Metropol

Zimba wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 08.39 Not surprised at McDonald's sales dropping. It's a complete waste of money.

There's so many independent burger (and other fast food) places popping up all over the place lately and they're all a league above McDonald's and not a million miles away in price. Massive change from 15 year ago when the only other burger you could get was the equivilant of something you'd expect from a tin.

Not to mention the likes of Jollibee, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Tim Horton, Popeyes, and so on, creeping in aswell which are mostly superior.

Those are mostly only in high street locations or major shopping centres though. Most McDonald's I visit are located by supermarkets or out-of-town shopping parks and they're usually the only option.

The Subway I used to go to on my lunch in work always seemed to be empty. I wasn't surprised it closed but sad all the same. I do like a nice Subway every now and then.

Subway up my end went from 4 locations down to none (there is still one listed on the Subway website but it's long been closed).

I also note that the formerly burgeoning Papa's Fish and Chips has cut back locations quite a bit (down to just seven now). One of the most recent closures is in Whitby, where I'm not sure the marketing phrase "Britain's Best Fish and Chips" holds up in a town that contains actual contenders for that title. It is being replaced by a branch of Wendy's, who I think could hold the title of "Britain's Best Non-Pork-Based Square Patty from America".

bilky asko wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 11.19 Subway up my end went from 4 locations down to none (there is still one listed on the Subway website but it's long been closed).

I also note that the formerly burgeoning Papa's Fish and Chips has cut back locations quite a bit (down to just seven now). One of the most recent closures is in Whitby, where I'm not sure the marketing phrase "Britain's Best Fish and Chips" holds up in a town that contains actual contenders for that title. It is being replaced by a branch of Wendy's, who I think could hold the title of "Britain's Best Non-Pork-Based Square Patty from America".

The Arena one in Sheffield also seems to be becoming a Wendy's. Think the Crystal Peaks one is still going tho.

I've always had really good food from the Blackpool one, love their batter.

Tasty Plaice is another Fish & Chip chain which seems to be clinging on to dear life having opened in every food court going pre-pandemic.

WillPS wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 12.25

bilky asko wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 11.19 Subway up my end went from 4 locations down to none (there is still one listed on the Subway website but it's long been closed).

I also note that the formerly burgeoning Papa's Fish and Chips has cut back locations quite a bit (down to just seven now). One of the most recent closures is in Whitby, where I'm not sure the marketing phrase "Britain's Best Fish and Chips" holds up in a town that contains actual contenders for that title. It is being replaced by a branch of Wendy's, who I think could hold the title of "Britain's Best Non-Pork-Based Square Patty from America".

The Arena one in Sheffield also seems to be becoming a Wendy's. Think the Crystal Peaks one is still going tho.

I've always had really good food from the Blackpool one, love their batter.

Tasty Plaice is another Fish & Chip chain which seems to be clinging on to dear life having opened in every food court going pre-pandemic.

A quick search on Companies House suggests that "Square Burgers Limited" is a company that the directors of Papa's are involved in, and are the franchisee for an ex-Papa's site in Hull.

bilky asko wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 14.08

WillPS wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 12.25

bilky asko wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 11.19 Subway up my end went from 4 locations down to none (there is still one listed on the Subway website but it's long been closed).

I also note that the formerly burgeoning Papa's Fish and Chips has cut back locations quite a bit (down to just seven now). One of the most recent closures is in Whitby, where I'm not sure the marketing phrase "Britain's Best Fish and Chips" holds up in a town that contains actual contenders for that title. It is being replaced by a branch of Wendy's, who I think could hold the title of "Britain's Best Non-Pork-Based Square Patty from America".

The Arena one in Sheffield also seems to be becoming a Wendy's. Think the Crystal Peaks one is still going tho.

I've always had really good food from the Blackpool one, love their batter.

Tasty Plaice is another Fish & Chip chain which seems to be clinging on to dear life having opened in every food court going pre-pandemic.

A quick search on Companies House suggests that "Square Burgers Limited" is a company that the directors of Papa's are involved in, and are the franchisee for an ex-Papa's site in Hull.

Good sleuthing! Makes sense. It did seem wild to me opening two locations in Sheffield in a short time. I didn't go in either though, so it's possible the Arena one had little work done to convert it from the Table Table it was previously.

Papa's at Crystal Peaks is next to a relatively new and very popular Wetherspoons, and therefore unsurprisingly it seems empty every time I have seen it. I suspect it will become a Wendy's in time and will do better as one if it does.

The Sheffield Arena one lasted only months as a Papa's and looks like it will be sub-divided into multiple units, one of which being a Wendy's. That's been in the pipeline for months but no signs of development yet.

I do wonder how well Wendy's will do in the UK long term - after the initial hype, the one in Sheffield city centre does not seem to be heaving, and a noticeable price increase followed soon after opening. Taco Bell made a similar push into the UK a few years ago and I've seen a few that have not survived, but that said, I think Taco Bell is pretty low quality compared to Wendy's.

Taco Bell in dundee is in the city centre and has like 4 seats. Meaning you can't drive there without paying a load for parking, and if you walk in you've got to take the food outside and have it stolen by a seagull.

Ordered a Big Mac tonight and got a Double Big Mac. I must have done something good this week to deserve that. The balance is a bit off with double the burgers though.

Went to my first Jolibees this weekend in Liverpool City Centre. The Chicken tenders are less greasy than KFC, and I think I prefer them. However, their fries are perhaps the weakest I've had at a fast food restaurant.

The McD near me ran out of large fries containers when I was there earlier this week. They explained everyone would get a medium and a small fries, and for some reason this combo would be put through as a pineapple stick, to much confusion from customers and exasperation from staff.

I'm guessing it was probably easier to adjust later in some back office sales/forecasting system.

bilky asko wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 14.08

WillPS wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 12.25

bilky asko wrote: ↑Wed 07 Aug, 2024 11.19 Subway up my end went from 4 locations down to none (there is still one listed on the Subway website but it's long been closed).

I also note that the formerly burgeoning Papa's Fish and Chips has cut back locations quite a bit (down to just seven now). One of the most recent closures is in Whitby, where I'm not sure the marketing phrase "Britain's Best Fish and Chips" holds up in a town that contains actual contenders for that title. It is being replaced by a branch of Wendy's, who I think could hold the title of "Britain's Best Non-Pork-Based Square Patty from America".

The Arena one in Sheffield also seems to be becoming a Wendy's. Think the Crystal Peaks one is still going tho.

I've always had really good food from the Blackpool one, love their batter.

Tasty Plaice is another Fish & Chip chain which seems to be clinging on to dear life having opened in every food court going pre-pandemic.

A quick search on Companies House suggests that "Square Burgers Limited" is a company that the directors of Papa's are involved in, and are the franchisee for an ex-Papa's site in Hull.

Yeah, expect more of this. Papa's and Wendy's UK are effectively the same company.