Good Friday - Close or Open

dvdfan

Whats the story with good Friday, i have a cafe and im undecided wheter its worth opening or not. Obviously all the pubs will close but im not sure about shops and stuff. No point opening if the town is very quiet (in Athlone btw) so can anyone remember what good friday is usually like?

Cheers

ArthurDent

I'd check if the big shopping centres are open in the town. If they're not it'll probably be very quite (only get a crowd in town for Church service at 3o'clock)

dvdfan

Good Idea, will check it out

*Tripper*

Open, its a no brainer.

dvdfan

*Tripper* wrote:

Open, its a no brainer.

Want to elaborate????

Hagar

Are you going to give your staff a day's paid holiday if you don't open?
Economics also apply in Athlone.

dvdfan

Hagar wrote:

Are you going to give your staff a day's paid holiday if you don't open?
Economics also apply in Athlone.

Its a family run business so that dosent really apply.

Hagar

Fair enough so, Athlone would not be the most active place in the world on Good Friday. Unless you are well placed regards the Golden Island. That's the only spot that will have any potential for turnover on the day.

dvdfan

Thanks,

Considering the builders working on the new shopping centre and people working in the area make up a large portion of our business for the day and presuming the majority of them wont be working then its probably best to close.

Great, i have an extra day off and nothing to do:(

Skyuser

Stay open. No one closes anymore. What about your customers who don't have a religion?

BrianD

Hagar wrote:

Are you going to give your staff a day's paid holiday if you don't open?
Economics also apply in Athlone.

The company can close and take the day is deducted from the staff holiday entitlement. This is how most companies do it (similar to Xmas holidays)

Skyuser wrote:

Stay open. No one closes anymore. What about your customers who don't have a religion?

What about them? This country is nominally a Christian country. The tradition is to close on GF and why not? If I'm in Israel the shops close on specific days, if I'm in Iran the shops close on specific days etc etc.

Skyuser

We're a western world country. Open to other cultures, unlike the eastern world.

BrianD

Exactly. This why we should close. I don't think closing is going to cause offense to anyone, is it?

The problem with the western world is that we have few values, morals and principals unlike the east. Probably why we're afraid.

~Leanne~

Id stay open if i was you. just close the premises for the Holy Hour - 3pm - 4pm.
All shopping centres etc open Good Friday.

onedmc

Good friday is of Course a Bank Holiday but not a Public Holiday, (One of two in the year, can you name the other one).

Banks and business related to banking are closed and consequently are most offices. Tradition is that other businesses closed at 3pm or at least for the holy hour.

So its up to you, I'm shutting up at 3pm and balls to customers there only a pain in the neck anyway.

TabulaRasa22

Open, its just not seen as being too important to most people these days...

Skyuser

onedmc wrote:

and balls to customers there only a pain in the neck anyway.

Yeah, who cares about em. If they never came near you, sure that wouldn't matter would it? :rolleyes:

europerson

In my local town, the shops close for an hour at three o'clock (for the ceremonies). That's the done thing. In Dublin, the shops stay open all day.

dvdfan

Thanks for all the opinions, im still undecided what to do, im considering closing because i think it may be very quiet not because of religion or anything else its plainly down to economics, no point in paying staff and watch them twiddling their thumbs for the day.

I'll check around with builders and locals in the area and see if many places are closing, if there is alot closing then the town will be very quiet, the main shopping centre will be open but thats 5-10 minutes walk away and most of my business comes from builders in the area for breakfast and local people in offices etc for lunch.

Im sure if we close and advertise in advance that we will be closing Friday that are customers would understand but if all the builders are working we would at least open for breakfast.

Cheers

Zaph

onedmc wrote:

Good friday is of Course a Bank Holiday but not a Public Holiday, (One of two in the year, can you name the other one).

The first working day after St. Stephen's Day. It's one of the few perks of working in a bank, or at least the bank I work for anyway.

Sleepy

Open. There'll be plenty of people driving somewhere for the weekend and Athlone is a handy stop-off point for a lot of people.

And if it does turn out to be quiet: when did your staff last do a stock-take

Our man in Havana

I note that NCTS are business as usual on Good Friday. My car is having its NCT on Friday! :eek:

Zaph

Anyone know if postal sorting offices are open on Friday? A parcel arrived today and I've got to pick it up from my local office.

GerardKeating

onedmc wrote:

Good friday is of Course a Bank Holiday but not a Public Holiday, (One of two in the year, can you name the other one).

December 27th, or a day or two later when christmas and/or St Stephens Day fall at the weekend.

GerardKeating

zaph wrote:

Anyone know if postal sorting offices are open on Friday? A parcel arrived today and I've got to pick it up from my local office.

There is normally a postal service on Good Friday.

GerardKeating

zaph wrote:

Anyone know if postal sorting offices are open on Friday? A parcel arrived today and I've got to pick it up from my local office.

There is normally a postal service on Good Friday.

Zaph

Yeah, forgot about that. Cheers.