The Joys of Benidorm!

[Nanniemate]

Thanks

Be careful out there. Covid is ripping through Benidorm at the minute, half the acts have come down with it and it's five times the national average. Some screens are back up in shops and takeaways. 3 dead in town this week, one apparently double jabbed

Maybe I'll change my destination got my,until the 27th then I fly out having second thoughts now

 

[gradyp]

Hopefully this plays

 

[Nanniemate]

La la la la I'm not listening it will be fine

 

[Spriddler]

Our first brekkie at Marrianos. €2.90 including fresh orange. Fantastico!
View attachment 551080

I'm always surprised by the posts showing such inexpensive meals and wonder how the restos manage to make any profit.
Seriously, do they exploit cheap migrant labour? Are retail premises exempt from business rates?

 

[Richard n Ann]

I'm always surprised by the posts showing such inexpensive meals and wonder how the restos manage to make any profit.
Seriously, do they exploit cheap migrant labour? Are retail premises exempt from business rates?

No it's because Benidorm is a year round tourist destination and they don't have to make all their money in 6 months like they do here.
Actually there are some Eastern European migrant workers too but I expect they get paid the going rate,

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[gus-lopez]

Some screens are back up in shops and takeaways.

When waas it legal to remove them?

Are retail premises exempt from business rates?

Business rates here are negligible , in my region anyway. It is the rent that is eye watering whatever type of business you are in.

Hopefully this plays

The headline says it all & watching it the vast majority aren't wearing masks. Unless the law has changed it isn't legal.

 

[Richard n Ann]

When waas it legal to remove them?

Don't know

 

[Nanniemate]

I'm always surprised by the posts showing such inexpensive meals and wonder how the restos manage to make any profit.
Seriously, do they exploit cheap migrant labour? Are retail premises exempt from business rates?

Low prices high volume the margins are very low. Like cheap Holiday operators

 

[Spriddler]

No it's because Benidorm is a year round tourist destination and they don't have to make all their money in 6 months like they do here.
Actually there are some Eastern European migrant workers too but I expect they get paid the going rate,

Low prices high volume the margins are very low. Like cheap Holiday operators

Hmm. That's true but I'm not convinced. I've never been in one but I understand that the prices at the slick Wetherspoons pubs with year round and volume business are considered cheap but nowhere near as low as those mentioned in many Spanish restos.

 

[chaser]

I'm always surprised by the posts showing such inexpensive meals and wonder how the restos manage to make any profit.
Seriously, do they exploit cheap migrant labour? Are retail premises exempt from business rates?

When you look at what's there though , two eggs 40 p two slices of bacon 40p two slices of bread 20p, and some odds and sods say another 40 p.
Adds up to £1.40, and that's putting everything at its dearest, so they are at least doubling up at £2.90.
Then after that they are probably going to sell you an over priced cup of coffee.
It's the other places that are charging too much.

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[John Barrett]

When you look at what's there though , two eggs 40 p two slices of bacon 40p two slices of bread 20p, and some odds and sods say another 40 p.
Adds up to £1.40, and that's putting everything at its dearest, so they are at least doubling up at £2.90.
Then after that they are probably going to sell you an over priced cup of coffee.
It's the other places that are charging too much.

Plus the glass of freshly squeezed orange juice which is included and would cost you at least one Euro anywhere else...

 

[EML]

Hopefully this plays

This lady and the mayor are plain wrong, I'm afraid. Their point is that the current population of Benidorm is 200K, and the covid rate is worked out on the town's normal population of 70K, so the published rate looks artificially high.

Might make sense, except that the other 130K are actually itinerant, probably only come for 2 weeks, and are unlikely to get tested in the town, unless their country specifically requires a test before return, and that test is in Benidorm.

So the rate is real, insofar as any Spanish (or other) Covid rate is real. And, if the mayor is anything like the Marbella mayors, he'll be in jail soon anyway so there's not much point listening to him.

 

[chaser]

This lady and the mayor are plain wrong, I'm afraid. Their point is that the current population of Benidorm is 200K, and the covid rate is worked out on the town's normal population of 70K, so the published rate looks artificially high.

Might make sense, except that the other 130K are actually itinerant, probably only come for 2 weeks, and are unlikely to get tested in the town, unless their country specifically requires a test before return, and that test is in Benidorm.

So the rate is real, insofar as any Spanish (or other) Covid rate is real. And, if the mayor is anything like the Marbella mayors, he'll be in jail soon anyway so there's not much point listening to him.

Quite agree only wasn't sure of my take on it so didn't comment but I thought it was worked out by how many percent of people tested not how many people lived there.

 

[John Barrett]

Yesterday we took a drive North on the N332 to Moraira, a delightful route with lots of steep hills and sharp bends! The town is pretty, with lots of urbanisations along the cliff edges and one can sense its popularity by the number of Estate Agents there!
Worth the trip.

,

 

[Spriddler]

When you look at what's there though , two eggs 40 p two slices of bacon 40p two slices of bread 20p, and some odds and sods say another 40 p.
Adds up to £1.40, and that's putting everything at its dearest, so they are at least doubling up at £2.90.
Then after that they are probably going to sell you an over priced cup of coffee.
It's the other places that are charging too much.

The cost of the greedyments is a fraction of those of running the business.
One has to pay for rent, rates, staff wages and benefits, leccy and gas, contents and public liability insurance, legally required hygiene and H&S compliances, breakages, repairs and maintenance plus the additional 'out of hours' costs of re-ordering, cleaning, restocking, food prep, banking and accounts.
A couple running their own business still have to earn enough for the expense of their own (and maybe their young children's') accommodation and daily needs when local properties are owned by foreigners or are holiday lets at enhanced rents.
Obviously they sell more expensive meals than a £2.90 breakfast or even £3.90 with a coffee but I still marvel at how they do it bearing in mind that (at a guess) most holidaying customers remain at table for at least half an hour.

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[Richard n Ann]

The cost of the greedyments is a fraction of those of running the business.
One has to pay for rent, rates, staff wages and benefits, leccy and gas, contents and public liability insurance, legally required hygiene and H&S compliances, breakages, repairs and maintenance plus the additional 'out of hours' costs of re-ordering, cleaning, restocking, food prep, banking and accounts.
A couple running their own business still have to earn enough for the expense of their own (and maybe their young children's') accommodation and daily needs when local properties are owned by foreigners or are holiday lets at enhanced rents.
Obviously they sell more expensive meals than a £2.90 breakfast or even £3.90 with a coffee but I still marvel at how they do it bearing in mind that (at a guess) most holidaying customers remain at table for at least half an hour.

They do the breakfasts cheap to get people in, coke is expensive and the rest of the menu is more like wetherspoons but without the included drink so not particularly cheap. There's always plenty of locals and workmen in there though, very busy and it's open 24 hours.

China garden's cheap 3 course meals are on a special menu at the back of the menu so not everyone has them, the standard meals are more (can't remember how much more as I never look at it ) the restaurant is big and it looks like in the past it's taken over and expanded into the next door property. Pre covid It's packed every night with usually a small queue to get in, plus they do takeaways. Must be money in it otherwise they wouldn't do it.

We go after 9 so we don't have to queue to get in

 

[Richard n Ann]

Actually I've got a menu

 

[Richard n Ann]

Standard menu:

3 course Special menu :

 

[Lenny HB]

Does anyone know where I can buy Bud Light beer? I'm sick of drinking the strong bitter tasting foreign crap, I could just about manage some San Miguel with lemonade top but M

No hope for you boy, Bud Light is foreign crap, if you are lucky you can often get English Real ale in Lidl.

 

[gus-lopez]

Hmm. That's true but I'm not convinced. I've never been in one but I understand that the prices at the slick Wetherspoons pubs with year round and volume business are considered cheap but nowhere near as low as those mentioned in many Spanish restos.

We live here & it has always fascinated me how low the prices are & how they can possibly do it for the money? 19 years now & most are the same places & still going.

hen after that they are probably going to sell you an over priced cup of coffee.

1,10€ or 1,20€ here anywhere. No one would use them if they charged more.

coke is expensive and the r

No as above 1€ tops here & the thing is it will usually be a 330ml can or bottle.Not a 200ml.

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[Richard n Ann]

No hope for you boy, Bud Light is foreign crap, if you are lucky you can often get English Real ale in Lidl.

That reminds me, I had a dream last night I was brewing my own when I tasted it it was warm and horrible

 

[Richard n Ann]

Bud light is popping up on my Facebook now!

 

[billym]

I'm always surprised by the posts showing such inexpensive meals and wonder how the restos manage to make any profit.
Seriously, do they exploit cheap migrant labour? Are retail premises exempt from business rates?

Maybe some premises keep the prices low in the hope people pay cash for one reason or another( a bit like car wash places) and the other premises have to compete with them

 

[gus-lopez]

Standard menu:
View attachment 551929

3 course Special menu :

View attachment 551930

Not a lot of difference except they don't have the customers queing here.

 

[PhilandMena]

Maybe some premises keep the prices low in the hope people pay cash for one reason or another( a bit like car wash places) and the other premises have to compete with them

Much easier to hide cash transaction from the tax man. Still a lot doing it in Greece with hand written bills that don't go through the till.

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[Spriddler]

Maybe some premises keep the prices low in the hope people pay cash for one reason or another( a bit like car wash places) and the other premises have to compete with them

Happens everywhere. I had a guy building a conservatory who got me to order and buy all the materials as his account at the suppliers was temporarily 'on hold' as he had been let down with payment from his previous job. I twigged later that it was because by paying him cash for his labour and with no materials to account for the job was 'invisible' to the taxman.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Happens everywhere. I had a guy building a conservatory who got me to order and buy all the materials as his account at the suppliers was temporarily 'on hold' as he had been let down with payment from his previous job. I twigged later that it was because by paying him cash for his labour and with no materials to account for the job was 'invisible' to the taxman.

Sometimes they prefer it that way to stay under the VAT registration threshold. Once you turn over a certain amount you have to register.

 

[Reusables]

We're thinking of going to benidorm one day next week for a day...not been in about 3yrs..
Does anyone recommend the buffet isidro ?
Or another buffet ?

 

[Richard n Ann]

We're thinking of going to benidorm one day next week for a day...not been in about 3yrs..
Does anyone recommend the buffet isidro ?
Or another buffet ?

Never been but it gets good reviews on Google maps 4.1/5

 

[John Barrett]

Halloween night in the Belgian Royale. That's me on the right!

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