Starbucks Closures. 300 Stores, 6700 Jobs - 2/3rds in the US. Business Down 69%

Cleaver

Snooze wrote: »

On closer inspection of the website, what you have described is just yer average town centre cafe : standard town centre cafe opening hours 10am-4pm and nothing out of the ordinary from the other billion cafes out there but with ridiculous prices.

Carvery Fayre is a whole different concept. For a start they're opening til around 8-9pm if I recall correctly which caters for a hell of a lot of the 'I can't be bothered cooking tonight but I want something hot, fresh and non-greasy' punters, of which there are plenty.

Rob

Are you reading the same website? You think it looks like your 'average town centre cafe'?

Just as an aside, if you put on an Alan Partridge voice and read your second paragraph out loud you sound just like Alan Partridge.

fiscticious

The terrorist sub prime has caused catastrophic damage across the globe then has vanished without trace leaving unaccountable damage?
It has devastated the hearts and minds of millions?

Cleaver

fiscticious wrote: »

The terrorist sub prime has caused catastrophic damage across the globe then has vanished without trace leaving unaccountable damage?
It has devastated the hearts and minds of millions?

Blimey, you hate Subway even more than me.

Snooze

Cleaver wrote: »

Are you reading the same website? You think it looks like your 'average town centre cafe'?

Yeah, it is. The only difference being that they've 'jazzed' the menu up a bit to appeal to the tourist market which is not surprising considering it's in Brighton. They've also 'jazzed' up their prices for the tourist market too :rolleyes: . For example -

toast & jam (v) £2.45

!!!!!!?????????!!! :eek: And let's be honest, you just can't go wrong with toast and jam so that price is just absurd, just like the £8 they want for a breakfast.

Rob

fc123

Snooze wrote: »

Yeah, it is. The only difference being that they've 'jazzed' the menu up a bit to appeal to the tourist market which is not surprising considering it's in Brighton. They've also 'jazzed' up their prices for the tourist market too :rolleyes: . For example -



!!!!!!?????????!!! :eek: And let's be honest, you just can't go wrong with toast and jam so that price is just absurd, just like the £8 they want for a breakfast.

Rob

Oh Rob.....it's all organic and properly, proven bread, baked and grown in Lewes (and nearby). Lovingly reared organic meat etc.

It's the price that proper food should be.

If you ever visit Brighton, treat yourself.
It's not on the tourist map, but I send loads of people there.
Unfortunately, Brighton bubble is being popped big time at the moment (as reliant on a lot of London ££££) but a carvery, such as the one you described, would probably go bust before Bills in this location.

It is a town that attracts a different type of resident ...I notice the difference when I pop up to Leicester or Stockport.

fc123

Cleaver wrote: »

Are you reading the same website? You think it looks like your 'average town centre cafe'?
.

I suppose for Brighton, it is the average town centre cafe. Even Buddies on the seafront (trad greasy spoon) is great quality....though everything is battery....but good quality battery....now I am not making sense.
Where's Davesnave when you need him?

Subman_2

Can I be cheeky and ask what profit margin you are on/they give you?

AIUI, You take on lease, pay for fit out (provided by Subway) and buy ALL stock direct from them too. You also have to cover all the other running costs (staff, business rates etc). Once you've opened, the turnover settles down to a figure. Do you end up with 15% gross? Only curious really...not looking for a dig.

I'll indulge you just this once.

In a word, yes. Margins used to be higher before we had to begin paying VAT on toasted Subs, but after everything is taken into consideration, they are still very good.

A few things I need to correct you on though:

-We do not buy any stock direct from Subway. We buy from a seperate, franchisee-owned company. When I mentioned earlier about the power we have, this is what I'm referring to. At present, while our food costs should have risen by roughly 20%, we are seeing no rises in cost due to our ability to stagger payments and buy and sell currency on a huge sale when the market suits us.

-The franchisee does not sign the lease on the store. It is subleased (no pun intented) from a separate organisation that leases all the stores on our behalf.

-We do pay for the fit out in full, but it isn't quite correct to say it is "provided" by Subway. While we can only used approved fixtures, fittings and equipment, there are a number of different options available and also several suppliers from whom we can purchase. Again, none of this is bought directly from Subway. The same goes for shopitters, we are free to use whoever we wish, but realistically when you have the option to use guys who fit Subway stores 24/7/365 and can do the job in a flash, there's little need to look elsewhere.

Snooze

fc123 wrote: »

Oh Rob.....it's all organic and properly, proven bread, baked and grown in Lewes (and nearby). Lovingly reared organic meat etc.

It's the price that proper food should be.

If you ever visit Brighton, treat yourself.
It's not on the tourist map, but I send loads of people there.
Unfortunately, Brighton bubble is being popped big time at the moment (as reliant on a lot of London ££££) but a carvery, such as the one you described, would probably go bust before Bills in this location.

It is a town that attracts a different type of resident ...I notice the difference when I pop up to Leicester or Stockport.

Hmm, but I think I would be right in thinking that the majority of people couldn't give a toss whether it was organic or produced locally; I certainly couldn't, that's for sure. All I want is a substantial, freshly cooked decent hot meal at 7pm on a night for a reasonable price and a place like Carvery Fayre fills that requirement if I can't be arsed cooking. There are already far too many 'ethical' food places that think that £10 for a loaf of bread is justified because the cows that made it were given hand grown turf to eat instead of bog standard meadow grass like all the others :rolleyes: and we don't need any more. Organic food is the biggest con going and it's a licence to print money. Give me a greasy spoon any day :T .

Rob

fc123

Subman wrote: »

I'll indulge you just this once.

In a word, yes. Margins used to be higher before we had to begin paying VAT on toasted Subs, but after everything is taken into consideration, they are still very good.

A few things I need to correct you on though:

-We do not buy any stock direct from Subway. We buy from a seperate, franchisee-owned company. When I mentioned earlier about the power we have, this is what I'm referring to. At present, while our food costs should have risen by roughly 20%, we are seeing no rises in cost due to our ability to stagger payments and buy and sell currency on a huge sale when the market suits us.

-The franchisee does not sign the lease on the store. It is subleased (no pun intented) from a separate organisation that leases all the stores on our behalf.

-We do pay for the fit out in full, but it isn't quite correct to say it is "provided" by Subway. While we can only used approved fixtures, fittings and equipment, there are a number of different options available and also several suppliers from whom we can purchase. Again, none of this is bought directly from Subway. The same goes for shopitters, we are free to use whoever we wish, but realistically when you have the option to use guys who fit Subway stores 24/7/365 and can do the job in a flash, there's little need to look elsewhere.

Thanks for that.
Do the franchisees have to give personal guarantees on the sub lease? Or can they just walk if it doesn't work out for them with no busting.

Thinking like Punch Taverns who sublease pubs then bust the tenants.

fc123

Snooze wrote: »

Hmm, but I think I would be right in thinking that the majority of people couldn't give a toss whether it was organic or produced locally; I certainly couldn't, that's for sure. All I want is a substantial, freshly cooked decent hot meal at 7pm on a night for a reasonable price and a place like Carvery Fayre fills that requirement if I can't be arsed cooking. There are already far too many 'ethical' food places that think that £10 for a loaf of bread is justified because the cows that made it were given hand grown turf to eat instead of bog standard meadow grass like all the others :rolleyes: and we don't need any more. Organic food is the biggest con going and it's a licence to print money. Give me a greasy spoon any day :T .

Rob

I am happy with a plate of alfafa sprouts at the end of a hard day, washed down with red wine. It must be a Brighton thing.;)

I didn't know cows were made into £10 loaves though...going to have to check that one out...sounds tasty.

My OH loves a carvery...sneaks off to one when he goes up to Leicester. He can hardly move afterwards.