Sea cow closed

[DulwichFox]

These things come in waves.. Fads.. Don't get people raving about Franco Manca any more.. No big queues outside.

Latest craze is Platform 1. which seems busy.. Not sure about the Japanese place.. can't really see in..

Dulwich Tandoori , Jaflong , Tandoori Nights seem busy at various times...

The Sea Cow place is big and needs something different to survive.. Don't know if change of use is an option.

Most restaurants seem to stay as restaurants.. I'm sure someone here will point out an exception..

DulwichFox

[Jeremy]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> These things come in waves.. Fads.. Don't get

> people raving about Franco Manca any more..

Went in for an early lunch (before midday) a couple of weeks ago and it was packed. So I don't think they're too worried.

[LondonMix]

Agreed, its still very, very busy.

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > These things come in waves.. Fads.. Don't get

> > people raving about Franco Manca any more..

>

> Went in for an early lunch (before midday) a

> couple of weeks ago and it was packed. So I don't

> think they're too worried.

[Sue]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > These things come in waves.. Fads.. Don't get

> > people raving about Franco Manca any more..

>

> Went in for an early lunch (before midday) a

> couple of weeks ago and it was packed. So I don't

> think they're too worried.

Franco Manca has been crowded whenever I've been in lately, too.

Fox, people rave about a good new place when it's new.

Once it's settled down, they still (probably) continue to go to it, they just don't see the need to keep on telling people how good it is, as by then most people already know ......

That doesn't make it a "fad" !!! :)

It's not like loom bands or Frozen :))

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

It's not like loom bands or Frozen :))

Sorry do not understand...

Well at least F.M. uses real cheese and not Cheese Analogue like many Pizza outlets...

And they are reasonably priced and did the best make over on L.L. ever.. (as I did remark on when they first opened)

Foxy...

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> It's not like loom bands or Frozen :))

>

> Sorry do not understand...

>

Loom bands were a fad. You don't see them on sale much any more.

Frozen was a fad (it's a Disney movie which was much loved by kids around the age of 6. Now it's not cool ( :)) ) any more

Franco Manca is not a fad. It's a very good pizza restaurant which I'm sure will still be around in several years' time.

fad

fad/

noun

noun: fad; plural noun: fads

an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived; a craze.

[Hagrid]

The sea cow failed in Clapham common as the age of residents moved up. Similarly as Ed has got older The bishop, adventure bar etc., have all felt the change in age. Sea Cow is no exception. On a nice note they do have a very successful van operation so its not all bad. Thanks for 12 years....

[KidKruger]

Sue - a minor point, but Frozen is seriously not 'over' - I have very close and recent experience of this !

(and am sick to the gills of it, if I'm really honest).

[85volga]

Must say some Very Negative posts, I thought the Sea Cow was a great place, a majority of people would get takeaway on the way home. I for one like my fish cooked fresh not sitting in some warmer for 4 hours before I buy it, the salads were great and fresh, but ho hum....

Now they have closed there is an obvious hole in the market in the Lane for a decent fresh fish and chip restaurant. The owners perhaps had a offer to good to refuse? and after 12 years perhaps wanted to do something different.

Regarding the Lane, In my humble opinion its a great place to be, better now and continually evolving, like life nothing ever stands still. The additions to the Lane in the past 3 years have been for the good. Remember the negativity regarding the cinema and how long it was taking followed by the how much for a ticket etc... ? well I for one am most happy to have it a 5 min walk to and from, then a calm enjoyable experience. Its an asset along with all the other places in the Lane from the mighty House of Tippler to the Brick house, the lovely Italians at La Scala, the reinvented and wonderful Cherry tree, the wonderful fresh hummus and tzatziki at the organic deli, Toasted, Yama Momo , AJ Farmers , Brunos, The French House with the Alscase twist , Franklins , Burro e Salvia, William Rose, the Saturday food Markets the list could go on.....

We must not forget people pour there time effort and money into these businesses. If they fail then who feels it ? the owners, Not people who stand at the bar in the EDT by themselves every night, with there phone dishing out the world according to them and how it should be operate along with random pictures of their larder and containing beverages to drink at home not buy locally. Your opinion is yours and your entitled to it, but please less negativity.

People will always vote with there feet and that's the way of the world, Dulwich is a wonderful place to live, it offers a lovely balance of life so close to London .... well rant over

Happy New Year everyone :)

[Jeremy]

85volga Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The owners perhaps had a offer to good to refuse?

Or perhaps one too bad to accept..

[nxjen]

85volga Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> People will always vote with there feet and that's

> the way of the world, Dulwich is a wonderful place

> to live, it offers a lovely balance of life so

> close to London .... well rant over

>

> Happy New Year everyone :)

Not a rant at all, it's good to have such a positive and affirming post. Happy New Year to you too!

[rabbitears]

85volga Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Must say some Very Negative posts, I thought the

> Sea Cow was a great place, a majority of people

> would get takeaway on the way home. I for one like

> my fish cooked fresh not sitting in some warmer

> for 4 hours before I buy it, the salads were great

> and fresh, but ho hum....

>

> Now they have closed there is an obvious hole in

> the market in the Lane for a decent fresh fish and

> chip restaurant...People will always vote with there feet and that's

> the way of the world

I don't know if there is a hole in the market for another chippy - Sea Cow was never that busy. People seemed to be voting with their feet there...also, Ken's and Olley's aren't far away, and there's Semas Fish Bar that is busy, good, friendly and has always cooked the fish fresh. Also the one on North Cross Road which is okay. But I'm sure the market will tell us...

For my taste, LL could lose a couple of the ropey Indians, two of the kebab houses, the fried chicken place and the unimpressive Chinese place and bloody Cafe Nero but obviously (and happily) not everyone agrees with me.

[Penguin68]

To put it very simply - a shop with relatively low value items (i.e. fish and chip suppers) needs to generate a high throughput if it is to pay its fixed as well as its variable costs. I suspect the profit margins (before overheads) are quite low on fish and chips, if only because there is am obvious ceiling above which punters will be unwilling to pay, however good the offer (and views have been mixed about that). So unless you have a high throughput (as Franco Manca still does) the ability to meet the same overheads as shops with higher unit prices will be problematic. There are good fish and chip shops around ED (if not in the main shopping drag) - the one in Forest Hill Road, for instance also only cooks fish to order. So, if the shop is relatively empty, with relatively few punters (in a road which offers a multiplicity of eating opportunities) then its ability to meet what may only be a 'commercial' rent will be compromised.

[NewDad]

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> To put it very simply - a shop with relatively low

> value items (i.e. fish and chip suppers) needs to

> generate a high throughput if it is to pay its

> fixed as well as its variable costs. I suspect the

> profit margins (before overheads) are quite low on

> fish and chips, if only because there is am

> obvious ceiling above which punters will be

> unwilling to pay, however good the offer (and

> views have been mixed about that). So unless you

> have a high throughput (as Franco Manca still

> does) the ability to meet the same overheads as

> shops with higher unit prices will be problematic.

> There are good fish and chip shops around ED (if

> not in the main shopping drag) - the one in Forest

> Hill Road, for instance also only cooks fish to

> order. So, if the shop is relatively empty, with

> relatively few punters (in a road which offers a

> multiplicity of eating opportunities) then its

> ability to meet what may only be a 'commercial'

> rent will be compromised.

Wow; groundbreaking stuff. You should write a book!

[Penguin68]

Yes, I do know this is very much Business Studies 101 - but then quite a number of people who post in this forum do seem to believe that because a business is doing something they like, that they thus have some 'right' to survive. Or that, if they fail, this is the result of some wicked capitalist plot. Sometimes businesses, however 'good' their intrinsic product is deemed to be, are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, with insufficient customers for their product.

[Jules-and-Boo]

I preferred the Sea Cow to Franco Manca (personally).

[char1i3]

Small innovative interesting independent food outlets that want to sell to a vibrant crowd should abandon Lordship Lane and head for Rye Lane where progress and sensible pricing mean businesses can thrive.

Charlie

[Sue]

Jules-and-Boo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I preferred the Sea Cow to Franco Manca

> (personally).

But they sold totally different food!! That's like comparing chalk and cheese!

What basis are you comparing them on? Atmosphere? Price? Value for money? Choice? Friendliness of staff?

[Earl Aelfheah]

I prefer cheese. Chalk has bad mouthfeel

[Jeremy]

Sue Wrote:

--------------------------

> What basis are you comparing them on?

Maybe just that they personally, you know, preferred it...

[LondonMix]

The comparison doesn't make sense. It would make more sense to say I don't particularly like fish and chips and prefer pizza. Preferring a pizza place compared to fish and chips really doesn't tell you much about the quality of the fish and chips on offer.

[Jeremy]

Think you're reading too much into a simple statement of preference...

[Lynne]

OK,given that it's closed, where's the best local fish and chips?

[HopOne]

This is a shame. We used to use this every couple of weeks. It was certainly very busy at times but maybe not busy enough at others. Their fish was nearly always excellent. Chips were not so consistent but once we discovered we could ask for them to be double cooked then pretty good after that.

There are really not many comparable local alternatives: Olleys & Brockley Rock are the only ones I know of.

[Grok]

Tis a shame. Seacow was better quality IMO than others in the locale. A traditiinal no frills type restaurant is needed still.