‘Fantastic news’ as two new restaurants arrive (From Worcester News)

This is superb news. Well done CrownGate and Erica Burlace.

And well done to Crowngate for its evening parking initiative.

Seriously, people congratulate Crowngate on adding another Coffee shop and Italian to Worcesters streets when they are two things we already have far too many of. How about Crowngate getting realistic on its rental charges to help encourage new independent businesses to Worcester. Worcester town centre has lost all its charm and is just becoming a clone of all city centres full of franchise and masive corporate businesses. Crowngate are one of the main reasons for Worcesters city centre problems. Total joke!!!

Cafe Bolero have opened a new bar/restaurant on Foregate St (opp Crown Court). That's an independent enterprise and well worth celebrating and supporting.
Pity they weren't open Sunday though when I visited. It appears they are only open 6 nights a week :-)

homer3uk wrote:
Seriously, people congratulate Crowngate on adding another Coffee shop and Italian to Worcesters streets when they are two things we already have far too many of. How about Crowngate getting realistic on its rental charges to help encourage new independent businesses to Worcester. Worcester town centre has lost all its charm and is just becoming a clone of all city centres full of franchise and masive corporate businesses. Crowngate are one of the main reasons for Worcesters city centre problems. Total joke!!!

Better than the area being desolate and unused. I agree we're not short of a coffee shop, Italian restaurant or an Indian for that matter but it's not the end of the world that a couple of national chains are coming to inhabit an otherwise empty plot. There's plenty of other areas to town than Crowngate so you can avoid it. It's not like it's an umbrella encompassing a large majority of the town.

Yes, I look forward to trying the new Bolero, I often use they're coffe shop rather than Costa. As for Crowngate, well have you been into worcester. Crowngate is a massive part of city centre shopping. They're rent is taylored to suit huge corporate business. As a business owner in the city for the last 6 yrs and having worked in the city centre for the last 18 I have seen many changes, The biggest being the effect on the high st of the latest resesion, something Crowngate are doing little to help with. No independent trader stands a chance with the rental and rate charges set by the Crown Estate. But I guess your happy for the big boys to continue to rape and pillage the countrys city centres.

Two new boil in the bag restaurants! and so close to Marks & Spencers! M&S sales of microwave meals will be hit hard!

homer3uk wrote:
Yes, I look forward to trying the new Bolero, I often use they're coffe shop rather than Costa. As for Crowngate, well have you been into worcester. Crowngate is a massive part of city centre shopping. They're rent is taylored to suit huge corporate business. As a business owner in the city for the last 6 yrs and having worked in the city centre for the last 18 I have seen many changes, The biggest being the effect on the high st of the latest resesion, something Crowngate are doing little to help with. No independent trader stands a chance with the rental and rate charges set by the Crown Estate. But I guess your happy for the big boys to continue to rape and pillage the countrys city centres.

High St landlords (often pension funds but Crowngate is The Queen - hence the name) want a return of 7%ish on their properties so if they have a shop premises valued at £2m, they are going to want £140k per year in rent. There are very few local businesses who would take on such a high commitment so Crowngate caters, predominantly, for the multiple /chain . If they take less than 7% it devalues their property so they would rather sit on empty premises and maintain their balance sheet than let at a lower rental to an independant

homer3uk wrote:
Yes, I look forward to trying the new Bolero, I often use they're coffe shop rather than Costa. As for Crowngate, well have you been into worcester. Crowngate is a massive part of city centre shopping. They're rent is taylored to suit huge corporate business. As a business owner in the city for the last 6 yrs and having worked in the city centre for the last 18 I have seen many changes, The biggest being the effect on the high st of the latest resesion, something Crowngate are doing little to help with. No independent trader stands a chance with the rental and rate charges set by the Crown Estate. But I guess your happy for the big boys to continue to rape and pillage the countrys city centres.

I understand you don't appreciate the way they go about their business and as a city business owner I can understand your struggles but Crowngate isn't as big as you may suggest and certainly has had no major bearing on the recession. The reason high street shops are going out of business is down to one main thing in my opinion. The internet. Why go into town and scour around looking for something that will invariably be cheaper and easier to find on the net. Oh, and they deliver it directly to your door. It's a no brainer. I do 85-90% of my shopping online. I even do my weekly food shop online as it's easier and usually cheaper as you get what you need and don't end up impulse buying as much. The only businesses that will eventually survive the technology are restaurants, bars etc because you can't get the same experience or indeed a better one by using the internet.

homer3uk wrote:
Yes, I look forward to trying the new Bolero, I often use they're coffe shop rather than Costa. As for Crowngate, well have you been into worcester. Crowngate is a massive part of city centre shopping. They're rent is taylored to suit huge corporate business. As a business owner in the city for the last 6 yrs and having worked in the city centre for the last 18 I have seen many changes, The biggest being the effect on the high st of the latest resesion, something Crowngate are doing little to help with. No independent trader stands a chance with the rental and rate charges set by the Crown Estate. But I guess your happy for the big boys to continue to rape and pillage the countrys city centres.

No offence, but there is a difference between

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But I agree with the points you seem to be making. Their great (see what I did they're...)

Maggie Would wrote:
Cafe Bolero have opened a new bar/restaurant on Foregate St (opp Crown Court). That's an independent enterprise and well worth celebrating and supporting.
Pity they weren't open Sunday though when I visited. It appears they are only open 6 nights a week :-)

I was there last Sunday for breakfast... no Sundays for now... meanwhile, I had been there two Saturdays ago for an espresso and the place is elegantly comfortable, but staff was still being trained in how to use the till. We paid exactly the same when comparing to St Nicholas's. If you are a banker you pay only £130 for a bottle of Bollinger and that's a bargain when compared to London...

And, before you all start joking, I am not a banker and , if we drink, we would choose Moet (£30-45).

although good news,
however does this warrant front page headlines in a paper?
just like glasshouse and pizza express the paper feels it must anounce potential advertisers on the front

TheIndependentPoliti
cian wrote:
It's good news. Worcester could become the next eating out Mecca second only to Birmingham.

Damning with faint praise?

I am actually concerned that we seem to be getting yet another national pseudo-Italian chain, no doubt to be staffed predominantly by locals and east Europeans, to give that authentic Italian feel.

It is great that Worcester has so many decent, independent restaurants, but it would be better if there were more.