Food options at service stations

Why can’t they install proper restaurants at these places rather than junk food ? Should be a law ......

charlieIRL

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Why can’t they install proper restaurants at these places rather than junk food ? Should be a law ......

Agree 100%.

kaahooters

charlieIRL wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Why can’t they install proper restaurants at these places rather than junk food ? Should be a law ......

Agree 100%.

What do you consider a proper restaurant?
Well I guess your gonna be charging an eV for 6hours you'd want somewhere to get a 6 course meal of quale, lamb, lobster and goldflaked artisan icecream

charlieIRL

kaahooters wrote: »

What do you consider a proper restaurant?
Well I guess your gonna be charging an eV for 6hours you'd want somewhere to get a 6 course meal of quale, lamb, lobster and goldflaked artisan icecream

I wasn’t going to reply


But


These places are not built so EV drivers can stop and charge their vehicles.
We’ve been stopping in the Apple green one on the M4/6 for years to break up our journey, same with the one in Lusaka and recently the Kinnegad Plaza. They are rest stops and convenience stops, not just charging points

Regarding the food, non-fast food would be nice.

kaahooters

charlieIRL wrote: »

kaahooters wrote: »

What do you consider a proper restaurant?
Well I guess your gonna be charging an eV for 6hours you'd want somewhere to get a 6 course meal of quale, lamb, lobster and goldflaked artisan icecream

I wasn’t going to reply


But


These places are not built so EV drivers can stop and charge their vehicles.
We’ve been stopping in the Apple green one on the M4/6 for years to break up our journey, same with the one in Lusaka and recently the Kinnegad Plaza. They are rest stops and convenience stops, not just charging points

Regarding the food, non-fast food would be nice.

You've answered your statment perfectly.
Your not ment to charge you car at these, there splash and dash, not sit and charge.

ewj1978

kaahooters wrote: »

You've answered your statment perfectly.
Your not ment to charge you car at these, there splash and dash, not sit and charge.

utter Balderdash.

Only time I use a rapid charger is when I'm travelling 250km+ in distance and when I use it I'm there for 35 minutes. This ain't a formula 1 pitstop.

Even on an ionnity it would take the same as my charge amount is limited by the car not the charger.

kaahooters

ewj1978 wrote: »

utter Balderdash.

Only time I use a rapid charger is when I'm travelling 250km+ in distance and when I use it I'm there for 35 minutes. This ain't a formula 1 pitstop.

Even on an ionnity it would take the same as my charge amount is limited by the car not the charger.

again, your missing the point of the conversation and focusing on the incorrect section you want to highlight.

the original complaint was that McDonald was being built in athlone service/ rest stop.

there was a complaint that there should be "proper food"

my argument is that you shouldn't be at a rest stop for over an hour for "proper food" using a fast charger for the full time. a lot of people dont get that on this forum.

if you want to complain and play some form of entitlement card as your traveling "250+km", thats your issue, dont make it mine.

and i know your going to come back with " so what if im charging for the full time im there" and in another thread you'll also complain" i hate these charge point hoggers!!! effing locals using the services!!!!! im important as i have greater need as im traveling "250+ km" (some what of a generalization and not directed at anyone specifically, but as a whole this is what the threads diverge into.)

you all do it. grow up

now, instead of starting another argument on this thread, move on and forget about the posts on this, you wont get anywhere, and it'll just annoy yourself if you get involved.

markpb

kaahooters wrote: »

the original complaint was that McDonald was being built in athlone service/ rest stop.

there was a complaint that there should be "proper food"

my argument is that you shouldn't be at a rest stop for over an hour for "proper food" using a fast charger for the full time. a lot of people dont get that on this forum.

Your entire rant is undermined by the fact that you’re assuming fast food must be unhealthy/junk food like BK or McD. Fast food could just as likely be a deli or a cafe with pre-made hot food.

kaahooters

markpb wrote: »

Your entire rant is undermined by the fact that you’re assuming fast food must be unhealthy/junk food like BK or McD. Fast food could just as likely be a deli or a cafe with pre-made hot food.

again, read the posts, not my rant, its Mad_Lads post #968

k123456

Food concerns and restaurant choices are the last of our (EV) worries

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Now that I am getting an EV I would never charge at a station that did not have a Vegan Cafe with ethically sourced coffee. I would assume the minimium standard of any EV owner would be at least one Michelin Star...:rolleyes:

BTW McDonalds coffee is very good, and a pit stop to piss, have a coffee and refuel takes 20 minutes anyway.

Black_Knight

fitzgeme wrote: »

Now that I am getting an EV I would never charge at a station that did not have a Vegan Cafe with ethically sourced coffee. I would assume the minimium standard of any EV owner would be at least one Michelin Star...:rolleyes:

BTW McDonalds coffee is very good, and a pit stop to piss, have a coffee and refuel takes 20 minutes anyway.

Any time of the year is a good time of the year for a McFlurry!

CircleK themselves do grand pitstop food, at least Cashel looks like it does.

redcup342

kaahooters wrote: »

charlieIRL wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

Why can’t they install proper restaurants at these places rather than junk food ? Should be a law ......

Agree 100%.

What do you consider a proper restaurant?
Well I guess your gonna be charging an eV for 6hours you'd want somewhere to get a 6 course meal of quale, lamb, lobster and goldflaked artisan icecream

Fast food doesn't have to be junk food, most of the rest stops in Holland have a La Place which have a decent selection of healthy options. 
BK and Maccy Dees is just sugar and processed rubbish.

ELM327

I wouldnt mind a Chop Chop - Bjorn seems to rave about them

There simply should be no fast food outlets at motorway service areas , all this talk about obesity .

There should be more healthy options and were should insist on it .

If I had the choice is chose the healthy option.

Having said that I was at mc Donald's about 2am the last 2 nights for lunch but that's because there is nothing else.

TCP/IP

fitzgeme wrote: »

Now that I am getting an EV I would never charge at a station that did not have a Vegan Cafe with ethically sourced coffee. I would assume the minimium standard of any EV owner would be at least one Michelin Star...:rolleyes:

BTW McDonalds coffee is very good, and a pit stop to piss, have a coffee and refuel takes 20 minutes anyway.

This will make you happy so sir https://electrek.co/2019/08/31/tesla-model-3-interior-leather-free/

JPA

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There simply should be no fast food outlets at motorway service areas , all this talk about obesity .

There should be more healthy options and were should insist on it .

If I had the choice is chose the healthy option.

Having said that I was at mc Donald's about 2am the last 2 nights for lunch but that's because there is nothing else.

The hypocrisy!

JPA

JPA wrote: »

The hypocrisy!

Haha, yeah but I had no choice, can't get food at work and sometimes I'm not in the mood of making lunch when I get up in the evening before work, at least when I'm on days I can get something decent, when I have the option Mac D is the last option I'd choose or any fast food.

There's a nice Thai restaurant not that far from work and they do good food.

Stealthirl

Subway and Bakewell are a nice change at some rest area's but id love to see more chopped locations.

ELM327

Deleted User wrote: »

There simply should be no fast food outlets at motorway service areas , all this talk about obesity .

There should be more healthy options and were should insist on it .

If I had the choice is chose the healthy option.

Having said that I was at mc Donald's about 2am the last 2 nights for lunch but that's because there is nothing else.

Nanny state nonsense

Rowley Birkin QC

Motorway service stations in Italy have some amazing restaurants. One of the nicest plates of pasta I've ever had was in a bus stop south of Rome

I think they just have a different relationship with food and generally won't put up with crap.

There should be both, sometimes i would like a nice salad and sometimes id like a nice big greasy burger and chips, maybe emailing the

company's that own these places and asking them for more options would help, but saying that you would think that the way the world looks at

obesity and healthy living they would do some pre-emptive action and have all bases covered,

but hey there a business and in it for the money.

Mcdonalds coffee is really nice by the way, my favourite actually.

redcup342

If anything it's a good point, restaurants could get clientele by installing an 11kw or 22kw AC Charger, it doesn't have to be a big nasty service area anymore on the motorway. 
If anything it could be a way to get people into the local villages and towns just off the motorway. 
EVBOX in NL and a few other companies are encouraging just that:
https://blog.evbox.com/ev-charging-restaurants

charlieIRL

I’d say the reason I call into these places 50% of the time is for a break from driving, not to refuel or recharge. A break, toilet for kids and a bite to eat. The plaza in Kinnegad and Galway are a welcome addition as the have loads of options for food if you don’t want Supermacs, it’s a pity all the rest weren’t the same.
All we need now is for someone to put chargers in the Galway one, I believe the spots are there and parking spaces allocated but no chargers.

miamee

It's a shame the Applegreens don't all have a Freshii, they are quite nice and a healthy option.

Also the new Circle K at Gorey has a few food options - burrito counter, sandwich counter, hot counter (I think) and a McDonalds. It's actually quite nice in comparison to most of the Applegreens.

Damienmac

I guess these service stations are making a killing on pre-packaged sandwiches, bars sausage rolls etc.

If they provide a really good alternative right beside the forecourt, they would sell less of their high margin crap.

ednwireland

some of our local garages make food form fresh (ie all vegetables, meat are bought fresh and cooked on site ) you can usually get a meat and two veg dinner just guess the service stations cant be bothered not enough profit in it.

ive been to some amazing services in europe and the coffee is usually better

blackbox

They should all have Supermacs rather than be sending royalties off to America.

CrankyHaus

Easily the worst places I've ever eaten were motorway service stops in the UK and mainland Europe, so I don't really buy the idea that outside Ireland its wall to wall fresh fruit and artisan cheese boards.

I do a fair amount of mileage and always make my own stuff. Usually wraps because you can easily eat them from foil wrapping without making a mess. Preparing them takes about as long as queuing at lunchtime in most places and they're far healthier and better value than anything you'll buy.

Companies should be free to sell what food they like and I'm uncomfortable with State rules that may make refuelling more expensive, or simply rarer if it drives service stations out of business.

McDonalds coffee is, for the price point, far superior to the competition. You have to spend a lot more to get better coffee.

redcup342

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Easily the worst places I've ever eaten were motorway service stops in the UK and mainland Europe, so I don't really buy the idea that outside Ireland its wall to wall fresh fruit and artisan cheese boards.

I do a fair amount of mileage and always make my own stuff. Usually wraps because you can easily eat them from foil wrapping without making a mess. Preparing them takes about as long as queuing at lunchtime in most places and they're far healthier and better value than anything you'll buy.

Companies should be free to sell what food they like and I'm uncomfortable with State rules that may make refuelling more expensive, or simply rarer if it drives service stations out of business.

McDonalds coffee is, for the price point,  far superior to the competition. You have to spend a lot more to get better coffee.

My Experience is: 
Netherlands, generally decent service stops on the motorway, good quality food, no showers though, don't sell any beer so you can't buy any on the way home. 
Belgium, good food, they even sell decent beer with competitive prices to the supermarkets. 
Germany, Food choices are terrible, some crap food that's been sitting there for hours for crazy high prices, 3.75 for a small coffee.  German service stops usually have really good Toilets/Shower facilities. 
France, Southern - Generally quite good, decent food, Gets progressively worse the further north you go (i.e. the roads that lead to Calais/Roscoff. It's not uncommon to see people taking a dump in the bushes because they don't want to pay 1.50 to go to the toilet. 
Austria/Switzerland - Same as Germany 
Poland  .... well they don't really have SO many motorways, only really going west/east not North South, but Generally its just a small petrol station selling hot dogs, regional roads you have to take going north are littered with lots of little small restaurants.

drunkmonkey

The Amber at fermoy on the way to cork has a hillbillies...worst stopping for the breast in a bun. They also have other foods.

Rowley Birkin QC

Scotland was by far and away the worst I've seen for options other than crisps, chocolate, manky looking hit counter "food" and Irn Bru.

anacc

drunkmonkey wrote: »

The Amber at fermoy on the way to cork has a hillbillies...worst stopping for the breast in a bun. They also have other foods.

Their deli is pretty good. I’ll get something there when it’s too early for hillbillies.

ELM327

ELM327 wrote: »

Nanny state nonsense

Ok fair enough choice and all that but there needs to be much more healthier options at these facilities, by all means offer junk food if People want but it shouldn't be the only option in this day and age.

charlieIRL

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ok fair enough choice and all that but there needs to be much more healthier options at these facilities, by all means offer junk food if People want but it shouldn't be the only option in this day and age.

Thats what i like about the M4/6 plazas, few different options