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Cafe rouge and bella italia owner suffers £60m loss
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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Lots have happened with big companys over these few months, could it be cos food and drink is becoming more expensive because of the devaluation of the pound with brexit? Whats your view?
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I've had the misfortune to eat in these places in the past - lacklustre food and much too expensive. Avoided like the plague it's been since.
The restaurant trade has become more competitive in the last 10-15 years, better choice etc - 2018 is also following in the wake of the recessions, government austerity programmes as well as 10 years of stagnant/declining incomes for the many in the UK, so people have made cuts. In more recent times Brexit has added uncertainty and increased costs of imported goods as well as some food suppliers who have gone out of business.
A lot of businesses seem to create a brand and then try to sit comfortably afterwards, without effort, innovation or improving their competitiveness.
Have these businesses improved the wellbeing, style and substance of the UK? No. |
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Spent a fortune buying La Tasca, then shut quite a few down as they were competition for the rest of their brands when they were too close. The one i used to go to was often pretty busy- muppet management! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"But....assuming the food has always been shit and poor value for money, how come they are only reporting losses now? What has changed?"
People's spare money. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Most people are holding back due to economical disadvantages..
Suppliers have to raise prices by 3-5% which makes products expensive and also business rates are hitting the businesses and to top it up customers are holding back due to uncertainty
And before I hear you say, No, it's not due to political changes |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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We rarely eat in chain restaurants these days, as a family we would be looking at £70-80 for a lunch, I don't begrudge paying out for good quality food with a good service but it's difficult to find that in family friendly restaurants so we don't bother.
I think as people generally have less disposable income they like to make sure when they do spend it's spent wisely. Additionally there is more of a public drive to buy local and use SME's
All these big companies going under are primarily mediocre and people want better, if they don't change their business models to match customer's requirements then the outcome is inevitable.
Ginger |
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They are on par with several other chains that serve up the same overpriced mass produced bland food..
pretty rubbish and when people tighten their purse strings its no surprise that they will be hit hard.. |
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Let's not confuse Brexit with austerity. Few have had pay rises for a decade and there is less cash out about. These chains have not kept up and offer ever dwindling quality and portion size. The public are not stupid.. |
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"Lots have happened with big companys over these few months, could it be cos food and drink is becoming more expensive because of the devaluation of the pound with brexit? Whats your view?
"
It's cos they're shit |
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"Few have had pay rises for a decade and there is less cash out about.
........The public are not stupid.. "
Despite this, every time the rate of inflation is mentioned on the BBC there is a reminder that average wages have also risen e.g. from the BBC in November 2017:
Inflation rose to 3.1% in November, the highest in nearly six years, as the squeeze on households continued .....
average weekly wages have risen by 2.5% during the period.
Three quotes from Joseph Goebbels (German, WWII, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei as I'm sure if I post the acronym the post will be debarred) that put things into perspective:
'It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the people concerned that a square is in fact a circle. They are mere words, and words can be molded until they clothe ideas and disguise.'
'The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed.'
'Think of the press as a great keyboard
on which the government can play.'
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I only go in chains if they are on my taste card. Otherwise I try to find independents as they are much better quality usually "
Mos def ,I'd rather get a decent carvery down me than boiled up factory food shoved under my hooter by a 17 year old in bellas |
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"Lots have happened with big companys over these few months, could it be cos food and drink is becoming more expensive because of the devaluation of the pound with brexit? Whats your view?
"
Oh my days , he’s done it again !
Is there anything that’s happened in the U.K. since we said we were leaving that you don’t think may be down to brexit ?  |
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"Mos def ,I'd rather get a decent carvery down me than boiled up factory food shoved under my hooter by a 17 year old in bellas"
You scoundrel!
That food has been carefully cooked by an expert chef, in Bella's modern kitchen.
He placed the bag in the microwave for 3 minutes, cut open the bag of hot food (this requires skill and training provided by Bella's dedicated training team) and poured it onto a plate.
The splashes of food around the edge of the plate are indicative of our rustic authenticity.
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I've avoided Cafe Rouge ever since an email address I only ever used with them started getting spam emails. It was much more difficult than it should have been to get them to acknowledge that customer data had been compromised, and I took this to be their level of customer service. My first visit turned out to be my last.  |
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The problem is that every town centre and retail park/cinema complex is filled with these chains, because no independent restaurants can afford the rent and business rates - costs which are rising all the time.
And because the shops are all closing because of the rise of e-commerce, more and more restaurants are opening up, because there are no other tenants for the premises, and so there is too much competition.
And of course because of e-commerce, and the death of town centres, and businesses like ToysRUs disappearing from the "Big Box" out retail parks, less people are going out, and then heading to a restaurant after a day's shopping.
And those that do, have realised, as other posters on here have commented, that you are just getting food from an external chain supplier, cooked not by a chef, but an NVQ level 2 microwave operator, and you are paying an expensive price for that.
Jamie Oliver is in the same mess, closing many of his Jamie's Italians, and losing £ millions. His name might be above the door, but is he in the kitchen? Has he trained the staff? Is the food freshly prepared or do Bidvest or their rivals strike again, as someone commented on here.
And what Bella Italia have realised, is that more and more people are eating at home. The rise of JustEat, Deliveroo etc. So guess what? Just like Pizza Express, expect to see Bella Italia meals in your local supermarket soon. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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my flask , stainless steel i might add, was 4quid in asda ,i take my own coffee these days ,or mcdonalds as its good coffee(regular white), a big cup ,hot , and value . |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Here's a example..
Cheap chongy bars like spoons do well ,its cheap and its ale and brits like getting arseholed .
City centres are turning into bars and grills ,I heard as I have privileged info the owners of Piccolinos will sell up and why ? It's tuff out there at the mo .
Of you can provide quality and affordable without mega overheads you can do well ,the fancy bar I bounce in holds 200 people but takes 16 to twenty grand a week ,try getting that out of a local boozer |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"But....assuming the food has always been shit and poor value for money, how come they are only reporting losses now? What has changed?"
Good time to be able to blame Brexit after all Jamie Oliver tried with those Italian restaurants. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Lots have happened with big companys over these few months, could it be cos food and drink is becoming more expensive because of the devaluation of the pound with brexit? Whats your view?
Oh my days , he’s done it again !
Is there anything that’s happened in the U.K. since we said we were leaving that you don’t think may be down to brexit ? "
No lol, but it seems lots is happening now with brexit, so it could be an effect. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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We try not to eat in the chain restaurants. They used to be cheaper than other places but now they are unoriginal, over priced and pay minimum wage to their staff.
Independent restaurants often offer better food and when they find a good member of staff they will increase their wages to keep them as this keeps the customers coming back.
Brexit is a worry in terms of uncertainty in the future but I don’t think it would have anything to do with these businesses struggling! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Here's a example..
Cheap chongy bars like spoons do well ,its cheap and its ale and brits like getting arseholed .
City centres are turning into bars and grills ,I heard as I have privileged info the owners of Piccolinos will sell up and why ? It's tuff out there at the mo .
Of you can provide quality and affordable without mega overheads you can do well ,the fancy bar I bounce in holds 200 people but takes 16 to twenty grand a week ,try getting that out of a local boozer"
£16-20k a week that seems quite low to be honest, I know the manager of a KFC that could take that in a day.
Ginger |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Here's a example..
Cheap chongy bars like spoons do well ,its cheap and its ale and brits like getting arseholed .
City centres are turning into bars and grills ,I heard as I have privileged info the owners of Piccolinos will sell up and why ? It's tuff out there at the mo .
Of you can provide quality and affordable without mega overheads you can do well ,the fancy bar I bounce in holds 200 people but takes 16 to twenty grand a week ,try getting that out of a local boozer
£16-20k a week that seems quite low to be honest, I know the manager of a KFC that could take that in a day.
Ginger "
That's food I'm on about a cocktail bar with a Dj and bouncers that a only open 35 hours a week |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Here's a example..
Cheap chongy bars like spoons do well ,its cheap and its ale and brits like getting arseholed .
City centres are turning into bars and grills ,I heard as I have privileged info the owners of Piccolinos will sell up and why ? It's tuff out there at the mo .
Of you can provide quality and affordable without mega overheads you can do well ,the fancy bar I bounce in holds 200 people but takes 16 to twenty grand a week ,try getting that out of a local boozer
£16-20k a week that seems quite low to be honest, I know the manager of a KFC that could take that in a day.
Ginger
That's food I'm on about a cocktail bar with a Dj and bouncers that a only open 35 hours a week"
Fast food and normal restaurants are totally different animal |
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Shag you are obsessed with Brexit 