lfc84 Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 10 hours ago, Happier diner said: How? Increase the population Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happier diner Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 Just now, lfc84 said: Increase the population That would work, but how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 2 minutes ago, majkul said: Far to many restaurants/coffee shops/eateries on the island, for the amount of people. Moved here in 1992, something like 75/80,000 residents, about 20, 30 eateries (just a guess), and coffee shops were unheard of. Fast forward 32 years. Similar amount of residents, but hundreds of restaurants/coffee shops/eateries. The infrastructure to support so many places is not there. Places will continue struggling with ever-rising prices (supplies, ingredients, rents, rates, electricity, gas ALL going up a lot lately), while people cut down on going out, because their bills have risen too. Double edged sword. Unfortunately, more places will shut down, one part of many things throwing the island backwards. its not just about people numbers but disposable income , if you could afford to eat out 3 times a week you probably would , if you can now only afford to eat out once a fortnight then that is 5 meals out no longer happening. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 10 hours ago, Happier diner said: How? increase disposable income Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Ingham Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 3 minutes ago, Happier diner said: That would work, but how? Open more eating places. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Believer Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 1 hour ago, Happier diner said: I get what you are saying and yes government does waste a lot on money. However taxes and charges are still low compared to other justifications and there are plenty of successful businesses on the Isle of Man (including hospitality). So the reason any business that is failing must be in at least a large part either due to poor practice or a lack of potential for that business. The tax and charges burden here now must surely be the highest it has ever been for local residents. I include in that, utilities costs (although gas prices are now thankfully falling somewhat). But this is new circumstances for businesses on the Island and the economy in general; it's new ground and it will take some time for those in the economy to adjust. The economy is a living, breathing thing and when Govt make adverse changes, it reacts. Those reactions at present are including many business closures who are simply unable to cope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Ingham Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 2 minutes ago, Non-Believer said: Those reactions at present are including many business closures who are simply unable to cope. Nearly, but you need to replace “unable” with “not good enough” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Believer Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 4 minutes ago, Anthony Ingham said: Nearly, but you need to replace “unable” with “not good enough” There will always be businesses of different standards, that's part of the make-up of the economy. But the situation that is now being imposed is not about being "good enough". It's about being financially strong enough to deal with new, imposed circumstances. If you take it to extreme examples, it's like sacrificing small businesses because only global multi-nationals are big, rich and strong enough to survive. Is that the sort of economy we want? Many of these small businesses may still be "good enough". But they cannot survive what Govt are throwing at them because they are not (and may not wish to be) of the scale that is now required to survive. That is not a healthy economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Ingham Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 3 minutes ago, Non-Believer said: There will always be businesses of different standards, that's part of the make-up of the economy. But the situation that is now being imposed is not about being "good enough". It's about being financially strong enough to deal with new, imposed circumstances. If you take it to extreme examples, it's like sacrificing small businesses because only global multi-nationals are big, rich and strong enough to survive. Is that the sort of economy we want? Many of these small businesses may still be "good enough". But they cannot survive what Govt are throwing at them because they are not (and may not wish to be) of the scale that is now required to survive. That is not a healthy economy. I very strongly disagree. All over the island today there will be bars, cafes and restaurants that are full or nearly full. If those people have the slightest understanding of how to operate a profitable business they will make profit and still be here in 12 months. There will be others that are empty or nearly empty. Either because the ambience is rubbish, the service is poor, the products are poor or their prices are too high. These places will die. The truth is that if you took the owners/managers and swapped them then in the majority of places success or failure will follow the people running the place. 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred the shred Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 Everyone is feeling the pinch not just one section of society, there are far too many coffee shops in Strand Street selling countless varieties of overpriced coffee. Only the strongest will survive that is life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Believer Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 32 minutes ago, Anthony Ingham said: I very strongly disagree. All over the island today there will be bars, cafes and restaurants that are full or nearly full. If those people have the slightest understanding of how to operate a profitable business they will make profit and still be here in 12 months. There will be others that are empty or nearly empty. Either because the ambience is rubbish, the service is poor, the products are poor or their prices are too high. These places will die. The truth is that if you took the owners/managers and swapped them then in the majority of places success or failure will follow the people running the place. I'd have to equally strongly disagree. If the only metric we have for measuring a business success is if that business is able to survive a totally artificial economic storm created by our own Govt, then we have entered a very sorry phase in our history. 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueblood Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 I was in the Lake District last week and despite the weather Keswick and Ambleside were very busy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Ingham Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 1 hour ago, Non-Believer said: I'd have to equally strongly disagree. If the only metric we have for measuring a business success is if that business is able to survive a totally artificial economic storm created by our own Govt, then we have entered a very sorry phase in our history. Our own government ? Its the same all over the world and especially in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTeapot Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 [shrug] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Flint Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 2 hours ago, majkul said: Far to many restaurants/coffee shops/eateries on the island, for the amount of people. Moved here in 1992, something like 75/80,000 residents, about 20, 30 eateries (just a guess), and coffee shops were unheard of. Fast forward 32 years. Similar amount of residents, but hundreds of restaurants/coffee shops/eateries. The infrastructure to support so many places is not there. Places will continue struggling with ever-rising prices (supplies, ingredients, rents, rates, electricity, gas ALL going up a lot lately), while people cut down on going out, because their bills have risen too. Double edged sword. Unfortunately, more places will shut down, one part of many things throwing the island backwards. That's a good point. I remember maybe ten years ago, Ian Davison telling me that between the Villa and the sea terminal there were over fifty venues serving coffee. 2 hours ago, Moghrey Mie said: Running a cafe half-way up a 'mountain' where most people drive past is always going to tun the risk of not attracting staff or customers. The government can't do much about either. Destination hospitality. Somewhere the public will take a drive out to. That's a good thing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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