Truth About the Rumours

A friend of ours has recently come back from Spain, informing us of the rumours that are rife out there at the minute about us renting the Old Golf Pro Shop. So we have decided to tell you all the facts and set the record straight.

Apparently people think we only wanted the unit to sell the outside space, this is complete rubbish, we had 3 very good business ideas and yes we had discussed closing at night to allow another business to use this space and they would have had to contribute a small fee to compensate us for being closed.

We would have been like all the businesses in Al Kasars we need to stay open to survive as the prices for rent are not cheap. We could have said no to the other business stopping them from trading outside but we didnt as we want all businesses to thrive, selling what they were initially set up to sell - not other ideas they have pinched along the way. We were told by the banks and estate agents to negotiate with this other business as the outside space was in our contract ours. We were in the process of doing this when the business in question said they no longer wanted the outside space as they didnt think they would be as busy due to other restaurants opening up this year.

Suffice to say the figures that have been banded around that this other business was being asked to pay, are also not true ! All we asked for was a small contribution of what the business would be taking using our outside terrace.

The whole story has been blown completely out of the proportion, the business doesnt want the terrace and we along with the residents on Condado have been the ones to suffer due to chinese whipsers from people who are scared of some good helathy competition, which from reading posts on this forum, Al Kasars could do with as there are not many good reports on here of good places to eat

Hi Leigh, in Al Kasar we have some lovely places to eat, admittedly in the past there have been one or two teething problems but these have now been overcome and are now flourishing.
I may be wrong but I thought you said in an earlier post that you weren't setting up a food outlet.
Also no disrespect to you as I don't know the nature of your 3 business ideas but maybe if you just had one solid proposition maybe the bank or whoever is in charge of the outlets would have more faith. As I said no disrespect but no one can back you up when no one knows what you want to do, which is probably a catch 22 as you don't want anybody to steal your business idea.
I think we're all really curious though :)

Gill

I have to defend our eateries as well!!!!! La Cata are ever helpful, with good trade in permanent residents and holiday makers alike. Frances, one of the owners, gives it 110%, and you have to try his 'sangria and cider". la Cata are doing Paella, Italian theme and wine tasting weekends in May.... The Bulgarian is also doing well with new gazebo style seating outside. Bokao do a good trade in tapas and Christina and Nathan are doing a great job in the absence of Julio ( who has been ill recently, best wishes to him!). Clover do a good range of snacks and the Condado Club is also doing well. The Condado Club has a Mexican themed menu on a Thursday night and good fish and chips on a Friday night. Big G's American Diner is near enough open with good reports.

There have been complaints in the past about some and I am sure there will be complaints in the future but you can't please everyone all of the time. I, personally, don't go to the Bulgarian, after a poor meal ( purely my opinion) but I have friends who love it and go back again and again (and love and recommend it)...so I assume I was unlucky in my choice of meal or maybe I was just hormonal and even Marco Pierre White couldnt have pleased me!

There are nights when I fancy a Chinese takeaway, there are nights when I fancy an Indian meal from a wonderful restaurant I know in Slough but I am so glad to be living in Condado and am thankful for the eateries that we have!!!! As a permanent resident, please accept this as a 'good report' on Condado's eateries!

Don't let your personal experiences with IRM poison you against the other businesses in Condado! Life is too short, Leigh...I hope everything works out for you....I genuinely do!!

Hi Gill,

We are only going by the posts left on here saying that some of the food isnt up to scratch - we ourselves have had more bad ones than good ones but looking forward to trying the American DIner when we are next out.

For clarification, when we first approached the bank they were 100% behind us and backed us wholeheartedly, with all 3 business ideas. You are right we dont want people to steal our ideas as that sort of thing seems rife over there.

We had hoped to set up a proper cafe serving snacks throughout the day including full breakfasts to croissants, to beans on toast to real english snacks(cottage pie, jacket potatoes etc...)  but it was going to be much more than a cafe - we had plans to put a post office, an ATM, the facility to get any kind of craftsman from a plumber to an electrician who were recommended by word of mouth. A place where you could book tours, ask for advice, a board with items for sale. We wanted to create a real community meeting place where you could enjoy a cup of tea, and a cake and while the hours away reading the papers.

At this stage we dont want to go in to our other ideas but just wanted to share with you what we did have planned and how it would benefit the whole of Condado providing many additional services. Im sure you will agree this was a solid proposition and such a shame that we couldnt implement the idea because the banks were pressured by other businesses

Leigh

 

 

 

2little tinkers,

As we said to Gill we are going by the posts left on here by people expressing the standard of food available there - we really are looking forward to the diner opening

We have had some good and also some bad meals and like you we continue to visit the good ones but not the bad ones

Yes life is too short which is why we are so disappointed in our dealings with IRM as they have let certain businesses dictate to them what they can let units out to sell which is a real shame as we thought our ideas would benefit everyone. It seems like theses businesses are too short sighted to let Al Kasars flourish as it should 

Leigh 
 

We've enjoyed the food we have eaten at the various eateries at CdA. I have read one or two posts on one or two forums when people say they didn't enjoy a meal but I think that can happen anywhere- in fact I know it can as I was disappointed with a pub meal I had locally in the UK last weekend. I very much like the fact we don't have to drive anywhere to get a meal now and the convenience of that is worth a lot. I think a problem we could have at CdA is if we dont have enough variety at Al Kasar and I don't mean just in places to eat but in different types of stores. The summer on the resort is fairly busy but in off season there will be a lot of restaurants all vying for a diminishing group of customers. Providing places that suit a variety of nationalities is important too- when the market is on through the summer enticing the Spanish visitors into Al Kasar is another factor, and itdoesnt all have to be about food and drink.

The Paramount Park effect would have made a difference in so many ways and competition wouldn't be so stiff if that had all happened as publicised. 

There have been articles in the press about the Govt restricting private rentals in Spanish resorts which could be another issue that has a knock on effect (if this actually happens) and means businesses have to look very closely at their present and potential competitors.

A lot of the Spanish are very sensible and come here as a large family so they dont eat out, they barbeque at home and have a wonderful time. Last Wednesday, 1 May, was a 'Red day' / public holiday for the Spanish and the resort was busy with Spanish tourists.....which I do love to see ( my children go to Spanish school and it is great to have Spanish playmates) La Cata was very busy but they did not venture to any other eateries!

Sunday was Mother's Day and again I could see large families arriving and passing coolbox after coolbox over the back wall! The majority travel by car and bring their shopping with them!

Off season is horrid for the Al Kasar businesses, we try to spread our money around them all, but we dont eat out that often as we live here!

I dont know if there is anything else that can be done to attract more Spanish in to Al Kasar...I think they are happy as they are!! If I had an eatery I would be aiming for the British, Irish and Scandinavian tourists....they appear to be the biggest spenders!

Paramount will be wonderful, if it happens....The town hall told friends a few days ago that small construction work had started....so we drove the 8.4 miles and there was no movement. However, I appreciate it is a large site and perhaps we did not look in the right area!!!!

I must be due to mention heated pools again, I feel heated pools would extend our season and help the current businesses and maybe attract more businesses!!!!!

Hi Leigh,
I must say I do like the sound of your idea, such a shame it didn't come to fruition.
Have IRM told you there is pressure from other business's because I find that quite odd to say the least, you would think they would
just be happy to take the rent from someone and cut their losses,will we ever understand the workings of the Spanish beaurocracy.

Gill

Gill,

We also thought it was a really good idea one that would involve the whole community in some way. As we said the banks were a 100% behind us initially we didnt tell anyone all our ideas as we knew they were prone to being used by others.

It wasnt until we had people come in to quote for building works and to price for licences and estate agents got involved that anyone knew our business, then in the space of 3 months it all changed the banks initially said they had a meeting with all the eateries and they were concerned they would loose their businesses if more food places opened up,  when we pressured the banks as we found out there was no such meeting they then admitted that a business on Al Kasar had contacted them to discuss their loss of revenue due to too many eateries opening. SInce they pay more rent than us they backed them and told us we couldnt open an eating place and neither could we have the outside terrace so we declined to sign our contract as we felt it wasnt fair and we didnt want to be a part of such underhanded dealings .So from what the banks say they will not allow any more eatting  places to open like indian restaurant curry houses  or any other food place s

Leigh,
That's disgusting behaviour from anybody and really shouldn't be allowed to happen.
I really hope you can make a go of your other ideas, I wish you the best of luck.

Gill

Okay, now Im confused!, you said your business was nothing to do with food/ drink...am sure it was laundrette based??????

If the French restaurant happens, I feel we have more than enough eateries.  These businesses need to pay rent 12 months of the year while only making money 4-6 months. It was hard in the winter to see the concern on the faces of the owners of La Cata and Bokao, they had bills to pay and no customers!!  I believe their contracts say they must stay open 12 months of the year, regardless of trade!  At the moment there are not enough people for the eateries we have!  I feel a good French restaurant might attract tourists from other areas.....who knows?

This message was last edited by 2littletinkers on 09/05/2013.

This message was last edited by 2littletinkers on 09/05/2013.

Hi Gill,

We felt exactly the same - its too late for our ideas now, we just wanted people to know

Thanks for your comments

Leigh

2littletinkers,

As we said in a previous post we had 3 ideas, a laundrette, the cafe with all the services as explained which would be nothing like the restaurants already there. It would be a real english cafe and open in the day time only. We hadnt previously reveiled this because people tend to steal peoples ideas. No one knew initally until the estate agentsand architects were involved and thats when the trouble started and a business had a discussion with the banks and put a stop to us going any further by stopping our ideas and not allowing us the outside terrace

Im sure you can see that the more businesses there are at Al Kasars the more people will spend their money there - there has been several people post on here saying that they go off site as they cant find what they want on site, which is a real shame. If the banks were to help the businesses out and reduce rent through the winter times until the place was thriving then perhaps more businesses would feel confident enough to take the plunge

Hopefully thats explained your confusion over whats been said before

 

 

thanks for reply....an English cafe would be lovely....but you would have to open at night because of the cost of rent and short season!  

I wish you well Leigh and totally agree about IRM reducing rent over winter as resort is dead!!!

 

With last week's Paramount announcents IRM are in a stronger position to barter!!

This message was last edited by 2littletinkers on 13/05/2013.

This message was last edited by 2littletinkers on 13/05/2013.

Hi Lee and Claire

 

We both wish you well in whatever you decide to do, but dont do anything based on the building of Paramount, its just taken us 6 weeks to get a garden light fixed.

hi you two [cath and kevin]

  We know  what spains like now  - the airport is still not open its been finshed for two years now so that says it really but thanks for the advice anyway

Claire & Leigh