What does Carlow need?

kilkea

Hi,

I have been playing around with some ideas for starting a new business in Carlow and was curious to find out what people thought is missing from Carlow and which would be viable. I am looking at several different sectors so am open to suggestion.
Is there a need for another restaurant or coffee shop. What is missing retail wise, or service wise that you may have seen in other towns or on your travels that might work here? Or maybe what is there in Carlow already which is not being done as well as it could (eg car wash service)

Let me know what you think! Thanks

Moghead

I had a thread here a few weeks ago about the lack of a decent greengrocer in Carlow. Somewhere with locally grown veg and organic options too. The market is good for this but if you miss it on a Saturday morning you have no other option except the supermarkets.

byhookorbycrook

A proper book shop along the lines of the Kilkenny Book Centre.

mneylon

Fresh fish - maybe to go with the green grocer already mentioned

Several of my staff have lamented the lack of anywhere in the town that serves coffee in the evening ie. without also serving alcohol

kilkea

Blacknight wrote: »

Fresh fish - maybe to go with the green grocer already mentioned

Several of my staff have lamented the lack of anywhere in the town that serves coffee in the evening ie. without also serving alcohol

Thanks, the comment re coffee shops is something which has crossed my mind also. Personally I feel that the existing coffee shops are not really enticing, you either have the generic chains like Costa or else some small cafes which are functional but not the most exciting. Something a bit slicker with nice seating/lighting, cool music, free wifi and possibly a wine licence for later in the evening. Is that the type of thing your staff would be more interested in?

mneylon

kilkea wrote: »

Thanks, the comment re coffee shops is something which has crossed my mind also. Personally I feel that the existing coffee shops are not really enticing, you either have the generic chains like Costa or else some small cafes which are functional but not the most exciting. Something a bit slicker with nice seating/lighting, cool music, free wifi and possibly a wine licence for later in the evening. Is that the type of thing your staff would be more interested in?

The main issue is that none of them are open in the evening. As far as I know Costa closes around 6. What's open after that?

Mr E

Carlow Coffee Co was a great little spot, but I wonder if they had the required footfall to stay open. They closed about a year after opening....

mneylon

Mr E wrote: »

Carlow Coffee Co was a great little spot, but I wonder if they had the required footfall to stay open. They closed about a year after opening....

And that's the problem with any venture in Carlow. It would need to have good footfall to be viable

iano.p

Blacknight wrote:

Fresh fish - maybe to go with the green grocer already mentioned

I was doing up a unit across from Ray whelans shop that's going to be a fresh fish shop. Plus there is a cake shop open now.

fits

Where is ray whelans?

Carlow is much worse off for shops and cafes than much smaller places like enniscorthy and new ross (which both have fishmongers).

D_BEAR

fits wrote: »

Where is ray whelans?

Kennedy Street https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.8365561,-6.9338918,3a,75y,203.55h,84.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skVOuvIkNmDvdjPoyHhF5ZQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

cocaliquid

Carlow does not need any more coffee shops. If there was demand for coffee after six the existing shops would have it covered by now.

What missing in Carlow town is

(1) Quality Bakery
(2) Hydroponics Store
(3) Barbecue Pit Restaurant
(4) Chocolate shop
(5) Doughnut shop (tesco's are terrible)

mneylon

cocaliquid wrote: »

Carlow does not need any more coffee shops. If there was demand for coffee after six the existing shops would have it covered by now.

We aren't going to agree on that

cocaliquid wrote: »

What missing in Carlow town is

(1) Quality Bakery

There's more than one

cocaliquid wrote: »

(2) Hydroponics Store
(3) Barbecue Pit Restaurant
(4) Chocolate shop
(5) Doughnut shop (tesco's are terrible)

Are you trolling us?

cocaliquid

Blacknight wrote: »

We aren't going to agree on that

There's more than one

Are you trolling us?

Were is there a good Bakery in Carlow which sells fresh bread like the old SuperQuinn used too. ?

Are you trolling us?

No was throwing out ideas. Did not mean to upset anyone but it seems I have for some unknown reason.

mneylon

cocaliquid wrote: »

Were is there a good Bakery in Carlow which sells fresh bread like the old SuperQuinn used too. ?



No was throwing out ideas. Did not mean to upset anyone but it seems I have for some unknown reason.

Upset - no.
There's a bit of a gap between "coffee shops" and "Hydroponics Store"

Mr E

cocaliquid wrote: »

Were is there a good Bakery in Carlow which sells fresh bread like the old SuperQuinn used too. ?

Crottys?

Agent Coulson

I honestly think Carlow needs a major employer first before any new small business stands a chance to survive.

fits

And a functioning town centre. Lower rates and a strategy needed methinks.

cocaliquid

Blacknight wrote: »

Upset - no.
There's a bit of a gap between "coffee shops" and "Hydroponics Store"

No not really there food related. Think there is a gap in your way of thinking.

cocaliquid

Mr E wrote: »

Crottys?

Thanks for the info.