Hastings Forum

Hello,

I am hoping to buy a cafe/restaurant/wine bar in Hastings with my inheritance after I have finished university and thought I would ask the town what you would like to see in the area, what it is missing etc.

I was currently thinking of cakes and pastries in the day time and a simple menu with stews and charcuterie with local produce and wine by the glass in the evening.

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks

Hey I'll tell you what I miss since moving here - the old Pie and Eel shops. Open one and I'll be your best customer.

[quoted]
Olly wrote:
Hey I'll tell you what I miss since moving here - the old Pie and Eel shops. Open one and I'll be your best customer.
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Thanks Olly, pies is a good idea. Not sure about eels though!! How much would you be willing to pay for a good quality individual pie in a nice place?

Well you might have to do some research because the pies were extremely distinctive, not only in flavour but in 'construction' - the pastry whilst thin was quite elastic (for want of a better word - it wasn't crusty in other words). and the filling was (I use the word again because it's so important) a distinctive flavoured minced lamb. And the other main ingredient was what they call the 'liquor', which is a parsley sauce concoction. No, I wouldn't have the eels unless you'd run out of pies!! How much would I pay? To eat 'in' (and for authenticity you'd need traditional wrought iron tables with a marble top) I reckon GBP3.50-GBP4 would give you a fairly good return, or minus GBP1 on those prices for a takeaway. Roughly the same as a portion of fish and chips? But if it was [i]really]/i] authentic I'd pay up to a fiver a go.

My priorities for a daytime caf would be one with a sea view, easy for parking, sofas or easy chairs, inside and outside seating, good quality sandwiches or cakes and staff who know how to make customers welcome.

I would like to see a "discrete" caf - one where customers are shielded somewhat from other customers. I don't want to see other people stuffing their faces when I eat and I'm sure they don't want to see me. Noise is also a problem for me - I hate cafes that are so noisy I can't hear my companion/s speaking above the general hubbub. I have no idea how the above could be achieved though.

[quoted]
Derek Jempson wrote:
I would like to see a "discrete" caf - one where customers are shielded somewhat from other customers. [color:blue]I don't want to see other people stuffing their faces when I eat and I'm sure they don't want to see me.[/color] Noise is also a problem for me - I hate cafes that are so noisy I can't hear my companion/s speaking above the general hubbub. I have no idea how the above could be achieved though.
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Thank gawd I'm not alone in that. It's why I always have the Bay Spice 'Early Bite' - I'm the only one in there!
8)

If I see anyone else in there next time I go, the chances are that it'll be Derek Jempson! lol

if you are coming out of University with an inheritance I would make sure you don't lose the lot on a failed enterprise.
You would be taking a great risk if you did not try to find out what others are doing successfully and why others have failed.
See what works in Brighton and why and who the customers are likely to be.
Many times the location of the cafe is paramount (just like in the property series of Location, Location, Location).
You can get cakes and coffee anywhere and "Cafe des Arts" is hard to better in terms of cakes. (with special offers at certain times of day)
As for meals there is not a good place to eat in Hastings in my opinion and this won't change by someone spending their inheritance.

I think you would need to spend a long time researching by working in restaurants and seeing just how often places close down and open up again under a different formula before you realise just what a fickle business you are entering.

In short don't just jump in with enthusiasm as you will probably come unstuck quickly - it is a very tough and competitive business with many failures and losses.





Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

[quoted]
Richard wrote:
if you are coming out of University with an inheritance I would make sure you don't lose the lot on a failed enterprise.
You would be taking a great risk if you did not try to find out what others are doing successfully and why others have failed.
See what works in Brighton and why and who the customers are likely to be.
Many times the location of the cafe is paramount (just like in the property series of Location, Location, Location).
You can get cakes and coffee anywhere and "Cafe des Arts" is hard to better in terms of cakes. (with special offers at certain times of day)
As for meals there is not a good place to eat in Hastings in my opinion and this won't change by someone spending their inheritance.

I think you would need to spend a long time researching by working in restaurants and seeing just how often places close down and open up again under a different formula before you realise just what a fickle business you are entering.

In short don't just jump in with enthusiasm as you will probably come unstuck quickly - it is a very tough and competitive business with many failures and losses.


[/quoted]

No where good to eat in Hastings_ _ _.that's an odd thing to say, there are plenty of decent places to eat down here.

No where good to eat in Hastings - Oh dear !

I have been a chef since I trained in my teens (heading for 50 now) - currently working as a chef in Hastings.

Bit too late to change career now so it's a good job that I'm proud of the food I produce.