Restaurant 'wars' or just plain greed?

happyoutscan

Just seen this on Galway News.

http://www.galwaynews.ie/9262-039proliferation039-takeaways-salthill-leading-food-wars

Are they just being greedy? Wasn't too long ago that they themselves moved one of their restaurants into a larger premises and their two restaurants are quite successful so why the moaning I just do not know. Salthill has great potential so any injection of business can only be a good thing. Can it?

JohnCleary

Pure greed imho. They are one of the success stories of restaurants in Galway, now they don't want anyone to take that away from them. Their arguments are flawed (again imho)

Not really!!..... So if i open a shop and do well with it, i can't complain if another shop wants to move in next door?

There's no need for another restaurant in that part of Salthill.

I totally agree with them, you have ''The Galleon'' across the road, their own place, the Polish bar does food, and there's at least two or three Asian restaurants on that side of the road.. and if you want to move another 50 yards you can add in ''Oslo'' and the two take-aways,.

Just because they worked their way up doesn't mean they should welcome yet another threat to their business, it's not like they're objecting to a second restaurant in the vicinity

JohnCleary

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Not really!!..... So if i open a shop and do well with it, i can't complain if another shop wants to move in next door?

There's no need for another restaurant in that part of Salthill.

I totally agree with them, you have ''The Galleon'' across the road, their own place, the Polish bar does food, and there's at least two or three Asian restaurants on that side of the road.. and if you want to move another 50 yards you can add in ''Oslo'' and the two take-aways,.

Just because they worked their way up doesn't mean they should welcome yet another threat to their business, it's not like they're objecting to a second restaurant in the vicinity

I'm sure there was enough restaurants in Salthill before this crowd showed up and opened up TWO more.

More restaurants = more variety and competition, which is good for the customer, so I welcome another restaurant to the area. Too bad if the owner's can't take some competition; that's business

pleasant Co.

JohnCleary wrote: »

I'm sure there was enough restaurants in Salthill before this crowd showed up and opened up TWO more.

More restaurants = more variety and competition, which is good for the customer, so I welcome another restaurant to the area. Too bad if the owner's can't take some competition; that's business

Bingo

toiletduck

Funny that they didn't (feel free to correct me here) object to the Indian restaurant and take-away which opened about two weeks ago in their old premises...

Cadiz

Don't understand how the Pieris can object to a takeaway as presenting a competitive danger to their businesses. Lovely though their restaurants are, they provide anything but fast food!!

kinetic

Rumour has it that the restaurant in question is going to be a "Milanos" hence the opposittion.
Had to laugh when the objectors pointed out the lack of car parking spaces outside the new place,when robertas is well known for its massive car park!

dec25532

kinetic wrote: »

Rumour has it that the restaurant in question is going to be a "Milanos" hence the opposittion.
Had to laugh when the objectors pointed out the lack of car parking spaces outside the new place,when robertas is well known for its massive car park!

Aaah, so now we are getting to the root of their objection. A Milanos in Salthill would do very well indeed. It would also be priced more competitively than Da Robertas and their pizzas are much nicer as well. Roll on the new restaurant. As a previous poster indicated, we live in a time of competition and it is in the interests of the consumer.

moimeme24

excellent news if true that milanos is coming... da robertas is over priced garbage, competition is a great thing:D

JohnCleary

Also heard from the grapevine that the smaller of the DaRoberta's is closing down. (Not going to go into the details as to why)

And no, I don't have a 'link' to the source of this info

Cadiz

moimeme24 wrote: »

excellent news if true that milanos is coming... da robertas is over priced garbage, competition is a great thing:D

Could you please not call someone's business garbage without backing up that damning claim with a reason? If you had a bad experience there it's better to elaborate than just insult the place.

I've no connection with or loyalty to the place, I hasten to add, but it's not on to say something like that without a decent reason.

moimeme24

Cadiz wrote: »

Could you please not call someone's business garbage without backing up that damning claim with a reason? If you had a bad experience there it's better to elaborate than just insult the place.

I've no connection with or loyalty to the place, I hasten to add, but it's not on to say something like that without a decent reason.

yes the food is over priced rubbish, my opinion dude sorry if that doesnt sit well with you

moimeme24

roll on milanos .............. far superior in terms of food and service

siltirocker

I've been to both old and new premises about a 15 over the past 18 months.

First 5 or 6 times it was fantastic , the last three not so much .

The food was bland, seemed pre-made, the food was skimpy (the pizza and garlic bread were like crackers).
And the seating arrangement was/is atrocious. The last time i was there our table was connected to another (not literally, but maybe 1 inch between both, quite literally), so close in fact that the guy at the opposite table to my left began drinking my water by accident.

I feel the Pieris had got so greedy with the amount of business they were getting that they refused to be humble with it. just my 2cents.

citycentre

moimeme24 wrote: »

roll on milanos .............. far superior in terms of food and service

Troll with a grudge obviously...

Personally I'd like to see the area have more in the way of nice restaurants and bars. Salthill needs all the help it can get at this stage.

It'll be a pity if It's a Milanos though... yet another crappy brit franchise taking over our streets....

moimeme24

citycentre wrote: »

Troll with a grudge obviously...

no just an unsatisfied customer and friends of mine have voiced the same opinion...... bland overpriced food, crappy seating and dire service

Cathal01

Overpriced garbage is Milanos. They're an international chain and they can't even scrape together a decent recipe for the most basic of pasta dishes. 13 euro for a pizza with a hole in the middle of it and about three rocket leaves is what is overpriced.

If it is a Milanos that is proposed to go in there then I can totally understand their reasoning for objecting.If it's not then I don't think they have a leg to stand on seeing as they have two restaurants. Da Robertas seems to do pretty well midweek also?

inisboffin

Hmm, well I do see how they would be p**sed off if it is a Milanos, similar cuisine. I have actually found the Milanos in town to be mostly good, the staff are sound.
Competition is a good thing imo, so if Da Robertas is still the superior place, it will still get the business. May lose a bit due to 'cheap eat' exodus, depending on the competition, but a lot of people still choose quality. Perhaps moreso if it is a special occasion due to tightening the belt.

I still maintain that Bistro Bianchoni in Westside has the best pizza this side of the Atlantic (not counting Italy). Costs a bit more, but worth it. They do deals too, so it often works out cheaper than the chains.

Cadiz

moimeme24 wrote: »

yes the food is over priced rubbish, my opinion dude sorry if that doesnt sit well with you

It doesn't matter whether your opinion sits well with me or not, that's not relevant. But if you are going to slag off someone's business you need to substantiate what you're saying with valid reasons.

You don't seem to be able to do this. Which means your opinion has zero credibility, and that's the way it will be viewed. And renders your postings pretty pointless really.

moimeme24

Cadiz wrote: »

It doesn't matter whether your opinion sits well with me or not, that's not relevant. But if you are going to slag off someone's business you need to substantiate what you're saying with valid reasons.

You don't seem to be able to do this. Which means your opinion has zero credibility, and that's the way it will be viewed. And renders your postings pretty pointless really.

if you actually read my posts, BLAND FOOD, POOR SERVICE, CROWDED SEATING ARRANGEMENTS, valid reasons enough to come to the conclusion that it is overpriced and over rated!!!!!:rolleyes:
If you look through the thread I am not the only person with this view!

Cadiz

moimeme24 wrote: »

if you actually read my posts, BLAND FOOD, POOR SERVICE, CROWDED SEATING ARRANGEMENTS, valid reasons enough to come to the conclusion that it is overpriced and over rated!!!!!:rolleyes:
If you look through the thread I am not the only person with this view!

You only provided the slimmest of extra detail beyond the throwaway 'garbage' and 'overpriced rubbish' when it was pointed out to you that to not you come across as either a troll or a person with a grudge otherwise.

Rolling of eyes and shouting - really helping your credibility there also by the way :cool:

moimeme24

Cadiz wrote: »

You only provided the slimmest of extra detail beyond the throwaway 'garbage' and 'overpriced rubbish' when it was pointed out to you that to not you come across as either a troll or a person with a grudge otherwise.

Rolling of eyes and shouting - really helping your credibility there also by the way :cool:

i will assure you i am neither and i wasnt shouting just merely emphasizing
my point!!!!

TristanPeter

Da Roberta's: suck it up, that's competition for you!
Milanos: very over-priced, mediocre food at best.

Either way, I think it's better for a locality to have a business in a premises rather than having an empty building. Doesn't look good.

biko

moimeme24, read the charter. Slagging business without proper backup = slap on the wrist.

Cadiz

moimeme24 wrote: »

i will assure you i am neither and i wasnt shouting just merely emphasizing
my point!!!!

Caps in a post is considered shouting. You have to be making a point in order to emphasise one.

Cadiz

Had a mooch around planning docs etc. Can't find mention of Milano so far (I also looked under Pizza Hut, which is the company holding name, I think?)..

But any sit-down model of restaurant even if it's not an Italian would be bound to put the frighteners on neighbouring ones, it's such a small 'feeding ground'..

Zzippy

moimeme24 wrote: »

excellent news if true that milanos is coming... da robertas is over priced garbage, competition is a great thing:D

Hmm, did you register just to slag off a business? New poster, clearly didn't read the charter, and all you can say is Da Robertas is garbage :rolleyes:

I like both, they both fill a role. Milanos is great for cheap and cheerful sit down pizza with friends, not the best pizza in town but not bad. Service is good.
Da Robertas is great for pizza and proper pasta dishes, more authentic Italian feel, not surprising considering the Italian staff, service is good too, especially if you are a regular, and their wine list is pretty good. Even if Milanos opens next door, they will still do well cos people recognise quality.

IMO Da Robertas > Milano

kinetic

i have to say Robertas is a resturant...Milanos is a glorified "posh" pizza hut.

Cadiz

Yeah I like both but I'd see them as totally different kinds of restaurant offerings.

Milano - always reliable, always good service, you know exactly what you're getting and it's going to be fine/good. But it's a bit 'acme Italian' a predictable chain restaurant experience.

Da Robertas and the other one - sometimes you wait ages, sometimes they feck up your booking, it can all be a bit eccentric, but it's a more authentic, individual experience. The food is top when it's at its best, but you can get the odd wobble!

(Although I should add it's a year since I've been in Da Robertas or the other Pieri one but have been to both lots).

muffinman

Cadiz wrote: »

Had a mooch around planning docs etc. Can't find mention of Milano so far (I also looked under Pizza Hut, which is the company holding name, I think?)..

But any sit-down model of restaurant even if it's not an Italian would be bound to put the frighteners on neighbouring ones, it's such a small 'feeding ground'..

pizza express

Cadiz

muffinman wrote: »

pizza express

Aah doh, of course. Ta. Will mooch again, properly

Damn your sig Muffinman, now I'm hungry for lunch. A lunch of muffins. Sigh!

Sconsey

Well I walked past DaRobertas yesterday evening at around 7:30, they only had one of the two places open but it was packed, couldn't see an empty table in the place and there were people queuing up inside the door (maybe getting take away). This was on a wet Tuesday night in October...kind of suggests there is room/demand in Salthill for another Italian restaurant, I'd love a bit of choice, the pizzas from DaRobertas are fairly small, you only get four slices for (what they call) large.

Anyway, as someone mentioned earlier, Biancoini's in Westside are much nicer if you're looking for take away.

irisheddie85

I think More good quality restaurant and pubs is probably what salthill needs. Lohans, the Oslo, De Robertos and the galleon are all very nice places.
A few more places of similar standard would make salthill a nice place to go for a meal and a pint. At least once a week me and my girlfriend walk Quay street to pick where to have a meal.
If there was more choice in salthill would be more than happy to go down there instead.
At the minute you are almost embarrassed to bring people to salthill with its 'casinos' and take aways

Fey!

Interesting that the new place can't do takeaway; Da Robertas has always done take away food.

I haven't been in their new restauraunt, but stopped going to the old one because there was so little space between tables. Could never complain about the food, though (hence the takeaways).

Wasn't there a restauraunt and bar in the Jameson? Why was it suddenly such a big issue?

I wonder if the inspector is any relation to a Salthill chipper, or is the surname just a happy coincidence?

civis_liberalis

Greedy, greedy ****ers. :mad:

Job losses? Spare me. The restaurants in the Salthill will always support the number of jobs the amount of trade can support.

It's complete ****ing bull**** that "jobs will be lost".

If the new place opens, it will only stay open if it is able to compete. If it is unable to compete, it won't be open very long. That is the nature of business. If they continue to carry on like this, crying about the situation, boycott them. Greedy, greedy ****ers. :mad:

Reminds me of a situation in my home village where a pub continuously objected to someone opening a business that was in competition with them, but not directly. They cited the fact that the new establishment having a wine licence would contribute to there being "too many places selling alcohol in the town already". A bit rich coming from a pub I thought...

After the objecting establishment wore down the guy trying to start a business, successfully having his objection upheld, he then opened a ****ing off-licence no more than 20 feet from the site of the place he objected to.

The correlation between my little story and the OP's.... GREED.

lavaghball

Dam u all. Now i want pizza.

Bianconi it is...

dec25532

Milanos. Pizza Express. Whatever. It just means that the owners of Da Robertas have to be less complacent and deal with the competition by providing a better service. Personally I find Da Robertas much too clastrophobic.

Cadiz

lavaghball wrote: »

Dam u all. Now i want pizza.

Bianconi it is...

Really like their pizzas!

citycentre

civis_liberalis wrote: »

Greedy, greedy ****ers. :mad:

Job losses? Spare me. The restaurants in the Salthill will always support the number of jobs the amount of trade can support.

It's complete ****ing bull**** that "jobs will be lost".

If the new place opens, it will only stay open if it is able to compete. If it is unable to compete, it won't be open very long. That is the nature of business. If they continue to carry on like this, crying about the situation, boycott them. Greedy, greedy ****ers. :mad:

Get a grip, you are being way over the top and completely insulting and abusive towards local businesspeople who were simply using whatever means at their disposal - i.e. a strongly worded planning objection - to try to protect their business. They haven't gone public with any complaints, thay haven't spoken out against the decision of An Bord Pleanala. They are most certainly not "crying about the situation". It's simply the local media making a story out of very little - as usual. I don't agree with the Pieris but I certainly don't blame them for trying.

I do think they are being somewhat short sighted however. Salthill does need more, not less in the way of decent restaurants and bars. With some improvement to the public realm in the town such as traffic calming, even a little bit of pedestrianization the place could actually become a destination and a pleasant place to go and hang out in the way that the Quay Street area is in the city centre. Salthill centre is such a dive at the moment any improvement would be welcome...

civis_liberalis

City centre,

You make a good point.

I agree that I was being over the top and my previous experiences of business people has coloured my opinion of this situation. I stand by the general point I was making though, but I did go too far.

happyoutscan

citycentre wrote: »

Get a grip, you are being way over the top and completely insulting and abusive towards local businesspeople who were simply using whatever means at their disposal - i.e. a strongly worded planning objection - to try to protect their business. They haven't gone public with any complaints, thay haven't spoken out against the decision of An Bord Pleanala. They are most certainly not "crying about the situation". It's simply the local media making a story out of very little - as usual. I don't agree with the Pieris but I certainly don't blame them for trying.

I do think they are being somewhat short sighted however. Salthill does need more, not less in the way of decent restaurants and bars. With some improvement to the public realm in the town such as traffic calming, even a little bit of pedestrianization the place could actually become a destination and a pleasant place to go and hang out in the way that the Quay Street area is in the city centre. Salthill centre is such a dive at the moment any improvement would be welcome...

They did go public with numerous complaints though regarding why the new restaurant shouldn be refused: number of take-a-ways, parking, deliveries, waste disposal, job losses etc? Basically I cannot fathom why they would attempt to prevent another business opening when a)there is a good chance it will end up in the papers, b)they are very very successful in their own right and c)the general knock-on effect when you have a selection of businesses in one area. Perhaps it does make sense though if it is a Milanos, but then doesn't that just put the impetus on themselves to continue their own high standards etc?

I think they may have been more insulting trying to put their own stranglehold on Salthill with their actions, although I have almost always had pleasant experiences eating in both their restaurants.

Arnold Layne

Da Roberta's was execllent when they had the restaurant across from the church and the other one. I think that they went for the money with the opening of the larger one while closing the one where it all began. The last time I was there was around a year ago and I didn't like the service, when compared to the original(s).

I have been in Milanos a few times in Galway, and cannot understand the attraction to it unless they have improved the food, as my last experience their albeit some time back churned up a microwave lasagne.

Looking forward to trying the new Indian though.

dinneenp

(sidetracking from the issue slightly) but here's my opinion on Milanos- excellent food.
They don't have any microwaves on the premises (I know cos that's theie reply if you ask them to heat a baby's bottle).
their service isn't the quickest in the world but their lasange is the nicest I've tasted and their pizza is very tasty asa well. Nice and thin.

Maybe just one person's rubbish is another man's treasure.

They also are good if you have toddlers with you....

topper75

I like Da Roberto's.

As a consumer though, I like the principles of free market capitalism even more.

Cadiz

topper75 wrote: »

As a consumer though, I like the principles of free market capitalism even more.

Erm, yeah. Cos they've worked so well lately. *Hollow laughter*

topper75

Cadiz wrote: »

Erm, yeah. Cos they've worked so well lately. *Hollow laughter*

They haven't really been used lately though, have they? Govt is bailing banks out - turn on the news once you are finished laughing.

Limiting competition only crucifies customers with high prices. Look at industries that are regulated, like pubs, and think of the raping your wallet gets everytime you visit such a premises. The best quality and value restaurants will survive in Salthill. The chancers have to leave. Who should fear that?

Cadiz

topper75 wrote: »

They haven't really been used lately though, have they? Govt is bailing banks out - turn on the news once you are finished laughing.

Limiting competition only crucifies customers with high prices. Look at industries that are regulated, like pubs, and think of the raping your wallet gets everytime you visit such a premises. The best quality and value restaurants will survive in Salthill. The chancers have to leave. Who should fear that?

Listened to the interview with Brendan Keenan on Morning Ireland. It didn't make me laugh, but your fanciful attachment to a failed system does.

I don't advocate limiting competition. But I don't advocate free market principles either, because the free market doesn't have principles. And look how that's panning out.

The government bailed out the banks over a year ago, by the way - maybe you need to turn on the news yourself for an update.

topper75

Cadiz wrote: »

Listened to the interview with Brendan Keenan on Morning Ireland. It didn't make me laugh, but your fanciful attachment to a failed system does.

I don't advocate limiting competition. But I don't advocate free market principles either, because the free market doesn't have principles. And look how that's panning out.

The government bailed out the banks over a year ago, by the way - maybe you need to turn on the news yourself for an update.

Ah, this is a whole other off-topic debate and the chance of changing each other's minds is miniscule. Can we agree that Da Roberto ought to accept free entry into the Salthill restaurant market?

PopeBuckfastXVI

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=858
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1196
or
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=852

For the benefits or otherwise of socio-economic models discussion guys...