Forum Topic

One in Three  Restaurants Making Loss

I was concerned to see an article in yesterday's Standard (with the above headline)stating that scores of London restaurants are facing closure next month as the recession hits home and they are unable to make rent payments due in April.As a restaurateur, I know how difficult it. VAT, corporation tax, salaries, PAYE, gas, electric, water, refuse, rates, rent, suppliers. At times is seems it's nothing but bills, bills, bills.We have already seen some excellent establishments closing in Acton, Ealing and Chiswick. Unfortunately, many more will follow.However we and many other local restaurants are fighting back! We know that customers have to be more careful with their money now. So here's some hints -Check websites (or phone in) to check special offers or promotions. Do they offer discounts during the week? Free delivery on take-aways or discount on collection? Free birthday cake for birthday parties or promotional gift? Do they have special eat-all-you-can buffet nights? Entertainment evenings? Do they cater for weddings and parties and throw in discos and dj for free?Perhaps forum members can list their favourite restarants here with details of special offers.We hope that restaurants and local small shops and businesses can ride the storm. The hight street is going to be a sad sight otherwise.David Archer

David Archer ● 6397d10 Comments

We used to eat out a fair bit, almost always locally but were often shocked by the high cost for indifferent food. David, I hasten to add that we haven't been to your restaurant which I'm sure is good value and very good ! You may visit rip-off joints once but you don't go back. It did seem to us that prices had become ridiculous and that many proprietors spent a lot of money on the decor but didn't have trained staff and didn't seem to have much of a clue about running the place. Also, the cost of wine with meals was crazy. £20 for a bottle which cost £2.99 in a shop. I undersytand the need for profit marins but we did feel we were being taken for a ride. As a result, we eat out rarely now and stick to tried and tested places which we find acceptable.......'Oporto', 'Butler's Thai', 'Momentos' to name a few. But, as I sit there, enjoying the evening, I've got this horrible nagging feeling that we shouldn't be spending any money because one of us will almost certainly lose our job in the  next few months and it spoils the evening !

Penny Crocker ● 6397d

I often find that restaurants are doing offers and I never hear about them until too late so perhaps you should invest in promotion to get back customers. See the post by Michelle Smith on an opportunity to sponsor St. Saviour's and Christ Church Schools and raise the profile of your business at a relatively small cost.

Alice Jefferson ● 6397d

Great idea Alice..except that I dont think we have a week go by without someone dropping in and asking if we'd donate a meal for 2 at Thai Nice(or a massage for free at Thai Touch). We like to help but its simply not possible to sponsor every school fete or charity event as much as we'd like to. And it's not nice saying no beleive me when we know they are such good causes.

David Archer ● 6395d

'I dont think we have a week go by without someone dropping in and asking if we'd donate a meal for 2'Assuming the variable cost of such meals to you is about a tenner because all your staff and premises costs would not be increased by the provision of a meal that would mean saying yes every week to such requests would cost you £500 over a year. You'd need to reduce this cost by the profit you would make on any drinks bought and if the people who got the donation brought friends you would also make additional profit. In addition I've won meal vouchers in various charity raffles and not taken them up so, all in all, you would probably be talking about a net cost of a couple of hundred quid.In return for that you would get incredibly well targetted publicity and a huge store of goodwill. I walked past your place a week or so ago and it was not busy. You clearly need to do something on the marketing side and I think you have just passed up a very good opportunity.

Andy Jones ● 6392d

I won a free hairdo in a tombola in 1988...and went to the same chap for 19 years - in three locations. Talk about virtue being its own reward.You should factor in the repeat business of a donation like that - assuming you can ensure they enjoy the experience!

Sara Nathan ● 6392d

As I stated previously, we do donate to many local good causes and charities but it is impossible to help on all requests. As well as offering an evening free at Thai Nice (free food and wine), we also donate massages at Thai Touch. In addition, the charity we support is Bernados and in 2008 raised over £300 to help under-priviliged children in the UK.Yes, its true that some nights we are quiet but its all swings and roundabouts. On Sunday night we were fully booked and had to do something we hate - turn customers away!!

David Archer ● 6392d

Come on David - don't be such a big skinflint!

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 6392d

Haha Tricia. I'm sure a mailshot to the hundreds of restaurants and businesses in Ealing and Acton will produce a result.

David Archer ● 6392d

Whilst your restaurant is in Acton as part of West Ealing Neighbours (W13) we are exploring the idea of pro-cotting (is this a word?!)restaurants. What this essentially means is that we would talk to the restaurant and ask them to put a promotion on for the night and WEN would actively encourage individuals to go to the restaurant.  The restauranter gets more custom on a usually quite night and the customers benefit from the offer.  We would then encourage customers to write reviews via our Forum on WENs website. I will let you know how it goes!

Diane Gill ● 6392d

Sounds like a good idea Diane. Hope it goes well. (By the way, the Thai owner of Thai Nice in Acton was the manager at Bangkok Broadway in West Ealing 10 years ago. We still  get new customers saying '..I remember you..')

David Archer ● 6389d