Limerick Businesses Opening

Cookiemunster

zulutango wrote: »

It'll have to draw people down Lower Bedford Row and that won't be too easy. In general, the street is a real disappointment. The Harvey's Quay development (Dunnes Stores) killed off any chance of doing something interesting with the street. How that got past the planners is beyond me.

Was the anything there other than the side of Speights before? I can't remember anything else. And the other side is the cliff like side of the Franciscans, so maybe the planners decided that as it was already a dead street then the new development didn't need to be any different.

I have seen streets like this in other cities, but not linking directly onto a river front I admit.

zulutango

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Was the anything there other than the side of Speights before? I can't remember anything else. And the other side is the cliff like side of the Franciscans, so maybe the planners decided that as it was already a dead street then the new development didn't need to be any different.

I have seen streets like this in other cities, but not linking directly onto a river front I admit.

It was a dead street before, but with the development they had an opportunity to turn it into something much better. Unfortunately they didn't have the vision or the will. In general, it's one of the more disappointing new buildings in the city.

Poxyshamrock

Costa really starting to take shape on Cruises Street now. The ground floor windows and doors are being completely replaced.

Vanquished

zulutango wrote: »

It was a dead street before, but with the development they had an opportunity to turn it into something much better. Unfortunately they didn't have the vision or the will. In general, it's one of the more disappointing new buildings in the city.

The side street elevations are a complete failure! Lower Bedford Row is essentially a series of ventilation shafts for the car park while Lower Shannon Street just contains the delivery entrance.

There's no provision whatsoever for active frontages!

Poxyshamrock

Vanquished wrote: »

The side street elevations are a complete failure! Lower Bedford Row is essentially a series of ventilation shafts for the car park while Lower Shannon Street just contains the delivery entrance.

There's no provision whatsoever for active frontages!

I agree! It completely kills the two side streets but on the other hand, it is next to impossible for a building to be open on all sides when you need to consider things such as delivery bays, internals plans, etc.

Arthur's Quay SC, imo, completely ruins Arthur's Quay and Francis Street while Cruises Street has done Denmark Street no favours!

zulutango

The way the old blocks were designed was to have 'hollow' centres for services, deliverys, etc., and there are laneways for accessing them. It was a far superior design, but modern developers want to maximise space for profit so if they can get away with not having the hollow centre, they will. All the service stuff gets pushed to the street. It's up to the planners to resist this, but Limerick City has been let down by planning in the last 50 years. It's ironic given that it, for the most part, is a planned city.

Vanquished

The Arthur's Quay centre destroyed Patrick Street. A large swathe of Georgian buildings were levelled in the late 1980s to facilitate its construction. We'd have been far better off had the original buildings been retained and refurbished for individual commercial use.

zulutango

Vanquished wrote: »

The Arthur's Quay centre destroyed Patrick Street. A large swathe of Georgian buildings were levelled in the late 1980s to facilitate its construction. We'd have been far better off had the original buildings been retained and refurbished for individual commercial use.

And they were knocked by Michael Tiernan, who was recently given an honorary degree from UL for his services to Limerick.

Vanquished

By the same measure the Cruises Street project has been another massive failure. It was nothing short of a planning atrocity! Robbing the city of a landmark 200 year old hotel that was central to pretty much every significant historical event in the city during that period!

Old aerial images illustrate the level of destruction that the project entailed. Fine stone warehouses along Todds Bow, Chapel Lane and Denmark Street were pulled down and replaced with nasty, cheap legoland structures. A far more restrained and targeted redevelopment was required here. The hotel and the original lanes should have been preserved. We would certainly have a far livelier, varied and interesting streetscape today if that were the case.

bigpink

Costa opening gonna to be a big blow to the small coffee shops

Swiper the fox

bigpink wrote: »

Costa opening gonna to be a big blow to the small coffee shops

Costa Coffee is muck and their food and cake options are average and expensive. They have no competition în the crescent but theres plenty of decent coffee shops în town. Hopefully it last a year or two and a decent retailer takes back that unit. What a waste.

Sinead Mc1

I really don't get the Costa thing.
Don't think there's much for you if you're not a "coffee lover". No proper menus on website either. Hate that.
Not crazy bout pre packed food. If I wanted that I'd get it in tesco for 3e not Costa for 5!
Limerick is really missing a good fresh sandwich/salad place. Plenty of choice of the hot food, 10e deal, variety but no sandwich bars really. O Connors & quigleys are always packed. Too small. Hate the one toilet thing too! Wish you could get nice big rolls, centra style with a cuppa for 5/6e. Something like bewleys was.
That unit would have been the perfect spot!

RhubarbCrumble

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Costa Coffee is muck and their food and cake options are average and expensive. They have no competition în the crescent but theres plenty of decent coffee shops în town. Hopefully it last a year or two and a decent retailer takes back that unit. What a waste.

They have definite competition now that Butlers have opened. I agree, their coffee and food is very basic and unimpressive.

highlydebased

As regards Costa the herd mentality applies- regardless of the quality of the product on offer people love chain stores for whatever reason, so the smaller independent operator is going to be the one to suffer.

I don't mind their coffee but the food is really expensive and not a place you'd go for lunch at all

Insect Overlord

They're sitting next to McDonald's. In all likelihood, they'll get the eejits who usually go there but who want to feel "posh" for a change, and maybe rob some passing trade from folks who don't want to climb the stairs to Insomnia. The decent independent places should still be okay.

The Moldy Gowl

As someone who has worked with costa and know their customers. They won't do as well as they think. All the nanas will still go to o Connors and the workers won't ever be forking out 9 euro for 1 slice of ham and cheese and a coffee.

They won't affect the other coffee shops too much because they are too stubborn to be competitive. They will be ubderstaffed.

The food is ****e. But depending on who makes the coffee and who sets the grind for the coffee can be really nice.

They won't do half as well as Childers or cresent.

Mr E

Coffee in McDonald's > Coffee in Costa.

Berty

I liked Insomnia till they gave it to the company who makes McDonalds Coffee.

To be fair I have a Costa every morning but it's at home in a Tassimo Disc thing. The Latte is actually grand. The issue would be getting a Latte from a shop is that everybody would make it differently to the previous person which is very annoying.

I hope they do well in the location. It might make that corner a little less scummish.

BobMc

Beer Baron wrote: »

I liked Insomnia till they gave it to the company who makes McDonalds Coffee.

To be fair I have a Costa every morning but it's at home in a Tassimo Disc thing. The Latte is actually grand. The issue would be getting a Latte from a shop is that everybody would make it differently to the previous person which is very annoying.

I hope they do well in the location. It might make that corner a little less scummish.

Likewise, ive the tassimo at home and at work too, costa americano twice a day, usual spot once during working week is Insomnia, comfy spot and the girls are really pleasant working there

squonk

Instead of Costa I wish something like Mixgreens opened up. They're fab and are genuinely something different and pretty decent.

RINO87

squonk wrote: »

Instead of Costa I wish something like Mixgreens opened up. They're fab and are genuinely something different and pretty decent.

they did! Gasta on Thomas St:)

Louche Lad

squonk wrote: »

Instead of Costa I wish something like Mixgreens opened up. They're fab and are genuinely something different and pretty decent.

RINO87 wrote: »

they did! Gasta on Thomas St:)

And Bubble on Rutland St.

Pumpkinseeds

Beer Baron wrote: »

I liked Insomnia till they gave it to the company who makes McDonalds Coffee.

To be fair I have a Costa every morning but it's at home in a Tassimo Disc thing. The Latte is actually grand. The issue would be getting a Latte from a shop is that everybody would make it differently to the previous person which is very annoying.

I hope they do well in the location. It might make that corner a little less scummish.

I really like their lattes, Costa is the only place that I've ever got a latte that wasn't scalding hot. The food is too expensive but it's nice for a coffee and a cake/bun. They'll do really well if they're open in time for Christmas and it's nice to have an alternative on Cruises street. The 2 bakeries on Cruises street do nice food but they are too small and attract a certain type that I could well do without.

rok

Yesterday I found "Pair" a new mobile phone accessory shop open in the Crescent Shopping centre.
I needed a new screen protector for my Samsung Galaxy s4, it just came back from repair where they removed my old one.
€5 for 1 screen protector and they offered to fit it for free, (unlike Car Phone Warehouse! ) saving me the time and hassle
What struck me was how helpful and pleasant the staff were, only open a few days but hopefully they keep it up

Iranoutofideas

rok wrote: »

Yesterday I found "Pair" a new mobile phone accessory shop open in the Crescent Shopping centre.
I needed a new screen protector for my Samsung Galaxy s4, it just came back from repair where they removed my old one.
€5 for 1 screen protector and they offered to fit it for free, (unlike Car Phone Warehouse! ) saving me the time and hassle
What struck me was how helpful and pleasant the staff were, only open a few days but hopefully they keep it up

5 quid for 1 screen protector?

You got robbed!:eek:

banie01

rok wrote: »

Yesterday I found "Pair" a new mobile phone accessory shop open in the Crescent Shopping centre.
I needed a new screen protector for my Samsung Galaxy s4, it just came back from repair where they removed my old one.
€5 for 1 screen protector and they offered to fit it for free, (unlike Car Phone Warehouse! ) saving me the time and hassle
What struck me was how helpful and pleasant the staff were, only open a few days but hopefully they keep it up

No connection with this place, but I can vouch for some of their staffs quality from prior experience in an old job.
2 of their techs used to work in the Nokia Centre in town and are v.good.
They are also offering a 3month warranty on their repair services.

rok

Iranoutofideas wrote: »

5 quid for 1 screen protector?

You got robbed!:eek:

Think that's bad.... I paid €15 for 1 very good quality in CarPhoneW!

Needed it ASAP and it was 2 for €10 in 3store.
I've got the Pound Shop ones in the past and the quality was poor.

Very happy with the service anyway, didn't realise they do repairs also

highlydebased

So this is what's happening with the Fergusons old unit... https://twitter.com/XmasLimerick/status/536157698623295488

smcgiff

Early days yet for this company, but I expect big things from Beeactiv and hopefully they'll support some employment in time.

The owner has done some interesting research into bees and honey and will hopefully be able to commercialise it.

Itsdacraic

smcgiff wrote: »

Early days yet for this company, but I expect big things from Beeactiv and hopefully they'll support some employment in time.

The owner has done some interesting research into bees and honey and will hopefully be able to commercialise it.

I really don't understand a company trying to give off a professional appearance using a gmail address in this day and age.