Firm closing

[BriT]

1 minute ago, 2112 said:

It’s not, it’s the economic climate. However IOMG are quick to hang on to the success stories, the favoured businesses. When the economy hits the skids, they won’t want to listen to businesses concerns. Plus some IOMG cheerleaders will accuse those doing down closed businesses as scaremongering. 

This is just one of a whole line of hospitality businesses which are going to either fail or shut up shop between now and next Easter. But it’s just about the stupidest spot for a vegan restaurant you can think of. You can’t keep blaming government for silly business ideas that go tits up. 

[John Wright]

Hospitality has always had a high turnover. The important thing is that new places are opening.

Whether that continues in austerity 2 remains to be seen.

Perhaps people will be more choosy about where they spend discretionary income.

Unfortunately that probably favours easy and fast food, rather than specialist.

Was up at Nobles last week for bloods. Thie Bee had a queue by staff for expensive coffee. One returned to the blood clinic with 4 for staff members. Daily, twice a day, that’s £60 a week. Not sure what’s wrong with a kettle, or a dolce gusto machine. You’d be in pocket as a group very quickly.

[Roger Mexico]

6 minutes ago, BriT said:

So you think it’s governments fault that a vegan restaurant in a really tiny village with hardly any passing trade failed then? 

Well I'm not sure that Laxey (pop 1,656) counts as 'really tiny', especially for the Isle of Man, and as they were on the main coast road going North, there would have been quite a few people passing by.  The Manx Radio 'news' item seems to be taken entirely from their Facebook page, which doesn't mention economic pressure as a reason for closing - if it is it may be indirect in that they've got better-paid, less time-intensive jobs for all I know.

[Gladys]

42 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

not nice hearing about businesses closing. Sadly, if the government don't start listening, more will follow

What would you like government to do?  It can't influence world economics, and any financial support is from the public pot, potentially impacting other essential services.  We can’t keep thinking that government is going to underwrite everything, it can't and shouldn't. 

[doc.fixit]

But it should prioritise what it does spend its money on, (our money of course), and stop spending on vanity projects completely.

[Happier diner]

51 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

not nice hearing about businesses closing. Sadly, if the government don't start listening, more will follow

I blame the government for you blaming the government.

[BriT]

25 minutes ago, Gladys said:

What would you like government to do?  It can't influence world economics, and any financial support is from the public pot, potentially impacting other essential services.  We can’t keep thinking that government is going to underwrite everything, it can't and shouldn't. 

The people who were in there previously ceased trading too and they didn’t limit their customer base to  just vegans or veggies either: This was set up after lockdown and hasn’t found an audience. It’s got nothing to do with government why it’s closing. It’s more than likely there aren’t enough vegans who live in a tiny village to keep you going. 

[WTF]

1 hour ago, BriT said:

So you think it’s governments fault that a vegan restaurant in a really tiny village with hardly any passing trade failed then? 

tourists using the trams would keep that place full during the summer IMHO , i'm guessing energy costs are the issue and probably greedy landlords looking to recoup their own cost of living increases

[Gladys]

29 minutes ago, doc.fixit said:

But it should prioritise what it does spend its money on, (our money of course), and stop spending on vanity projects completely.

Absolutely.

[Asthehills]

1 hour ago, BriT said:

Hmm .. a vegan cafe in Laxey. I wonder why it’s closing? 😂

Exactly.  Is it news now every time a niche business with not enough customers closes?

[The Bastard]

8 minutes ago, WTF said:

tourists using the trams would keep that place full during the summer IMHO , i'm guessing energy costs are the issue and probably greedy landlords looking to recoup their own cost of living increases

Perhaps best not to speculate on actual reasons for closure unless the owner puts out a press release. It does seem to be quite a challenging spot to run a cafe though - small number of covers, small local population, other cafes nearby, limited parking. The vegan-only menu will also put some more conservative cardigan people off.

There are other cafes in Laxey that are closing at the end of the season.

Like others, I don't see the need for Government to prop up businesses that aren't able to compete in their markets unless they're absolutely essential to the local economy. It's a fact of life that the majority of small businesses fail, and only those that are able to compete the best, and to keep their overheads low, are likely to survive, even in normal times, but especially when economic pressure puts extra challenges in the way. They're businesses, not charities.

[Happier diner]

40 minutes ago, doc.fixit said:

But it should prioritise what it does spend its money on, (our money of course), and stop spending on vanity projects completely.

 

10 minutes ago, Gladys said:

Absolutely.

Correct, but nothing to do with this subject?

[Boo Gay'n]

1 hour ago, BriT said:

Hmm .. a vegan cafe in Laxey. I wonder why it’s closing? 😂

People were travelling to it, me included.  The proprietors and staff are lovely.  That's why I think it is sad.

The numbers of vegans and vegetarians remain small, relatively (see here), but are growing steadily.

I accept John Wright's earlier comment that there has always been a turnover of businesses in the hospitality sector.  It's just that this was a nice one...

[offshoremanxman]

2 minutes ago, Boo Gay'n said:

The numbers of vegans and vegetarians remain small, relatively (see here), but are growing steadily.

I’d specifically not go to any restaurant advertised as vegan. That’s just personal preference and choice so it certainly limits their audience. It’s such a small place too. I can’t imagine how bad it must get with all those veggies and vegans trumping their guts out. 

[Andy Onchan]

1 hour ago, Roger Mexico said:

Well I'm not sure that Laxey (pop 1,656) counts as 'really tiny', especially for the Isle of Man, and as they were on the main coast road going North, there would have been quite a few people passing by.  The Manx Radio 'news' item seems to be taken entirely from their Facebook page, which doesn't mention economic pressure as a reason for closing - if it is it may be indirect in that they've got better-paid, less time-intensive jobs for all I know.

Even vegans or vegetarians are affected by a downturn in the economy and since they'll likely be a numerical minority of those that eat out then the eatery will always be more susceptible.