The Cosy Nook Cafe Port Erin

[The Voice of Reason]

2 minutes ago, Gladys said:

If the soup is very good, then that is fine.  (Soup is an underrated dish.)

The Sound is a monopoly, for the very reason you state, but that is not a monopoly of the sort that is disadvantageous to the customer.

I actually am a bit of a fan of rules is rules  - stick to them and everyone knows where they are.  But this just seems to be a bit of jobsworthy adherence. 

Anyway, to be honest,  I wouldn't die in a ditch for this one. It just would be understandable if MNH had announced that the lease would be extended for a further year in recognition of the difficulties of the last couple of years.

But MNH aren't strictly part of government and their revenue is the rent so that is all they can seek to maximise.

It just came across as a masterpiece of pedantry over pragmatism.

No you’re right. It’s not worth a big fight over. Well not for me I have no skin in the game to use an awful term.

It’s just that if someone knew the lease was coming to an end and was up for tender having invested a lot of time( and  some money) into a business plan to be told  “ sorry we’ve decided to carry on with the existing lessee because it’s too much hassle in the current situation to change it”

Maybe that someone would have recourse to an appeal, law  tribunal etc. Or may not, just an observation. 
Or maybe there is no such someone.

 

 

 

 

[Gladys]

19 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

No you’re right. It’s not worth a big fight over. Well not for me I have no skin in the game to use an awful term.

It’s just that if someone knew the lease was coming to an end and was up for tender having invested a lot of time( and  some money) into a business plan to be told  “ sorry we’ve decided to carry on with the existing lessee because it’s too much hassle in the current situation to change it”

Maybe that someone would have recourse to an appeal, law  tribunal etc. Or may not, just an observation. 
Or maybe there is no such someone.

 

 

 

 

Agreed, but until the thing is put out to tender the parameters aren't known, so any aspirants are kind of working in the dark anyway. So, it is very conceptual.

Who knows? Perhaps the current process will throw up an ideal operator.  But, on the other hand, is this putting a huge burden on a business that has been operating quite well given the crap of the last couple of years? 

I have no skin in the game either. I just feel sympathy for a business that has had to ride out the last couple of years  and it would be gratifying to see some acknowledgement of that. 

[Happier diner]

7 hours ago, Gladys said:

Agreed, but until the thing is put out to tender the parameters aren't known, so any aspirants are kind of working in the dark anyway. So, it is very conceptual.

Who knows? Perhaps the current process will throw up an ideal operator.  But, on the other hand, is this putting a huge burden on a business that has been operating quite well given the crap of the last couple of years? 

I have no skin in the game either. I just feel sympathy for a business that has had to ride out the last couple of years  and it would be gratifying to see some acknowledgement of that. 

It's a tricky one. However I think on balance and considering the last 2 years, a +1 year could have been granted by an exemption from the regs. 

Do we know that the current incumbent wants that though?

[Paulos The Great]

12 hours ago, Gladys said:

The Sound is a monopoly, for the very reason you state, but that is not a monopoly of the sort that is disadvantageous to the customer.I

Removed.

Edited December 26, 2021 by Paulos The Great
Amended see Roger Mexico below.

[Roger Mexico]

2 hours ago, Paulos The Great said:

I think you’ll find it isn’t the monopoly/money spinner you think it is. I think they’ve given up the lease as they’re now running the cafe at the swimming pool and a few other venues. Also you just can’t get enough staff to cover multi site operations in the current market so I assume they’ve just focused on where the money/turnover is which presumably isn’t there. Which probably doesn’t bide well for any new tenant.

That's not the impression you get from their Facebook page:

CAFE UPDATE

You may see the cafe being advertised for rent with one of the local estate agencies, this is due to us originally signing a 5 year contract which we can't believe has come around so quickly!

But we just want to reassure customers and suppliers (and staff) that it is our intention to do the best application possible that will secure if for us for another 10 years.

It would help us greatly if you would support us by either commentating below or writing us an email/letter that we can place in our bid package, so we can show the support that we know we have from all our loyal customers and visitors. (manager@thesound.im)

But thank you for your love and support and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Love

The Thompsons and the Christians and the rest of the Sound Crew.

The whole thing looks a bit odd though because the press release from MNH makes it look as if they pushing for new tenants for there and the Cregneash Tea Rooms (they seem to be a package) and they are doing so via Chrystals rather than in-house.  It's also odd that the press release comes from James Davis of Isle of Man Advertising & PR rather than being from MNH's Communications Manager, so you wonder just how much MNH actually have to do with the process[1] or whether it has been hijacked by the AG's or Cabinet Offices with involvement of the usual suspects.

 

[1]  It's particularly odd because the new Director of MNH has a background in property management, so she would have a lot of rlelevant experience.

[Happier diner]

7 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

That's not the impression you get from their Facebook page:

CAFE UPDATE

You may see the cafe being advertised for rent with one of the local estate agencies, this is due to us originally signing a 5 year contract which we can't believe has come around so quickly!

But we just want to reassure customers and suppliers (and staff) that it is our intention to do the best application possible that will secure if for us for another 10 years.

It would help us greatly if you would support us by either commentating below or writing us an email/letter that we can place in our bid package, so we can show the support that we know we have from all our loyal customers and visitors. (manager@thesound.im)

But thank you for your love and support and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Love

The Thompsons and the Christians and the rest of the Sound Crew.

The whole thing looks a bit odd though because the press release from MNH makes it look as if they pushing for new tenants for there and the Cregneash Tea Rooms (they seem to be a package) and they are doing so via Chrystals rather than in-house.  It's also odd that the press release comes from James Davis of Isle of Man Advertising & PR rather than being from MNH's Communications Manager, so you wonder just how much MNH actually have to do with the process[1] or whether it has been hijacked by the AG's or Cabinet Offices with involvement of the usual suspects.

 

[1]  It's particularly odd because the new Director of MNH has a background in property management, so she would have a lot of rlelevant experience.

All government contracts are 5 years max. Its one of the IOM government financial regulations. 

[Roger Mexico]

2 minutes ago, Happier diner said:

All government contracts are 5 years max. Its one of the IOM government financial regulations. 

According to the press release I linked to: Invitations to lease the buildings are for an initial period of five years with a possible five-year extension, subject to contract.  So effectively it's a possible ten.

[Passing Time]

2 hours ago, Roxanne said:

It’s Christmas. 

??

[Paulos The Great]

18 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

The whole thing looks a bit odd though because the press release from MNH makes it look as if they pushing for new tenants for there and the Cregneash Tea Rooms (they seem to be a package) and they are doing so via Chrystals rather than in-house. 

Just MNH being greedy then if the existing operators want to extend to lease. After  Covid-19 when the hospitality industry is on its backside it’s a very silly tactic if that’s the case. But then that’s government isn’t it. Lacking in reality. 

[Passing Time]

1 minute ago, Paulos The Great said:

Just MNH being greedy then if the existing operators want to extend to lease. After  Covid-19 when the hospitality industry is on its backside it’s a very silly tactic if that’s the case. But then that’s government isn’t it. Lacking in reality. 

If the existing operators had expressed a wish to pull out then fine but anything else is just madness. Hospitality has suffered enormously in the last two years and government have done precious little to assist.

[Gladys]

12 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

According to the press release I linked to: Invitations to lease the buildings are for an initial period of five years with a possible five-year extension, subject to contract.  So effectively it's a possible ten.

Exactly, which makes you wonder why the current lease doesn't have the same provision.  A five year lease is an incredibly short term for a business of this sort, you would think, particularly one which doesn't have the luxury of a passing trade. 

[Paulos The Great]

22 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

If the existing operators had expressed a wish to pull out then fine but anything else is just madness. Hospitality has suffered enormously in the last two years and government have done precious little to assist.

I must have been wrong if they’ve said publicly they wanted to extend then you’d think MNH would accommodate. As you say it’s not like the sector is bouncing after covid shutdowns so why alienate a business that’s been a good tenant for five years? They’re either being greedy or stupid. But they do seem to be lacking in reality if they think someone is going to come along and pay more for a lease on a couple of cafes in the current climate. 

[Ramseyboi]

7 minutes ago, Paulos The Great said:

I must have been wrong if they’ve said publicly they wanted to extend then you’d think MNH would accommodate. As you say it’s not like the sector is bouncing after covid shutdowns so why alienate a business that’s been a good tenant for five years? They’re either being greedy or stupid. But they do seem to be lacking in reality if they think someone is going to come along and pay more for a lease on a couple of cafes in the current climate. 

They can’t just give out an extra five year lease because the current occupant wants one.  They have to be seen to be going through the correct procedures.

Having said that I believe the current tenant (who have done a great job down there) should have some sort of heady art to avoid someone else just coming in with a low bid and then capitalising on the hard work and good reputation that have built over the last five years.

Its a tough one.  The current tenant wants to stay and is running it well (as far as you can tell without access to accounts etc) but government are duty bound to get the best balance of service and income they can.

[Rhumsaa]

14 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

Last time I was there in the summer the food was good too......I wondered if the otherwise rather obvious stipulation that the "rent needs to be paid" might imply something about past/present tenants...?

no

https://www.facebook.com/TheCafeAtTheSound/posts/3244758782432920

[Happier diner]

1 hour ago, Roger Mexico said:

According to the press release I linked to: Invitations to lease the buildings are for an initial period of five years with a possible five-year extension, subject to contract.  So effectively it's a possible ten.

'Possible' extension is a bit woolly