Forum Topic

Burger and Beyond

Anyone know where in Chiswick this is opening? I understand they are advertising a new branch in W4 but I can’t find any info

Maggie Dodge ● 2073d10 Comments

There is the following message on their Facebook page, posted earlier today:T-minus one hour until CHISWICK ⏰ 🍔🎉Our W3 delivery kitchen will be up and running by 5pm, with 50% off until Sunday. Feast on a star studded menu of B&B big hitters - Bacon Butter Burgers, Double Cheeseburgers, Dirty Tots, Bone Marrow Fries, Fried Chicken Bites and everything else - all half price this week only.So I assume this is what you will have heard about? Says in W3, but looking at the map they have also posted, it is not clear where exactly! Still, might be worth getting in on the 50% off deal - are their burgers any good? I like the Honest ones, personally.

Mark Edwards ● 2073d

Thanks Mark,  my son in law asked me to try and find out.  I’ll check their Facebook. I think he got his info from Instagram but no contact info

Maggie Dodge ● 2073d

This could be what some people call a ghost kitchen which are being set up by chains to expand the reach of their delivery through Deliveroo, Uber Eats etc. If this is the case it will offer no service or even takeaway but will be in an industrial estate probably in Park Royal. Chances are that the unit will mainly just be heating up food prepared elsewhere. When you search on your delivery app it will be displayed as a nearby option.This kind of business model is yet another nail in the coffin of High Street restaurants and if you want any to be around when lockdown is over, order from those you know are proper restaurants.

Anita Blake ● 2073d

Anita I think you’re right. I’m not sure if I’m being thick, but I don’t see any contact details. Is this a situation where you order using an app and therefore no other details needed.  My son in law is a chef I think he’s assuming it’s a new restaurant, and would not order otherwise. I did say it’s a strange time to be talking about opening new premises. Thanks for your replyb

Maggie Dodge ● 2073d

Looking at Deliveroo, it gives the address as "Food Stars Kitchen, 6a Greenock Road, London, W38DU", which certainly suggests a dark kitchen.

Ann Haddleton ● 2073d

Good detective work! And you are correct in saying that the term is 'Dark Kitchen' rather than 'Ghost Kitchen' as I said.

Anita Blake ● 2073d

Thanks. I knew I’d get the answer here!

Maggie Dodge ● 2072d

This is really interesting. I though I was supporting local restaurants by ordering delivery from them but on checking on them I see that some are appear to be dark kitchens as described here. Probably the best thing to do is see if a restaurant takes orders old style over the phone before resorting to an app.

Felicity Caborn ● 2072d

Indeed, Felicity, the best way to show support for local hospitality venues is to order with them directly. Any app acts as a middle man and will charge the venue for distribution - anywhere from 20% per purchase from Our High Road to 30-40% for Deliveroo or Uber Eats depending on when the venue registered with the app. You'll excuse me for saying so, but its also best to pay the price, not some discounted price which will only further challenge the business. Margins in the sector are widely known not to be great so to narrow them further at at time like this is not an option. For perspective I can tell you we've been chasing Hounslow for months to determine when funds would land in our account. The grant announced in the beginning of January only arrived last week. One reason is because LBH decided now was a good time to rebuild the system. It wasn't broken but they "fixed" it anyway. We noticed a discrepancy. We've been over and over and over it with them the entire time since early November. Only yesterday did they come clean: they mistakenly overpaid and thus deducted that amount from the latest payment. It wasn't clear nor transparent what was going on. Businesses depend on maximum clarity in the best of times to succeed. Now clarity is only a pipe dream.We qualify for a £6000 grant so we were expecting to see that precise figure as a deposit. When we didn't we started asking questions. Now we know. The point? No business can plan for anything at the moment. We can plan even less when the money expected is not what arrives. It is a moving target. With Eat Out to Help Out we received a letter ostensibly saying we were being audited and might have to pay back the full amount. I can't really explain what that did to my intestinal tract.Since November we have received about £715 per week. Trade in the sector is down 85% or more. Rates are accruing. Rent is accruing but also an unknown (thankfully in a way, but the reality is it remains unresolved). Electric remains a constant. Trash collection remains a constant. Late fees remain constant. Staff remains a constant as we are determined to usher them through this as most venues are. Furlough is not an option. Each venue will have its own iteration of this but that is a snapshot of what many are dealing with.Don't get me wrong, we are incredibly grateful for the support. But it is sporadic and unclear further compounded by LBH's methods. The consensus among our peers and suppliers is this lockdown is hitting the sector worse than any measures preceding it. And bubbling away on that back burner are supply chain hiccups brought on by the pandemic as well as by Brexit.

David Lesniak ● 2072d

It’s today.Some of us would like to see ‘contains coriander’ warnings on anything that contains the dreaded leaf.  Hopeless cause, I know ;-)

Alastair Banton ● 2071d