It's new, refreshing, different. Let's try and get it banned.

[woolybanana]

So sad. This time the restaurant owners want to get catering at home banned, after Uber and the home let thing. Why, oh why can't they explore new formulae to get their customers in rather than just whinging.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34581898

[Quillan]

Assuming that this guy is just making a statement based on assumption about them not paying tax which they may well be doing then the rest of it is utter rubbish.

 

It seems to me that rather than look at themselves and ask "what am I doing wrong that makes it more appealing for people to do this than come to my hotel/resteraunt?" they just ask for the actvity to be banned. I guess this is to do with the socialist mentality of the French in that it does not appreciate competition.

 

The mayor of Quillan owns a hotel there. He has a thing about CdH's because they are taking reservations away from his hotel. I suggested he read the reviews on Tripadvisor to see what he is doing wrong that makes people stay with us and the other CdH's and hotels in the area. He just didn't get it at all and said that the reason he got the lowest rating out of all the hotels in about 100km2 was because we, the CdH owners, were giving him false reviews. I pointed out that photo's do not lie and that having last decorated in the 1930's (it's all two tone green, sagging beds, bakerlite phones and 1930's lamps etc complete with fabric coated cables) it might be time to redecorate. Some double glazing on the rooms that overlook the main junction in town might also help as it is 1m from the main road. His answer was "I can't afford it because I am broke thanks to all you CdH owners". They always have an answer and it's always somebody elses fault.

[ventodue]

Excellent Quillan - excellent!  Thanks!

Craig

[idun]

I understand the taxi drivers not wanting Uber, as the registered taxi drivers have to pay an absolute fortune in what are basically taxes. And Uber does not, hence they can charge far less and as always, the govt does nothing but upset those who play the game and pay up, and 'ugger all about anything else.

Re this, well, for me the good news is that in the city where my son lives, he has at last found a good restaurant.

No idea if these chefs are 'legal' or not, would be a good idea if they are, as IF there is any food poisoning, as we all know, not necessarily one's fault, then they could be in big trouble.

[Loiseau]

Sounds a step up from "Un dîner presque parfait" !

Great idea, though.

[Quillan]

Have to say we used something similar in the UK years ago, the only difference was they came to your house to cook. Great if you are having a dinner party and no washing up afterwards. We must of used them seven or eight times, brilliant and not that expensive (at the time).

[YCCMB]

Yet it's a whole, thriving and well supported industry here in Blighty.

http://thenudge.com/london-restaurants/pop-up-restaurants-in-london/other/

http://grubclub.com/

Oh well. Why is it so difficult to embrace competition and try to learn from it to improve your own business, rather than stifling it so you don't have to do anything to make your business better?

[Pierre ZFP]

Hey Q, I think your hotel 'mate' might be missing a trick.

I can see Hurcule Poirot Murder Mystery evenings in authentic surroundings [:D]

[Quillan]

If only he could "think". [8-)]

[woolybanana]

Innovation is, by its nature, irregular, messy and threatenng and cannot be regulated in advance. Which is why management by bureaucrat usually fails. The explorer, the discoverer, the innovator are those, usually individuals, who go out there and do or discover something new or different.

Almost always attempts are made to stifle that change, that difference because someone's rice bowl is threatened. Examples come to mind like Galileo, red flags in front of trains and vehicles, the huge opposition to Mr Leclerc when he started up, dockers demanding absolute rights over containerization, sorting the overpaid and underworked pilots of Air France, the right to live in barrels.... the list is infinite.

Just remember the opposition to 'le fast food' by restaurants who had produced expensive crup for years and years.

Your hotelier really should be out of business, Q. as he is a dinosaur.

[Théière]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Innovation is, by its nature, irregular, messy and threatenng and cannot be regulated in advance. Which is why management by bureaucrat usually fails. The explorer, the discoverer, the innovator are those, usually individuals, who go out there and do or discover something new or different.

Almost always attempts are made to stifle that change, that difference because someone's rice bowl is threatened. [/quote]

So true Wooly, seen it across many of the industries I have been involved in.  My work and others on swimming pools really does save a lot of money for owners but we have to take some down right lies from others in the industry and that gets repeated by customers too stupid to see passed the BS.

A restaurant owner was shouting at people for buying pizza's from the mobile unit in the square, hardly endearing anyone to him, the real issue is his food is terrible, his service poor and his manners unbelievable.

[Quillan]

For many change is a terrible and frightening thing so they prefer stay 'as is'. Take the man with the hotel, he likes to walk around telling others what to do and stand over them while they do it when he could easily get a tin of paint and start painting one of the rooms himself. Clearly by the amount of 'meetings' he attends as the mayor he had plenty of time before. He also owned another hotel (22 rooms, big restaurant, balconies on the rooms and a roof terrace) just across the road which was in the same state internally. It was bought for less than €100k, a bargain, but when we looked so much work was needed we couldn't take the financial gamble.

 

The new owners have spent at least a €100k renovating it with double glazing, reversible clim, new bedroom decor and furniture, renovated the restaurant and a new kitchen. They rented out the restaurant business which is what I would have done with a commitment to supply breakfast for the guests. Judging by the cars parked out front every morning they do a good business because when you stand on the corner and look at the two it is obvious which one you will pick especially if you check on Booking or TripAdvisor. So successful have they been that they bought the building behind them, knocked it down and built a new extension to the hotel offering a further 20 rooms and staff accommodation.

 

From the gossip I have heard the old owner, now mayor, has spent a lot of time verifying that all the permits etc are correct i.e. looking for a way to screw them. Rather than invest the money he got back into his remaining hotel he drives around in a nice new big Merc yet when you see him in one of the bars (when he could be painting a room) he is always complaining about his lack of business and how everyone has it in for him including the new owners opposite. The problem for him now is he would be lucky to get even €100k for his hotel plus who would buy it knowing they would have to spend a fortune and there is excellent competition opposite. He is now a very bitter man and a typical example of why it is so important to keep up with changes.