Mexican, Spanish, Now Rafaelo's (sp)...

[G-Man]

Hey

So we had a mexican which went Spanish now we it's closed, new signs have been made from the old signs and it's called Rafaelo's...what is it...will it be successfull...any news and views?

G-man

[Richie]

I walked past on Sunday and they were open and serving Sunday lunch so decided to pop in.

The food was very nice indeed, and as it was their opening day we got a free glass of champagne each. If the weekday menu is anything to go by this is slightly more upmarket than the Mexican or the Tapas place. I recommended they get rid of the sleeping Mexican if they want to be suceessful, but we will definitely be paying it another visit.

[Whiftoff]

I've been out of town for while. Does that El Ruedo has closed down? That didn't last long!

[Richie]

Yes it has gone, but it never semmed very busy and the signage made it look like it was still a Mexican.

I walked past the new restaurant last night and that didn't look very busy either! I don't think they have done a very good job of publicising their opening.

[pip]

Anybody out there got any ideas as to what other type of restaurant/food outlet might actually succeed in that particular location taking into consideration local needs and affordability.

[digime2007]

I'm not surprised either. The 'soft' opening was confusing and off-putting. You can't open a new place bit by bit and expect to get away with it. If they didn't have the money to do it properly they were always just going to throw the little they had away.

They put me off by not having the courtesy to reply to an email I wrote them. I wasn't asking anything difficult, just a few questions about their food!

Good question as to what would succeed in that position. I can’t answer that but I'd love to see a Thai. Something like Tamnag Thai in Crystal palace wouldn't cost a fortune to deck out.

[G-Man]

I went in and spoke to the owners last Friday, I told them to get on this and promote themselves, they haven't. They should have been leafleting up and down the high street, creating a buzz, but nothing...also the green paint over the spanish canopy looks really naff. Inside though the place looks nice. The menu however is a little all over the place, G-Girl said "Gordon would say "What exactly are you trying to do here?" Correct me thinks.

Still, we'll see.

G-man

[girl_canuck]

Does anyone else think they are taking the p!$$ a bit with their name? Rafaello? Way too close to Trattoria Raffaele for me. It makes me think that they are trying to capture any passing trade looking for the highly recommended Tratt Raff, and walking into the wrong place.

I don't have high hopes for the place, to be honest. If the sleeping Mexican is still in there, and they haven't advertised the place or done much about the signs, then how serious can the new owners be? It really needs someone professional to take it over and turn it into something worthwhile. I agree Thai would be nice!

[leenewham]

I think it looks so different to Tratorria that people wont be confused.

I have a chat with the owner (who seemed really enthusiastic). What is worrying is that when I mentioned Trattoria (and the similarity of name) he didn't seem to know it existed! Don't new businesses do any research in their local markets?

He has redecorated inside but it looks no different outside and the menu seems a real mix, there is no focus.

I told him about the forum as a way to promote his business and that one of his biggest problems will be getting the people who live nearby onto the high street, especially this far down so local leafleting would be a good idea, make it feel nice in the hand like Namastes menus.

[girl_canuck]

It's not the look of it that I think will confuse people..... it's the name. Imagine if someone had read rave reviews of Tratt Raff here on the forums, and then ventured down that end of the high street for the first time to find it! You'd see the awful green awning way before the subtle red one, and go into the wrong place.

I don't believe for a second that they didn't know about the similarity in name!

I once owned a successful business, and a new competitor company decided to name themselves almost the same thing, and used the same typeface for their logo. When our lawyers confronted them, they claimed to have never heard of us. Of course we found out later that that had been their intention all along - to confuse people looking for something they had heard was good, but weren't quite sure of the exact name.

I would be very surprised if someone had invested in that restaurant and not known about Tratt Raff! Especially when TR is packed every night, and they are empty.

Me just being cynical, I guess.

[girl_canuck]

Word on the street is that there was a large group of out-of-area women meeting up at Trattoria Raffaele a few weeks ago for lunch. When the local woman arrived (a bit late), the others were all waiting outside the green canopy of Raffaelo's. Luckily it was closed, or they probably all would have gone in there, thinking it was Tratt Raff.

I'd call on everyone to boycott the place just due to their obvious rip-off name - but seeing as it's always empty, I don't think I'll bother.

[leenewham]

It looks pretty awful outside. He spent a lot of money inside but did nothing outside. To my knowledge, no advertising either. Outside it looks terrible, half painted over signs, a sleeping mexican from two businesses ago, a mish mash menu which seems to be a bit of everything and he really didn't think about the name.

With a bit of thought, standing back from what he has done and a relaunch I honestly think he could give it a go. We are crying out for decent places to go out in the evening, the other restaurants want more competition on the high street as it gets more people out. But it has to make you feel special, it has to feel inviting. The Alfred looks inviting from the outside and that's a normal pub.

I hope he's reading this forum, I did tell him about it when he first opened. It's free research, free advice. It could help him turn around their business which as GC said always looks empty.

[crafty m]

We went into Rafaelo's last night thinking it was still Mexican (my daughter's choice for her birthday!) and noticed the change of decor! Didn't think anything of it until we were given the menu which was a mishmash of mexican, italian and english?? We also noticed the similarity to our fave Tratt Raff, and wished we'd gone there again instead! My husbands seafood pasta had crabstick in it! Overall the food was very poor and needless to say we were 1 of only 2 parties in the restaurant!

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[G-Man]

Crabsticks in pasta...i just nearly gipped.

G-man

[bigbadwolf]

Good grief! Whatever next. Paella 'n' Mash?

[pip]

This restaurant re opened last night reverting back to the previous owner. So for now Mathew its gonna be Mexican with a dash of Turkish on the menu. Sign outside says half price food until Sunday. It has changed its name again, cant remember to what though.

[coll]

It's such a shame and a bit of a mess. That place was really great when it was Turkish. After he changed it to a tex-mex place it all seemed a bit odd. If the guy reads this I really think he should consider changing back to his original 'theme'. The Turkish menu was far superior to the tex-mex and I would never have considered going into the last incarnation just because it looked so slapped together.

[leenewham]

It's now called 3 Banditos.

It's changed it's name 3 times but looked the same each time. No-one seemed to know it had changed!

The last guy didn't even know a business has almost exactly the same name a few doors away (when it was called Raffaelos). Clearly the guy had done NO local research at all!. He spent a lot of money on the interior but ignored the outside. It looked dark from the outside so it always looked shut, even when it was open.

Why are they serving a 'bit' of Turkish when it's supposed to be a Mexican? Why not just make it a Turkish place. There is one in Lewisham Way, Brockley that does incredibly well called Meze Mengal. They ONLY serve Turkish food. They don't serve pasta or bangers and mash in case someone fancies some.

Personally I'd rather have a great Turkish place nearby as we just don't seem to be able to do half decent Mexican/latin food in the UK.

Better to known for doing one thing really well.

I hope it's good, I really hope it's successful, but…well, lets see.

[stuart]

Taz have demonstrated the popularity of Anatolian food in London. So many busy Taz restaurants in central London but none out here - yet lots of people who would happily patronise a tastealike in Sydenham. Why keep changing formats when you can pinch a great success and promote good Turkish food served by Turkish people rather than thinly disguise and compromise it under other labels?

Be proud, be good, be yourselves ...

Stuart