Shop,Restaurant,Cafe' owners??

Gastines3

Retired and having time on our hands,my wife and I go out most days to towns and villages in our area for a walkabout,lunch or coffee and the one thing that is becoming more and more noticeable, is that the owners obviously never view the outside of their premises as a customer does.We visited a Little Chef last Saturday,last visit to one was about 30 years ago, the only reason being that there was nothing aelse available within 15 miles. The car-park area was filthy,outside eating area dirty,front door handle broken and self closer broken,service area wanted a good clean but new carpet was installed!!! No return trade I suspect.This appears to be becoming the norm with many places in the U.K. and I expect the owners wonder why trade is slow?
Just as amazing is exactly what the paying customer will put up with,from undrinkable coffee to downright slovenly service!

jhe

I would have carried on driving another 15 mile.
If the outside is like this what might the kitchens be like!

hgotsparkle

I last went to a Little Chef a couple fo years ago and it was utterly filthy and the food was cold, so I complained, was offered the food for free which was good of them, and just left.
I think its down the the franchise owner really. Some look great and some just look absolutely deserted.
I wouldn't say I've noticed this with small independant places though, quite the opposte, really.

[Deleted User]

Go independent at my husband's previous job in his trade (Indian restaurants) they would clean all glass inside daily, wash the steps & pavement outside every day too, and the outside glass & signs got a weekly clean. Decent restaurants and cafes should be happy and willing for you to see their kitchens too.

Money-Saving-King

It's quite well known that the working generation of today have to work harder than our parents did. The only way for companies and even for small business's to be able survive is to keep up with the competition.

For the last decade the UK has been squeezed, this has meant people don't have much to spend therefore low prices attract. As I said earlier the only way companies even if small can keep up is by reducing overheads which means increasing productivity of the employees left. That results in people working harder now than people had to 30 years ago. This is well known and documented. One recent example is the Panorama inside view of what it's like working in an Amazon warehouse.

I'm in the working generation that is now. We are also known as generation rent as houses prices have gone so high it's almost impossible for people now to realistically buy and maintain a decent standard of living.

The long and the short of it Gastines3's is you had it easy. It kind of makes it wrong really for you to criticise the people who have to work today, in the day of much increased productivity (people have to work harder) compared to 30 years ago

SpammyTheSpammer

The Little Chef chain have fallen far from their original "Cafe De Paris" standards

jhe

Money-Saving-King wrote: »

It's quite well known that the working generation of today have to work harder than our parents did. The only way for companies and even for small business's to be able survive is to keep up with the competition.

For the last decade the UK has been squeezed, this has meant people don't have much to spend therefore low prices attract. As I said earlier the only way companies even if small can keep up is by reducing overheads which means increasing productivity of the employees left. That results in people working harder now than people had to 30 years ago. This is well known and documented. One recent example is the Panorama inside view of what it's like working in an Amazon warehouse.

I'm in the working generation that is now. We are also known as generation rent as houses prices have gone so high it's almost impossible for people now to realistically buy and maintain a decent standard of living.

The long and the short of it Gastines3's is you had it easy. It kind of makes it wrong really for you to criticise the people who have to work today, in the day of much increased productivity (people have to work harder) compared to 30 years ago

Am i missing something here? I dont quite get what this post is about.
I disagree with most of what you say, I am also in the working generation but our generation have better working conditions than our parents/grandparents-not sure what this has to do with a dirty neglected looking cafe,
A bit of elbow grease goes a long way

vyle

jhe wrote: »

Am i missing something here? I dont quite get what this post is about.
I disagree with most of what you say, I am also in the working generation but our generation have better working conditions than our parents/grandparents-not sure what this has to do with a dirty neglected looking cafe,
A bit of elbow grease goes a long way

I think he/she was saying that businesses don't have the money to hire enough staff to keep on top of everthing. Therefore the staff who are hired have to serve the customers, tend to all front of house duties as well as all the cleaning and don't have the time to do it well, nor are they paid enough to break their backs for an ungrateful employer.

Tnat's how i read it anyway.