What Does Galway Need?

Buisness start up

Hello all, I'm recently unemployed with a good lump of redundancy money. I'm looking at starting my own business in the food/retail/entertainment sector. I'm looking for ideas. What does Galway need?. Food wise? gaming? etc. Thanks any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

snubbleste

Helicopter shuttle service.
Manners on litter louts.
Cheaper housing.

I am pie

Monorail.

muppetkiller

A decent Restaurant/Coffee Shop in Parkmore. Table Talk is horrible and way over priced.
Spar is even worse with bland tasteless food and served by a rude/unfriendly dragon behind the Deli counter.

I always thought a desert parlor would do well in Galway too. You can never have enough deserts

Oh and a hell of a lot more Rubbish Bins..(not exactly a business idea though)

Madame Razz

A Waggamama or similar. I am fully convinced that a venture like this(done well!) would clean up in Galway.

Salthill could also do with somewhere that serves decent breakfast.

The westside of the city is crying out for a proper pet store also, I would imagine one opened in the Knocknacarra area would do very well.

Buisness start up

Madame Razz wrote: »

A Waggamama or similar. I am fully convinced that a venture like this(done well!) would clean up in Galway.

Salthill could also do with somewhere that serves decent breakfast.

The westside of the city is crying out for a proper pet store also, I would imagine one opened in the Knocknacarra area would do very well.

Wasnt there a noodle bar where the old Abra was in Eyre Square? I'm not too sure about food myself. No experience in it for a start. I am a big Gamer so was looking at a place where people can come in use internet, play PS3's Xbox etc.

biko

Maoz

muppetkiller

Buisness start up wrote: »

Wasnt there a noodle bar where the old Abra was in Eyre Square? I'm not too sure about food myself. No experience in it for a start. I am a big Gamer so was looking at a place where people can come in use internet, play PS3's Xbox etc.

Food was muck !

As for xbox and PS3 gaming isn't there the internet cafe near The Park House hotel ?

Wagamama or Maoz would be fantastic ...

ourtrail

Yeah Squareyes down fro the Forster Court Hotel kinda has the gaming/food covered and have it done well.

Like the Maoz idea, can't think of anything in that line around.

PopeBuckfastXVI

1. Find out who owned this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joecashin/268109061/
2. Buy their recipes
3. Set up on cross street
4. ????
5. Profit

barone

a real starbucks,not like the college one, a crispycreme or dunkin dohnuts...

all 3 would clean up

Robbo

Pieminister. You could keep Galway airport alive by chartering one of Aer Arann's Spinning Jennys to courier the stuff over from Bristol.

sealgaire

muppetkiller wrote: »

Food was muck !

As for xbox and PS3 gaming isn't there the internet cafe near The Park House hotel ?

Wagamama or Maoz would be fantastic ...

Hmmm a proper Gaming Centre or something, with proper screens and seats where you could pay by the hour on xbox, ps etc.

Suppose you wouldn't wanna charge much though seen as so many people have consoles in their house. . . . .

tracker-man

If someone really knew what Galway really needed they would decide to setup the business themselves and make a lot of money.

Msking

ice skating rink?

sealgaire

Karting? Proper Karting? The one in Tynagh would do a bomb if it wasn't so dam far away

sealgaire

sealgaire wrote: »

Hmmm a proper Gaming Centre or something, with proper screens and seats where you could pay by the hour on xbox, ps etc.

Suppose you wouldn't wanna charge much though seen as so many people have consoles in their house. . . . .

This works in PC gaming, but there isn't a hope in hell that lads who already have their PS3's and Xboxs will go to play in another place and pay for it when they can do it free at home.

Square-eyes works by and large as it's a community trend but also because the costs of a gaming rig are so much higher and specs are always rising. When you have your PS3 or Xbox it will play anything and it's fairly cheap to buy.

B00MSTICK

How about Paintball?

sealgaire

sealgaire wrote: »

Karting? Proper Karting? The one in Tynagh would do a bomb if it wasn't so dam far away

Liosbaun has opened again recently, it's pretty small though.

Tynagh is a mile away, it takes just as long when ya hit the back roads from Loughrea then it does to get that far.

B00MSTICK wrote: »

How about Paintball?

Ya, closest ones are over an hour each side of us.

It wouldn't even need to be open during the week, I'm sure set up costs wouldn't be too much bar having the land.

squonk

A nice pub serving international beers like Bierhaus only on the east side of the river. Preferably near the Galway shopping Center so I wouldn't have to walk to far but I love Bierhaus, reasonably priced beer and lots of different kinds of it.

Look into a Wagamama franchise too. I loved the one in Dublin.

moonflower

Robbo wrote: »

Pieminister. You could keep Galway airport alive by chartering one of Aer Arann's Spinning Jennys to courier the stuff over from Bristol.

I would eat pie for every meal if I could get Pieminister pies in Galway.

I reckon a Wagamama would do brilliantly in Galway, it would have to be somewhere in the centre of town though. They do great lunch deals and they serve food quickly so it would be prefect for people on their lunch break. A restaurant with a decent sushi selection would be fantastic too.

Marguerite Tonery

Sounds Good! The key is to go into an area that you know. So, research suggests. You already know most of the pitfalls in the gaming world. What are the most popular, what are not. You know your target audience as well, and the age -group you market. You probably will need to consider whether the age group/market you are targeting have money to spend and if they do, how will they spend it? What games. If you remember in the 80's when there was no money around, pinball alleys still turned over a good business. So, you might be on to a winner here. People have less money to spend and so they are spending it on smaller luxuries, e.g. sweet and ice cream sales have increased during the economic downturn. Good luck with it!

AlanBr

Its similar to gaming in ways but Galway is crying out for a Paintballing zone....I'd expect it to be very successful considering people all over Ireland flock to the one near limerick such as school tours , stag nights , etc.

[EDIT]- sorry I didnt read BOOMSTICK's comment :P

zero19

Paintballing/Airsoft or a decent go kart track would get my vote

inisboffin

A vegetarian café. Seriously. Just had yet another friend visit who was veggie and could not believe there was not one dedicated one in a 'College City'.

Doesn't have to be a restaurant, a café good. Comfy, good tunes on. Not a vast menu but a couple of fresh healthy options, couple of comfort food things like a veg curry, and a couple of sweet things. Sandwich or two. Herbal teas and good coffee on offer.

Most veggie options are either deep fried or overpriced in the 'regular' restaurants/pubs, 'ethnic' restaurants have a bit better choice.

Pretty hard to get *anything* reasonably healthy in town in fact that isn't either an afterthought or overpriced.

A nice veggie café will get everybody through its doors if it has tasty grub.

Let us know when you decide!

Galwayps

inisboffin wrote: »

A vegetarian café. Seriously. Just had yet another friend visit who was veggie and could not believe there was not one dedicated one in a 'College City'.

Doesn't have to be a restaurant, a café good. Comfy, good tunes on. Not a vast menu but a couple of fresh healthy options, couple of comfort food things like a veg curry, and a couple of sweet things. Sandwich or two. Herbal teas and good coffee on offer.

Most veggie options are either deep fried or overpriced in the 'regular' restaurants/pubs, 'ethnic' restaurants have a bit better choice.

Pretty hard to get *anything* reasonably healthy in town in fact that isn't either an afterthought or overpriced.

A nice veggie café will get everybody through its doors if it has tasty grub.

Let us know when you decide!

The budding flower cafe is dedicated Veggie afaik. Recently moved into the Bridge mills from Sea Road

Ruire

Galway could use an international airport.





Oh, wait.

ErnieBert

IKEA .....if only just for the Swedish Meatballs in their restaurant.

hyperbaby

More choice of cafes after 6pm.
There is two at the most open after 6 pm as far as i know.

inisboffin

Galwayps wrote: »

The budding flower cafe is dedicated Veggie afaik. Recently moved into the Bridge mills from Sea Road

Didn't know they moved, will check it out, thanks. I did like the budding flower but I remember it having more desserts and lighter sandwich fare. Also open on the evening is important. Lunch is much easier to do in this town for veggies than dinner..

Amhran Nua

My advice to be honest is that opening a business with redundancy money in this recession is a bigger gamble than usual. If you have to open something don't sign a rental lease or preferably don't get into a business that needs a premises. I know the country needs new businesses, but I've seen too many underfunded small businesses go pop and take someone's life savings with them over the last year.

Save your money and find another job, would be my advice, unless your redundancy is into six figures, in which case you're probably adequately capitalised.

Buisness start up

Amhran Nua wrote: »

My advice to be honest is that opening a business with redundancy money in this recession is a bigger gamble than usual. If you have to open something don't sign a rental lease or preferably don't get into a business that needs a premises. I know the country needs new businesses, but I've seen too many underfunded small businesses go pop and take someone's life savings with them over the last year.

Save your money and find another job, would be my advice, unless your redundancy is into six figures, in which case you're probably adequately capitalised.

To be honest I'm just thinking out loud at this stage. I dont have six figure capital and many of these franchise's require six figure capital. I love gaming and if I could make a living out of that at some stage then I would be a happy man.

Amhran Nua

Buisness start up wrote: »

To be honest I'm just thinking out loud at this stage. I dont have six figure capital and many of these franchise's require six figure capital. I love gaming and if I could make a living out of that at some stage then I would be a happy man.

Sit at home and learn how to make iphone apps, then spend your money on adwords to promote them. If that takes off, you can build from there, if not, you at least have a new skill to put on the cv.

B00MSTICK

You could try organise a Starcraft 2 tournament and see how you go, there's a big following on boards already. Same would apply to Street Fighter 4.

You wouldn't make much money but it would give you an insight into it and see if there's a market there or not.

Square eyes probably has alot of the audience already but if you were to run every Fri + Sat so you might get some interest.

What games do you like? Is it mostly console or PC?
There's even a Galway Gamer Group (or something of that nature, I'm a member on FB but haven't actually gone yet ) on this sub-forum so it might be worthwhile to organise a small get together with them and see what you think.

It's obviously the most fun when you play with friends/people you know a bit so if you can get a very friendly/inviting group going regularly you could be onto a winner. In Square Eyes for instance there might be a few groups there but no banter between them.

ErnieBert

TGI Friday's or a Hard Rock

mikemac

Ice skating arena
And a good team too like the Belfast Giants have.

It'll be open to the public and underage leagues and mens & ladies leagues can be setup.

The students would be mad for it and the locals too, thousands would use it

Galway2013

Looking for ideas for an Investment. If you had the money what would you open?

snubbleste

We already had this discussion somewhere and the consensus was more politicians, car parks and precipitation.

SolarFlash

trams

pleasant Co.

less clouds, more sunshine.

ciano1

More charcoal grills....

hamsterboy

Nandos Nandos Nandos

SweetJeebus

ciano1 wrote: »

More charcoal grills....

yes i agree. There clearly isn't enough! :pac:

Galway2013

<rumour snip>

MOD EDIT: rumours are not permitted, back-up your post and it will be reinstated.

jkforde

Galway2013 wrote: »

Looking for ideas for an Investment. If you had the money what would you open?

hmm, private investment ideas.... an all-weather waterpark in Salthill, a reliable ferry (a hovercraft would be class!) across the bay, an imaginative architecture business :eek: , a MediaLab-type incubator to tap into the ideas & enthusiasm in GMIT and NUIG.... oh, and a cloudbusting contract from the council.

ben.schlomo

No Nandos. A proper concert venue.

Lapin

Galway badly needs another Supermac's.

jobeenfitz

kentucky fried pidgeon.

peble

Needs a proper children dancing school as well as music school where children can learn an instrument ( or could be part of their school curiculum like other countries) . Doctors is another must ----especially in the UHG emergency cause everytime I went there , I spend hours waiting for someone( university students) to just take my name and ask me silly questions instead of doctor dealing with my health immediatelly or at least acceptable time.
Sheltered playgrounds lol since its raining all the time

FouxDaFaFa

Maybe a good vegetarian restaurant.

jobeenfitz

betcha yeer all from Galway