Zombie Restaurants

[Sallywebstersnipples]

Genuinely shocked by how many of these there are. These are places that have lost their crowd and are dead but just don’t know it yet. Went to one last night that over the last decade had always done well and had been banging but not this visit, we counted 7 people and some of those were guests of the live band. A change of ownership, lack of investment, change of staff, cost cutting on quality, plenty of new competition and of course the lira seems to have created the perfect storm for quite a few places. Sad to see.

There are a few who are bucking the trend, but honestly, some nights it’s been hard to find a place with a crowd compared to previous years, it’s like eating in a library.

It’s not going to end well for some.

[Hedge-fund]

Happy Birthday mate. Age getting to you a bit?

[SatelliteCyprus]

SallyWebsters...... Gasoline Blues Band was playing at Roots in Kucuk Erenkoy last night and it was very busy. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that with so many venues offering entertainment, the customer has to spend a bit of time researching what is going on, when, and arrange their social calendar accordingly. A quiet night in a venue does not necessarily indicate that it is struggling, it may be for example, that another venue has entertainment on that evening and that the customers are elsewhere.

Next Tuesday for example, Gasoline are at the Courtyard Restaurant in Karakum and if the other Gigs that we have done there are anything to go by, it will be a busy night. Maybe, on Tuesday, the other 'local' restaurants will be quiet on that night.

The venues who offer good food (value for money) and quality entertainment should always be OK - that is, if there are enough 'local' customers and tourists (few and far between this year, except in the large Hotels/Casinos) to go round.

If you want to enjoy a good night with plenty of others and a great atmosphere (Live Blues Band) and great food, give Mo a call and book a table - 0533 860 6815

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Too much competition supplying a too similar product.

As for live bands I'm sure they draw in some customers but personally I like to eat in peace and have the chance to talk to the person I'm with rather than listen to a live band. I would look for a restaurant without a live band.
Also does the live band pull in enough extra customers to justify their fee?

A lot of restaurants have a too large a menu which is expensive to carry stock on and can only hit quality. Better to do 8-10 things well than have 70 things on the menu that will all be average and of which 60 you will sell once a year.


Dozens of restaurants doing grill food, kebabs, lamb chops and an unimaginative meze but hardly any doing Traditional Turkish/Cypriot Food. It can't all be dry kleftiko and kebabs surely?

But still they keep opening restaurants, bars and casinos fighting for a smaller piece of the pie.

[Sallywebstersnipples]

Happy Birthday mate. Age getting to you a bit?

Cheers mate. You know the place I mean, sad to see.
Our thoughts & prays are with you.

[SatelliteCyprus]

Enjoying the Sun... you should get in touch with Sally Websters.... and ask him/her to tell you the names of the Restaurants that they refer to in their post. They sound as though they will be right up your street. Of course, when you live here (permanently, or semi-permanently) you will visit different venues for different reasons, depending upon your tastes, age etc. Everyone to their own. I'm sure that there are plenty of establishments that can offer you a quiet table in the corner, out of ear-shot where you will not be disturbed.

I am sure that the long-established restaurants know what they are doing and offer exactly what their customers want. The advice that you are offering to them seems to indicate that you have particular requirements in a menu - not everyone is the same. Further, I am also sure that the 'popular' restaurants/venues know what they are doing when they put on entertainment and can make the sums add up - why bother yourself worrying about something that doesn't affect you ?

Ever heard the saying "I'm all 'Kebabed' out" - a good Meze and Kebab is a delight, but too much of a good thing ?

'Trying' shows 'Willing' and 'Willing' shows 'Trying' and if you never 'Try', you never 'Will' and remember when opening a restaurant, for guaranteed success, make sure that you leave one table in the corner for Enjoying the Sun and only offer a limited choice to make sure that you serve a 'perfectly' cooked meal - all for 45TL as well (probably)

I think that the local establishments will be 'more' worried about the amount of rent that they are paying and the fact that if they put their prices up slightly, they have to listen to their customers moaning and groaning about the price of a pint !

[Ferguson]

Too much competition supplying a too similar product.

As for live bands I'm sure they draw in some customers but personally I like to eat in peace and have the chance to talk to the person I'm with rather than listen to a live band. I would look for a restaurant without a live band.
Also does the live band pull in enough extra customers to justify their fee?

A lot of restaurants have a too large a menu which is expensive to carry stock on and can only hit quality. Better to do 8-10 things well than have 70 things on the menu that will all be average and of which 60 you will sell once a year.


Dozens of restaurants doing grill food, kebabs, lamb chops and an unimaginative meze but hardly any doing Traditional Turkish/Cypriot Food. It can't all be dry kleftiko and kebabs surely?

But still they keep opening restaurants, bars and casinos fighting for a smaller piece of the pie.

Could not agree with you more.

Second Rate Karaoke Bands that have to pretend they are someone else.

They say they have come from some exotic place to perform on the island.... There is only one reason they're here.. Cause no one else would have them,

[SatelliteCyprus]

Ferguson.... when you say, " there's only one reason they are 'here' " (you are referring to North Cyprus in a derogatory sense) - this is the place that you have chosen to stay/live - are you sure you made the right decision ?

Answers simple really, don't go to the Karaoke Bar - or is it the cheapest beer in town meaning you 'have' to go ?

[sophie]

My concern is - what is going to happen in the winter? Like some others we avoid "live music" like the plague and go out of our way to avoid it. BUT come the winter, the choices become fewer and far between. Like others, after 14 years we sometimes, but not always, get a bit kebaped out and end up going to well established, very well run, but possibly a little more expensive establishments and I don't mean over priced 5star Casinos.

[Ferguson]

Ferguson.... when you say, " there's only one reason they are 'here' " (you are referring to North Cyprus in a derogatory sense) - this is the place that you have chosen to stay/live - are you sure you made the right decision ?

Answers simple really, don't go to the Karaoke Bar - or is it the cheapest beer in town meaning you 'have' to go ?

No not in a Derogatory sense at all, but would they get a booking on any of The Costa's or Ballerics's or anywhere else on the European side.

I don't intentionally go to Karaoke Bars it just seems that as someone said its the owners of Restaurants who think that having so-called Live music is the way to go. (half the time it's just singing to a pre-recorded backing track. I can remember being at The Fly Inn and the waiter saying "would you like another drink", I said, "yes if you could stop the women singing". He said your not the first person to say that.

I have walked out of Jashan's halfway through a meal when Katy B popped up and started singing.

Most of them are of such a poor quality...

Just my thoughts Mr. Satellite.

And by the way, I love living here... Oh yes, and drinking Vodka !!!

[Mollie the cat]

Drinking Vodka? if you can afford it now!!!

[Ferguson]

Drinking Vodka? if you can afford it now!!!

I smuggle it in the Wifes Handbag !!!!!

[EnjoyingTheSun]

and remember when opening a restaurant, for guaranteed success, make sure that you leave one table in the corner for Enjoying the Sun and only offer a limited choice to make sure that you serve a 'perfectly' cooked meal - all for 45TL as well (probably)

How wrong you are.
I’ve eaten in pretty much all the best restaurants in London and more than happy to pay a LOT of money for a good meal.
Petrus is a good example. Have a look at their menu and you will be surprised how limited the choice of dishes is. Are we to assume that the chefs there can only cook those dishes or find it hard to source different ingredients? Or maybe they would rather do 12 things well than 50 dishes badly. I’m sure if you put fresh swan on your menu you might sell it once a year but you can guarantee you’ll be either throwing it away the other 364 nights of the year or when that one customer comes back you’ll be serving him frozen swan.
I guess you like to look through a menu and when you see Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Italian and Spanish you’ll think they’ll all be good. If someone with a sore throat and a mullet is singing Maggie May so much the better.

I am sure that the long-established restaurants know what they are doing and offer exactly what their customers want. The advice that you are offering to them seems to indicate that you have particular requirements in a menu - not everyone is the same. Further, I am also sure that the 'popular' restaurants/venues know what they are doing when they put on entertainment and can make the sums add up - why bother yourself worrying about something that doesn't affect you ?

My particular requirements in a restaurant is the food and service is good not whether they have some chubby lady with a voice like a moose farting who has re-labelled herself as Adele. In her excitement to be singing to a record of eight people she pumps the volume up higher than Led Zeppelin at Knebworth. The restaurant will attract eight and no doubt alienate eighty.
I know of restaurants where the sums don’t add up but they put on entertainment in a desperate attempt to attract custom from one of the other restaurants that also serve lamb chops, mixed kebab, sea bream etc etc. Maybe try something different?
I’m sure there are a lot of long-established restaurants like a lot of other businesses here that have earned a decent living with poor business practises in times of milk and honey will now have poor business practises exposed. I wish them the best of luck they will need it.

There are a lot of restaurants who will continue to do very well and when the generic grill restaurants with entertainment from failed X factor contestants go out of business they will do even better.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Gasoline Blues Band was playing at Roots in Kucuk Erenkoy last night and it was very busy. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that with so many venues offering entertainment, the customer has to spend a bit of time researching what is going on, when, and arrange their social calendar accordingly.

Or stay in and cook their own Lamb chops

A quiet night in a venue does not necessarily indicate that it is struggling, it may be for example, that another venue has entertainment on that evening and that the customers are elsewhere.

Veni Veci don't have any live entertainment but seem to scratch out a living. Obviously nothing with good Italian food (which is different to 99% of the restaurants out here) at a good price together with good service. Maybe someone could suggest a Motorhead Tribute band to help them out?

The venues who offer good food (value for money) and quality entertainment should always be OK - that is, if there are enough 'local' customers and tourists (few and far between this year, except in the large Hotels/Casinos) to go round.

My money is on the ones with good value for money food. But best of luck convincing the others that loud music is the way to go

[Yes and no]

Ferguson.... when you say, " there's only one reason they are 'here' " (you are referring to North Cyprus in a derogatory sense) - this is the place that you have chosen to stay/live - are you sure you made the right decision ?

Answers simple really, don't go to the Karaoke Bar - or is it the cheapest beer in town meaning you 'have' to go ?

No not in a Derogatory sense at all, but would they get a booking on any of The Costa's or Ballerics's or anywhere else on the European side.

I don't intentionally go to Karaoke Bars it just seems that as someone said its the owners of Restaurants who think that having so-called Live music is the way to go. (half the time it's just singing to a pre-recorded backing track. I can remember being at The Fly Inn and the waiter saying "would you like another drink", I said, "yes if you could stop the women singing". He said your not the first person to say that.

I have walked out of Jashan's halfway through a meal when Katy B popped up and started singing.

Most of them are of such a poor quality...

Just my thoughts Mr. Satellite.

And by the way, I love living here... Oh yes, and drinking Vodka !!!

I totally agree with you,I’ve been gob smacked at some of the entertainment,I’ve walked out before myself

[EnjoyingTheSun]

I totally agree with you,I’ve been gob smacked at some of the entertainment,I’ve walked out before myself

I don't think it's so much how good the entertainment is, I just think it doesn't work as a business model.

I don't know the figures involved but just speculating;

If a couple are paying 200tl for a meal for two with wine which seems average, that is only £24. I'd be interested in how much profit they make from just the food, wine and service alone before taking into account rent, electricity, gas and such like. So if the net profit profit per table of two is say a fiver and the restaurant is paying £50 for the entertainer then that's ten tables profit gone. So you need that entertainer to bring in twenty more people to even justify their fee. Then do you have the capacity to handle the extra?


I think if it's the answer they are asking the wrong question.

Rents etc have gone up so unless they already had a great margin which I doubt they either have to charge more, reduce quality and or portion sizes or strip out all costs that don't produce enough revenue.

[Moonrakers]

Most people we know much prefer to dine out somewhere quiet and peaceful to enjoy a conversation not spoilt by some mediocre crooner or group.

The only entertainer we did enjoy was Barry Snakes who is a fabulous guitarist and great to listen to. Is he still around ?

[SatelliteCyprus]

Everyone...I don't seek to deny anyone the right to be able to enjoy a quiet meal in a nice restaurant with friends and many people (including myself) do just that (weekly), but neither should any of you deny anyone the right to go out, enjoy a curry, drink some alcohol, listen to some nostalgic music and have a good dance.

Why any of you saw fit to comment in a thread asking why 'certain' local restaurants are quiet, only to moan and whinge about music/karaoke/live bands, presumably because you think that this is the reason why they are quiet, is beyond me. Can you not contribute positively ? What do you do for enjoyment ? Scan through Kibkom's Index Page looking for something to have a moan about ?

Those of you who want to be able to sit quietly, undisturbed and choose from a limited menu are going to get what you want sooner than you think and when it comes, believe me, you'll wish that you weren't sitting in a winged back chair, sucking sliced banana, listening to Val Doonican.

I can understand why the restaurants who put the extra effort in and make arrangements to entertain their customers are consistently busier than those who wait for customers, fingers crossed, hoping that someone off this thread will come in and ask to sit at a quiet table in the corner, order 'just' a starter (because they're not a big eater) and sit there all night with a glass of orange juice and a coke. Then moan about the prices going up.

With a combined age to match that of the Rolling Stones, Gasoline's 4 Members certainly have no intention of growing old gracefully and enjoy every minute of their Gigs, as do the audience, if their comments are anything to go by. They do something else too, they raise a lot of money for charity (Hope4Pets). You know the bloody nuisance people who come round and ask you to buy a strip of raffle tickets for 10 TL (£1.20 - a bit of fun for the price of a Pint of Beer and a chance to win a nice prize) with 'all' the proceeds going towards helping to re-home unwanted/stranded/injured/poorly cats and dogs.

Just accept that you are all the 'vocal' (miserable) minority and give next Tuesday's Gasoline Gig at Mo's Courtyard (9pm) a miss (0533 860 6815 to book a table)

[jayceebee]

My concern is - what is going to happen in the winter? Like some others we avoid "live music" like the plague and go out of our way to avoid it. BUT come the winter, the choices become fewer and far between. Like others, after 14 years we sometimes, but not always, get a bit kebaped out and end up going to well established, very well run, but possibly a little more expensive establishments and I don't mean over priced 5star Casinos.

Regarding your last point....whenever we go to Casinos (Merit and Kaya Palazzo) the food is fantastic and, like the drinks, "on the house"!

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Why any of you saw fit to comment in a thread asking why 'certain' local restaurants are quiet, only to moan and whinge about music/karaoke/live bands, presumably because you think that this is the reason why they are quiet, is beyond me. Can you not contribute positively ?

Err no, the thread went down that route because you shamelessly used it to plug your band. The rest of the comments were pointing out that local restaurants bringing in live music was liable to harm their business than help it.

Those of you who want to be able to sit quietly, undisturbed and choose from a limited menu are going to get what you want sooner than you think and when it comes, believe me, you'll wish that you weren't sitting in a winged back chair, sucking sliced banana, listening to Val Doonican.

My own personal taste is rock and rhythm and blues and I've seen pretty much all the biggest and best bands. It's another reason I don't much care for live bands doing covers. The restaurant could just pipe out the original records, it will be better music and cheaper for them. Also they can turn the volume down a bit so the whole restaurant isn't held hostage to the ego of the act.
I've yet to think of a meal that I thought could have been improved by Bob Segar bellowing out his hits six feet away. Much as I love his music.

I can understand why the restaurants who put the extra effort in and make arrangements to entertain their customers are consistently busier than those who wait for customers, fingers crossed, hoping that someone off this thread will come in and ask to sit at a quiet table in the corner, order 'just' a starter (because they're not a big eater) and sit there all night with a glass of orange juice and a coke. Then moan about the prices going up.

You seem to have this impression that people don't like live music because they are cheap. I assume then that restaurants charge more when you play?
No thought not.
Maybe suggest it, if you are drawing in so many customers surely you and the restaurant ought to charge a premium?

With a combined age to match that of the Rolling Stones, Gasoline's 4 Members certainly have no intention of growing old gracefully and enjoy every minute of their Gigs, as do the audience, if their comments are anything to go by.

I'm sure you are great, hire a local football stadium, as that would count as a gig, and I promise to attend. I used to try and catch the Rolling Stones each tour but stopped in the early nineties when they become crap.

Just accept that you are all the 'vocal' (miserable) minority and give next Tuesday's Gasoline Gig at Mo's Courtyard (9pm) a miss (0533 860 6815 to book a table)

If anyone wants to go and needs a cab driver at reasonable rates, call..........................

[SatelliteCyprus]

Enjoying the Sun...as much as you (with your ulterior motive) would like to make this about our band and not the original subject matter, I will resist.

Many readers are probably thinking "Failed musician, disgruntled ex-customer, jealous business rival, or other (insert answer here) - and wondering which one is it ?

Deepest gratitude for taking the time to help me keep this very interesting topic at the top tho' - well done, really !

[Moonrakers]

Satellite.

Quite where you assume that the 'miserable minority' are denying you the right to do anything I haven't a clue.

The thread is about empty restaurants and the reasons why. Some 'miserable' forum members have merely pointed out that loud live music does not always attract customers to restaurants and you assume them to be in the minority. I wonder how you know this ?

I do commend you all for contributing to animal charity.

Just remember that dear old Val Doonican was a very popular entertainer for many years with 10 top selling LPs and a few top ten hits, though I agree he was not everyone's cup of tea ! Why involve him in this discussion ?

Maybe you could list all your musical achievements on the forum rather than advertise your group and satellite business ?

[Ferguson]

Satellite.

Quite where you assume that the 'miserable minority' are denying you the right to do anything I haven't a clue.

The thread is about empty restaurants and the reasons why. Some 'miserable' forum members have merely pointed out that loud live music does not always attract customers to restaurants and you assume them to be in the minority. I wonder how you know this ?

I do commend you all for contributing to animal charity.

Just remember that dear old Val Doonican was a very popular entertainer for many years with 10 top selling LPs and a few top ten hits, though I agree he was not everyone's cup of tea ! Why involve him in this discussion ?

Maybe you could list all your musical achievements on the forum rather than advertise your group and satellite business ?

I do love a great reply..

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Enjoying the Sun...as much as you (with your ulterior motive) would like to make this about our band and not the original subject matter, I will resist.

Many readers are probably thinking "Failed musician, disgruntled ex-customer, jealous business rival, or other (insert answer here) - and wondering which one is it ?

Deepest gratitude for taking the time to help me keep this very interesting topic at the top tho' - well done, really !

I don't have any ulterior motive and haven't zeroed in on your band. Your band only keeps coming up because you keep advertising them.

As I keep saying, it doesn't matter as to how talented the entertainment is, it will alienate as many if not more customers than it attracts and any customers it brings in probably won't cover its fee. It isn't the answer to a failing restaurant.


As for the failed musician bit, I assume you are either projecting or getting personal as in your dig about me not wanting to pay more than 45TL for a meal.
If you have finally found some venues you can pretend to be Keith Richard in front of some diners who have run out of conversation then good for you but don't make out you are the answer to saving any failing restaurants.

[EnjoyingTheSun]

Quite where you assume that the 'miserable minority' are denying you the right to do anything I haven't a clue.

The thread is about empty restaurants and the reasons why. Some 'miserable' forum members have merely pointed out that loud live music does not always attract customers to restaurants and you assume them to be in the minority. I wonder how you know this ?

Ego and entitlement I assume. The same ego that probably means that we are going to put our music on as loud as we possibly can because everyone is going to hear us and only us whether they are in the restaurant or ten miles away in their garden.

Just remember that dear old Val Doonican was a very popular entertainer for many years with 10 top selling LPs and a few top ten hits, though I agree he was not everyone's cup of tea ! Why involve him in this discussion ?

I think that was to prove he is an unrepentant rock and roller. Ripping off and doing covers of music that is 50 some years old is more current, edgy and cutting edge than Val.