Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?

littleme

250,000th poster!
I love F&B - there is something about the fake-ness of it all I find very charming, and they do some pretty good food. I'll genuinely be very sad if they go.
The rest of the family* love F&B, we used to go quite often when it was on The Hough, but we didnt ever go to the new one when it moved. *me not so much - but that's cos I don't particularly like pasta or pizza...

There was one dish at Bella Pasta (I think red wine sauce might if been involved) that I loved, and I like Papa John's pizza (especially the garlic butter dip) but no one else does) , but the rest of my family don't follow my strange tastes...
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
I quite liked Stacks on UberEats (when I have a discount code... never pay full price on there is my rule) so quite sad to see it go - was probably the best “posh” burger place that delivered in town.
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
F&B does work very well for our family too - I can't think of many other places in town [verso and spoons maybe] where the 3 of us can have such choice (they have a pretty good veggie / vegan menu) and a kid's menu. They also cater for breakfasts and have cocktails and silly desserts. That's all your food groups covered!
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
I quite liked Stacks on UberEats (when I have a discount code... never pay full price on there is my rule) so quite sad to see it go - was probably the best “posh” burger place that delivered in town.
Where were they?
 

Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
I went to Frankie & Benny's twice when they were at The Hough. Abysmal service, food wasn't much better, never been back since.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
I would of thought F&B would of been tied into a long lease for their Stafford site being as it's so new ?

3 year lease when they moved there.

Sometimes mass food/retail closures are about timing with leases and not income or turnover but companies who need to cut losses quickly.

That is the case H Samuel who do better than their sister outlet Ernest Jones and Cannock branch.

Bit there are winding down a number leases and Stafford happened to be the next one
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
All those damn millennials...

-check notes-

Not wanting to pay stupid amounts of money for compressed carbon.



As for F&B and Leases, is it a franchise? Because you just wind up the business and then it's irrelevant, doubt the lease has a guarantee from the owner. Besides, leases only go as far as the money of the landlord - if a big business doesn't want to be there, they will leave, what is that landlord going to do to stop them? Sue them? They have more legal money than the landlord.
 

Zylo

Well-Known Forumite
F&B overpriced average food, group of 8 of us had to wait nearly 2 hours once, for.... rubbish food and a very expensive bill
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
It comes to something when the shopping centre chains are struggling as well (Intu) maybe cheaper rents would mean more full units and help encourage higher footfalls? Like a bigger version of Stafford indoor market.

Shopping centre owners seem to be more fond of letting their investment rot and die it seems, rather than making rents reasonable.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Well retail and leisure in and around town and centres city centres is going to be decimated further once we come out of this, independents and national

Newcastle has 4 shops that will never re-open their doors and and Travel Lodge are the next national chain to be in trouble.

There is also the flip of those businesses who were looking to set up. Stafford had about 5-6 restaurants/ bars due to open and talks were happening about a national chain moving in by the Odeon, how many of these can afford to hang on and or will they now happen?

Worrying times how many jobs could be effected when all this over.
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
Well retail and leisure in and around town and centres city centres is going to be decimated further once we come out of this, independents and national

Newcastle has 4 shops that will never re-open their doors and and Travel Lodge are the next national chain to be in trouble.

There is also the flip of those businesses who were looking to set up. Stafford had about 5-6 restaurants/ bars due to open and talks were happening about a national chain moving in by the Odeon, how many of these can afford to hang on and or will they now happen?

Worrying times how many jobs could be effected when all this over.
I haven't heard much about the old library, so that might have stalled, also work in the picture house seems to have stopped around February, but the work on the new post house business is pushing forward, they're advertising for staff at the moment.
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
The Post House facebook page has a post dated 27 May which says "Now our opening date is in sight, we are taking enquires for our events space. Contact us at info@theposthousestafford.com". Four pubs in the area have recently started doing drink and/or food takeaways in preparation for full opening.
 

bunique

Well-Known Forumite
I haven't heard much about the old library, so that might have stalled, also work in the picture house seems to have stopped around February, but the work on the new post house business is pushing forward, they're advertising for staff at the moment.
There were workmen in the old library a week or so ago
 
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