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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think if you put your style choices above customer comfort your business is going to fail?

130 replies

BluthsFrozenBananas · 12/11/2018 16:56

It’s a tough market right now, so why do new businesses, especially restaurants and cafes, do this?

I went to a new cafe in town yesterday with DH and DD. It’s been open a couple of weeks and what I assume where the owners were in there, three rather earnest hipsterish blokes. The food was pretty good and a decent price, but the style choices that had been made ensured I’d probably never go back.

All hot drinks were served in tin mugs, my tea caused the mug to heat up so much the handle was too hot to hold and the rim burnt my lips. I asked for a china mug, to be told they only had tin ones, but they’d make me another tea. So I got a second tea pot full of Luke warm water, which wasn’t hot enough to actually brew the tea properly.

Alongside this the tables were very small and designed with legs shaped liked an inverted v. This meant that the tops of the table legs dug into the thighs of any adult sitting at them. I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t got the thinnest of legs, but looking around the cafe I could see most of the adults were either sitting awkwardly far from the tables or had pulled their chairs around to the corner of the table so they could sit in comfort.

On the way out one of the earnest hipsters asked me if I’d be coming back, I told him I would if they got some china mugs, he gave me a Hmm look. I’m not going to take to trip advisor and slag the place off, but I probably won’t bother to go back either.

It was the similar with the posh burger place which opened up near me, and recently closed. Although with them it was the menu which was the issue. They had lots of fancy pants and frankly odd burgers on their menu, but not a single plain one. The plainest was bacon and cheese, and the only way to get a plain burger was to ask for bacon and cheese without the bacon and cheese, but you were still paying for them.

TLDR, hipsterish notions aren’t great for long term business success.

OP posts:
Oliversmumsarmy · 16/11/2018 10:06

I think that most of these hipster types are young and childless. When you have children you look at things differently.

You go into a room and can immediately with a cursory glance spot all the problems a baby/toddler/child could get into trouble with.

Swings could be untied, benches with no backrest are balance bars to be walked along. Tins can be banged. Drinking your coffee with one hand is hard enough let alone trying to hold a baby and stop them grabbing 3 cups whilst you are trying to make the coffee.

Whilst people might want to frequent the independent coffee shops ultimately Starbucks and Costa have it right. When you stop for coffee you want a coffee already made and you would like a comfy sofa to drink it from. Not make your own from a back breaking seat and be charged through the nose for the privilege

StrawberrySquash · 16/11/2018 10:25

Bad seating is a real issue. I have a moderately rubbish back and it just leaves me in pain sometimes. This stuff is basic. We know about ergonomics.

LaPampa · 16/11/2018 10:40

I’m obviously in a minority here. I despair over the lack of hipster cafes where I live and much prefer my coffee out of a glass than a giant ceramic cup. We’ve a cafe nearby which roasts its own coffee & has the potential for hipster credentials but still uses those awful large round cups!

cheminotte · 16/11/2018 15:24

I took dc to the cathedral cafe over half term. Jacket potatoes, beans on toast, simple toasties (not only fancy ones) and tea served in a pot with a cup and saucer. Did have to explain what a saucer was to dc though!

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/11/2018 16:14

Giant ceramic cup? Most of the places near me haven't got as far as giant cups yet, only Costa.

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