closed businesses in the town. What a great way to attract new ones

Okay, perhaps it was badly handled. I can't say if it was or wasn't without being there. I'm not getting at that. But I am getting to the crust of the issue - whether it's okay to get food from one business and then eat it inside someone elses. Regardless of what you are spending. Whether you're a small business or a large one, makes little difference. The Subway you eat in, the Costa you have a coffee in are all independently owned and pay a small fortune to buy into the franchise. Some of the branches are owned by one person and one person only who isn't a millionaire six times over.

It's my opinion that no, if you purchase food in X you shouldn't be allowed eat it in Y. For several reasons, but the main one being fairly obvious - for customers in business Y they may not want food served at X and may not want to be around that food. They went into Y for a reason. In your case, chips in a cafe is a big offender - the smell in a cafe of chips wouldn't be very appetising to other consumers. For the business, they will have to clean up the rubbish you leave behind belonging to another business.

In terms of 'Family Friendly' - Tramore has a lot to offer for families and there is no disputing this. You're reasons for feeling not welcome are understandable as it's a personal frustration but from the businesses perspective, it's also completely understandable why they have that policy and why it's enforced.

Tramore suffered not because of poor customer service. It suffered in a recession. The bulk of closed properties were owned by one person and the banks took them from him. There now mostly sold and most have re-opened with others to open soon. The pub trade has took a hammering nationally so pubs have closed and gone up for sale for someone else to buy. Most were sold on without closing. We have one hotel closed as the group who owned the business and other businesses in Waterford City were also impacted by a move by the banks and there for sale with buyers in place for some already.

Tramore had a strong summer. Huge crowds flocked to Tramore in 2014, several new businesses have opened and several businesses changed hands. The promenade has received significant public and private investment and we have two tourism boards serving Tramore and working to make the place better not just for tourists but also for locals. A new council body has taken Tramore under it's wing and we are set to see further shakeup for the town as the council take Tramore more serious.

Things have vastly improved and it's outdated thinking and opinions that can potentially damage the towns image and reputation.

the roo

I am sorry you obviously have a vested interest here. My thinking is not outdated as you suggest but based on a real experience. And for your information Costa have no problem with me feeding my children their own food in the premises.

This does badly reflect on Tramore and it is not due to outdated thinking. I take offence at your response and all it does is enforce the back ward thinking that exists in Tramore. And yes I will speak to all friends and inform them of my experiences and the only person who is to blame,is the business incomber.

barneystinson

the roo wrote: »

I am sorry you obviously have a vested interest here. My thinking is not outdated as you suggest but based on a real experience. And for your information Costa have no problem with me feeding my children their own food in the premises.

This does badly reflect on Tramore and it is not due to outdated thinking. I take offence at your response and all it does is enforce the back ward thinking that exists in Tramore. And yes I will speak to all friends and inform them of my experiences and the only person who is to blame,is the business incomber.

That's ridiculous, so someone running a business in Tramore upset you and as a result the whole town is ****e?!

Have you ever had crap service or encountered a bad attitude from a business owner wherever you're from? Does that mean your hometown is a ****hole?!

the roo

I have simply responded to a previous post , it is called a discussion opinions are aired, people offer theirs in return for reasonable reponses, my yea are all very touchy in Tramore

barneystinson

the roo wrote: »

I have simply responded to a previous post , it is called a discussion opinions are aired, people offer theirs in return for reasonable reponses, my yea are all very touchy in Tramore

I thought I asked 2 fairly reasonable questions there...

Sully

the roo wrote: »

I am sorry you obviously have a vested interest here. My thinking is not outdated as you suggest but based on a real experience. And for your information Costa have no problem with me feeding my children their own food in the premises.

My only interest is promoting Tramore and ensuring visitors have a pleasant and enjoyable experience. I get lots of feedback from tourists and businesses which have shaped the way I do tourism promotion and feedback that drives how businesses operate. I do feel that your posts were outdated and unfair.

Interestingly, you're accusation appears to be growing. Originally, you were refused for eating chips in someone else's cafe that doesn't sell chips. Now you're telling us you were told you couldn't feed your children either? I'm not sure why that's the case, as it wouldn't be uncommon to see kids and babies eating in any of the cafes/restaurants in Tramore.

This does badly reflect on Tramore and it is not due to outdated thinking. I take offence at your response and all it does is enforce the back ward thinking that exists in Tramore. And yes I will speak to all friends and inform them of my experiences and the only person who is to blame,is the business incomber.

We will have to agree to disagree. There will of course be people offended that they can't eat another businesses food in a separate business. But the rule is there for many reasons I've already went into. There are no objections to feeding your kids while being a customer of any of the restaurants or cafes in Tramore - kids are very much welcome while being part and parcel of tourism in Tramore for decades now.

It's an awful shame that this experience has put you off Tramore. It's feedback that's noted and passed onto the businesses in question, but it's unlikely to change. Thankfully, it's something that hasn't had any major impact on tourism for Tramore.

looksee

Oh honestly, 'ye are all very touchy in Tramore'! Are you suggesting that if your children took bags of chips into Costa Coffee there would not be an objection? I doubt it. Or any other cafe! What kind of 'own food' would you take into cafes? If the cafe had been objecting to someone feeding a baby a jar of baby food I could see how you might have cause to complain, but really, how is a cafe allowing your children to eat another place's chips going to create an economic recovery in Tramore!

seavill

the roo wrote: »

I have simply responded to a previous post , it is called a discussion opinions are aired, people offer theirs in return for reasonable reponses, my yea are all very touchy in Tramore

Would you bring your own drink into a pub and open it there? a funny one I read somewhere would you go into a hairdressers and bring your own shampoo and wash your hair, if everyone was to do this how would the business survive for example on a chilly day on the beach and people want to get in out of it for a while, take the packed lunch inside take up a table with the family and buy a coffee to keep the business happy, thats not fair on the business.

I have lost count of the number of places I have seen signs saying only food purchased on these premises can be consumed here which I personally feel is very fair. Both large and small businesses.

I have visited Tramore several times over the years with and without kids and found things to be fine overall but I certainly wouldnt have a problem with a business having its rules and enforcing them, to be honest I would have hoped people would be more aware than that.

Sarahfayess

In all fairness now. A lot of the places down the strand are chippers. What exactly do you expect them to expand their menu to?