UKC

Oh no! 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/121625711?fbclid=IwAR09GvS3FyTEWydnQ...

Hopefully something in the clause that it has to continue as a cafe?? Sad news!

In reply to dig26:

How many chip butties do you have to sell to cover the asking price……?

In reply to dig26:

Along with Eric's in Tremadog one of the classics of North Wales.

In reply to dig26:

I won't be shedding any tears over this, the food has been rubbish there for years. 

In reply to dig26:

I'd not assume he will actually sell, he may be trying the market, he has talked about closing before.

In reply to dan gibson:

This comment is so wrong, I don't know where to start...

In reply to dig26:

Sad, sad it's at least 25% over valued. Think they are just chancing the market for any takers. 

In reply to dig26:

After a visit last week I'm not in the least surprised. 

In reply to Neil Williams:

It’s not owned by Pete any more.

In reply to ExiledScot:

How on earth do you work that out?

In reply to Neil Williams:

A good point, and I assume it's changed hands a few times, but nonetheless sticking it doesn't bode well for such a historical place... hopefully any future owners are willing to keep it going

In reply to Moacs:

Pete (Norton) not involved since August 18; currently owned by Toby Harris

There's an extant charge over it from Barclays, presume to be satisfied on sale.

The micro accounts aren't especially encouraging.

In reply to dig26:

Major disaster

What am I going to eat in Llanberis now? What to drink??

In reply to ExiledScot:

You can buy this joint for 15 grand more ...! 🙂

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/120752915?utm_campaign=property-deta...

In reply to Maggot:

Can you imagine that in a posh city suburb. Forget London, where it would be many millions, in a nice part of Sheffield it would be twice/thrice that.

In reply to robate:

I switched to Siabod Cafe in Capel Curig a few years back. The food at Pete's had become substandard, orders were always wrong, staff weren't friendly. Not what it used to be.

In reply to Moacs:

Treat it as a business, what turnover would you need to cover loan interest, plus pay it off over 10 years. Staff costs, heating, lighting, wifi, catering, rates, water, insurance, various certifications... now think how many chip butties and mugs of tea you need average. £650k is lot for a cafe even with a few bedrooms. No point being sentimental about the old days in Petes, the bank won't be. 

In reply to scope:

Siabod is great to be fair

In reply to dig26:

I have never found Siabod very friendly.  Nice setting, though, and easier on the way somewhere as it is out of town and has a car park.

In reply to dig26:

In the summer Pete's was really bad. In the end we started going to Pantri near the Spar for breakfast; really good, really friendly and a decent breakfast for a fiver. 

Its really historically important and I hope it continues as a cafe but lets not pretend the food and service has actually been good in recent times!

In reply to scope:

I never had any issues with the service or the staff but the food is just not good. The tea isn't even made hot and fresh, just poured from a big stewing pot.

Since we joined a club with a hut nearby we've pretty much changed to just cooking a nice breakfast at the hut and only popping in for a cup of tea if we were thirsty in the area.

In reply to Neil Williams:

I’ve always found Siabod very friendly and the gallery there is well worth looking round - super photos by Nick Livesey  and others. Never had any problem with Pete’s either, however I’ve not been to either since before the pandemic. 

In reply to Mark Kemball:

Odd, maybe I've just had them on off-days, but I've tended to find them quite curt.

Pete's I've not been to for years, though when I did it was just standard "greasy cafe" fare rather than anything special, I'd say the Super Sausage on the A5 near Northampton is better though obviously has biker rather than climber heritage and isn't a lot of use if you're in North Wales (but if driving from MK or London to North Wales is a good stop-off on the way).

In reply to Neil Williams:

While on the whole the staff there are very friendly, I do know what you mean. On a couple of occasions I've been served by someone who, let's just say clearly didn't want to be there. 

In reply to Ger_the_gog:

As I've not been often, perhaps I've just had that member of staff every time!  Given its convenient location I'm fairly likely to go again at some point so hopefully things will look up.

In reply to Neil Williams:

Yes, definitely give it another shot. In my experience, Dorina has always been very helpful and friendly. She's a star. 

In reply to robate:

Pete's was never really about gastronomy. 

In reply to Neil Williams: You’ll be pleased to know that I was released from the cafe two years ago (after a 7 year incarceration!) to begin a more fulfilling chapter in my life.

 I’m a lot happier and much more pleasant to be around.

If I was ever rude or snappy with you then I’m sorry, it certainly wasn’t personal. I despised all customers equally 😜

I'm told the atmosphere is much better in there these days!

In reply to Nicholas Livesey:

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Indeed, though greasy cafes do vary in quality even if the basic product is the same, I'd have put it as bang-average to be honest.

In reply to ExiledScot:

Its also a freehold building in a prominent location with good footfall so that will be factored in to the price.

The real measure of if it is over priced or not is if someone buys it.

On paper I overpaid for my office and workshops but in reality paying a bit more for somewhere that is only a few minutes from my house gives a much faster response time for out of hours callouts leading to happy customers and more work plus it really helps my work life balance with close to the worlds shortest commute. 

In reply to Dax H:

yes location is good, but it's not winning the local trade, climbers and non climbers. It has potential, a good owner, customer orientated manager could swing it around. It arguably started to slide when they knocked through, their goals changed, quality and service suffered. Price are still relatively low, perhaps too cheap, but folk won't pay more for rubbish, it needs a fresh start. 

Time will tell if it sells, but there's only so much potential that can be factored into the price, a new owner has a lot of grafted, long hours to do, they'll need their rewards for their efforts, not over paying the last owner who let it go. 

In reply to robate:

It's not though is it, lets be honest. The quality of the food at Pete's has been crap forever. However, the volume:price ratio... that's the best in the business.

In reply to ianstevens: Disagree, it’s never been posh but standard chilli or curry was decent and reliable, chips were cooked properly etc. recently it’s been erratic and I once had to return a meal as inedible 

In reply to ExiledScot:

Maybe there is potential for a UKC crowd funded bid ;O)

In reply to dig26:

It’ll certainly go for more than that, esp if there’s leeway for change of use or remodelling from the planning department.

I’ve got such brilliant memories of Pete’s, and Stoney and Grindleford cafes.  Hanging around with pints of tea waiting for the weather to clear, sometime for days. However, I’ve not eaten in Pete’s for a very long time. It’s great for the craic, but some of the alternatives are so much better for food. The Alpine Cafe in Betws y Coed for example, is excellent and has a proper vegan/veggie menu. I guess my inner dirt bag is long gone now 😩

Thinking about it, I think the core constituency of climbers is very different now to when Pete’s was opened, so maybe this is more an opportunity than a threat. 

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

This makes me think of the fifth(?) Hitchhiker's Guide book, where the new owners are taking the guide upmarket: "And we don't sell [...] to penniless hitchhikers. What kind of positioning was that? The one section of the market that, more or less by definition, didn't have any money? No!"

In reply to dig26:

Saying Pete's eats isn't a great cafe is like saying Cenotaph Corner isn't a great climb, yes they aren't great, but get the condition right and it's one of the best.

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

People who think ~£650k is 25% overpriced certainly haven't any awareness of recent Llanberis house price trends.

In reply to Offwidth:

Something is "worth" what someone else is willing to pay for it...

In reply to Offwidth:

if it's like other national parks there's a major shortage of affordable housing, probably 6 times the average wage for a 2 bed? £150k? Push up beyond normal salaries to say £300-400k and you can proportionally way way more for your money, just because most buyers are priced out completely. £600k+ should be the cream, or a small business with a healthy set of books.

In reply to Offwidth:

A large hotel on the high street sold for less than that last year as well as a B&B. Commercial prices are pretty low in the area vs residential house prices, just look at some of the freeholds in Caernarfon & Bangor. I’d be very surprised if Pete’s Eats sells for more than £500k, they’re just having a punt. I also thought I’d heard that Toby had bought the Prince of Wales opposite, though I’m not sure if that’s accurate.