On 28 Feb 2018 at 9:52pm Local wrote:
Next to go?
On 28 Feb 2018 at 10:06pm Why wrote:
Why? Go where?
On 28 Feb 2018 at 10:53pm Rooks Fan wrote:
Shame. I like Prezzo.
On 28 Feb 2018 at 11:23pm Local drinker wrote:
Probably.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 7:09am Ozzerp wrote:
I agree, probably. The least profitable 100 restaurants they run will be selected. Sad.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 7:20am Staying in wrote:
Lewes just wont be the same without its unique Italian style kitchen. A big fat nail in the pizza coffin.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 7:23am Pratzo wrote:
Why is it 'sad' that a multi million dollar company is having to reduce its operation? Who gives a toss about them? Get your priorities in the right place people. This is good news - an independent place might open up there instead (although inevitably it will just be another chain).
On 1 Mar 2018 at 7:27am @Pratzo wrote:
With the rental prices and business rates it’s extremely unlikely that an independent place would be able to make anything other than a loss which means it will end up being an empty building if a chain doesn’t take it on
On 1 Mar 2018 at 7:45am Pratzo wrote:
I'd prefer an empty building to another chain. The big brands are going to take over the town at this rate. It's bad enough we now have two Costas and the odious 'lounges' on Friars Walk. Lewes now has barely any (non-poncy) independent places to get a bite to eat.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 7:53am Pratzos wrote:
Yes empty buildings are really good for town centers. The dumbest things I've heard today.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 7:58am Pratzo wrote:
@Pratzos, where did I say empty buildings were good for town 'centers' (as you wrongly spell them)? I said I'd prefer that to yet another mediocre chain.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 8:00am @Pratzo wrote:
So you’re saying Lewes does have independent places but you don’t like them?
On 1 Mar 2018 at 8:06am Pratzo wrote:
@@Pratzo Far from it. Lewes has several independent cafés that are fantastic. But not as much as there used to be. We've seen plenty closing down recently, and plenty of chains popping up. I don't think it bodes well for the future. Lewes has some outstanding cafés and pubs, but for some reason, no good restaurants.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 8:06am Pratzos wrote:
'i prefer an empty building to another chain' idiot.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 8:11am Pratzo wrote:
@Pratzos, what an eloquent restatement of what you essentially already said.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 8:14am Lewes Resdent wrote:
It wont be empty for long, it will be more flats for the incomers or Logs
school will be there ,
On 1 Mar 2018 at 8:15am Country Life wrote:
I agree, you'd prefer an empty building rather than a chain business??
Lewes has a far higher degree of independent shops than possibly any other town I could mention (Totnes springs to mind) but to grip on to the notion that it's calamitous for larger businesses to trade in the town is bunker-mentality thinking.
Do you want Lewes to be like it was 20-30 years ago? You'd need a time machine for that @Pratzo. These chain businesses serve their function - but I firmly don't think Lewes will turn into 'just another town', it's too quirky and unconventional.
Stop giving yourself things to worry about! Doomed I tell you, we're doomed!!
On 1 Mar 2018 at 8:35am Sjep76 wrote:
Oooh now Prezzos would make a brilliant Wetherspoons!!!! There is still hope then.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 9:15am Captain Obvious wrote:
I’d miss Prezzo but if it goes, I think a nice greasy spoon would be a good fit. Pile it high and sell it cheap. Mind you, would have to have free range bangers and bacon
On 1 Mar 2018 at 9:32am Pratzo wrote:
@Captain obvious, you've got the right idea mate
On 1 Mar 2018 at 10:39am Me wrote:
Smaller business properties on the high street are £3k + per month in rent alone. You then need to factor in the cost of business rates, insurance's (contents, buildings liability), staff costs, gas, water, electricity bills. I do not see how anything other than a chain can sustain this? If we didn't have chain shops then we would have an empty town
On 1 Mar 2018 at 10:44am Greasy spoon? wrote:
Let's assume the rent on Prezzo would be £60k per year (The travel agent opposite Boots is on the market for £30k per year so £60k is probably very cheap for a building the size of Prezzo), then rates would be about £25k. Add water, electric etc you're up to about £100k for your sunk costs per annum. Then you need some staff, we're a greasy spoon so we'll be open from 7am then stay open until lunchtime? let's call it 2pm, so 7 hours open plus an hour each end for setting up and clearing down so 9 hours per day and we want to be open seven days a week so we need staff for 63 hours per week.
We're only a greasy spoon so our chefs shouldn't cost much more than £12/hour and we'll need two and a commis so £30 an hour on chefs. We'll need a manager/supervisor for £10/hour and we'll need a couple of waiters and a KP so £25 per hour for them in total. We're spending £65/hour on staff, plus employers NI of course so more like £73/ hour for 63 hours per week, £4,590 odd per week on staff so lets call that £250k pre year once we've paid out holiday pay.
If we're really good at writing menus we'll make a margin of 60%. That means we need to sell £875,000 worth of greasy spoon fare to cover our £350k costs. That's £2,400 per day. I'm guessing people's idea of pile it high and sell it cheap is about a fiver per meal? That means we need to sell 480 fry-ups per day, every day for the whole year just to break even.
There's a reason nobody has ever taken a massive, town-centre location and turned it into a greasy spoon café...
On 1 Mar 2018 at 11:07am OZZERP wrote:
Ask Laportes, Real Eating, etc. how much you need to sell to meet the overheads.
The argument that empty shops are preferable to chains is simply moronic. Chains may not be everyone's choice, but they have comprehensive business plans - and additionally provide much needed jobs.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 12:12pm Curious wrote:
I'm told that large retail chains get much better deals on their rates from councils because they encourage trade in towns. I wonder if this is true. The reason for dealing with small local businesses is that the money stays in the area, local profits are spent locally. A small business that buys and sells locally must save on transport costs, both environmental and financial. If local councils want to help their constituents surely they should offer them preferential rates and not international corporations. The present policy can only result in ever larger conglomerates strangling small businesses.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 12:33pm Tom wrote:
Here comes McDonalds!
On 1 Mar 2018 at 1:58pm Dick wrote:
Much needed jobs ! @min wage no hours contract.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 3:30pm Harry wrote:
Bring on the chains
On 1 Mar 2018 at 4:03pm Local wrote:
Wetherspoons may not be far wide of the mark, I'd say.
On 1 Mar 2018 at 11:01pm Ronald Macdonald wrote:
I would love a Mac Donald’s in lewes!! Screw the old people who want their rubbish independent over priced shops, it’s 2018 not 1960!! Stop living in the past
On 1 Mar 2018 at 11:39pm Moaning Mcmoron wrote:
Yeah, give me an offalburger now, tie my face to the back of a cow,and a gallon of lager to wash it all down.
On 2 Mar 2018 at 8:05am Nigel wrote:
Pratzos, are you also brands Hatch who was posting on Sunday about being an impatient driver?
On 2 Mar 2018 at 2:06pm @ Moaning Mac wrote:
It was a damned sight better in the 60's