COFFEE SHOP FOR SYDENHAM ON HSBC SITE!!!

JohnC · Post by **JohnC** » 8 Dec 2006 19:40

Only we can make it happen...

I am in the HSBC and I rang them to ask what was happening to the Sydenham branch. They said it is shut for good...

I think we should all canvas Cafe Nero and/or Costa Starbucks etc to get them to open up before we get another nail or pound shop (or worse still yet another betting shop)!!!

This is the perfect site for a coffee place as it is right by the station (to get one on the way to work) and has space for a patio and chairs tables in the summer... They should be queuing up to buy the site! But only if they know about it. So we should all go to there websites and pester them!

Cafe Nero have invested in the area recently with Crystal palace and East Dulwich so they are the best best.... Email them and sell the virtues of all us lot who want a decent coffee shop and not more bin liners!... email is:

enquiries@caffenero.com

Fingers Crossed!

John

Chrise · Post by **Chrise** » 8 Dec 2006 20:39

I agree, the last thing Sydenham needs is another pound store!

Muddy Waters · Post by **Muddy Waters** » 10 Dec 2006 09:36

Are there no independent entrepreneurs locally who might consider running a coffee/wine bar here, something a bit more spophisticated and adding to the night time economy? Let's aim higher than Cafe Nero!

biscuitman1978 · Post by **biscuitman1978** » 10 Dec 2006 16:17

Good idea, JohnC!

Like Muddy Waters I'd really like to see a local entrepenenur take it over, but I've also emailed some of the major coffee chains to alert them to the vacant premises. I'm sure that the arrival of a 'high street name' would help to stimulate investment, both by local entrepeneurs and established operators.

JohnC · Post by **JohnC** » 10 Dec 2006 17:00

Yes ideally a local investor would make a fab coffee house / winebar... but in the real world of Sydenham high street, we have a shop close and a pound shop open, or a grotty fish a chip shop (where I went for the first and last time on Friday as one of the staff was stood picking his nose before serving me!) or maybe a another fabulous pawn shop... I am not the biggest fan of US conglomerates but I would prefer a Starbucks to another picky chippy or bargain basement pound shop. Lets hope Christmas 2007 on the high street will have a bit more going for it than who is doing the best price in tinsel or santa hats...

PS... Talking of local investors. The Greyhound opens again on Tuesday as a non smoking gastro pub. Should be great, hopefully the smoking ban will encourage the previous clientele to switch loyalty to the Prince Alfred which is within staggering distance of the council flats!

Pat Trembath · Post by **Pat Trembath** » 10 Dec 2006 18:43

I think JohnC means the DOLPHIN opens on Monday as a gastropub! Mind you, the Greyhound opening as something a bit more upmarket tomorrow would be very welcome....

JohnC · Post by **JohnC** » 10 Dec 2006 19:45

Oh crikey, Yes I meant the Dolphin... I went in the Greyhound once. Scarey place! Well if the Dolphin is a success perhaps the owners will make that there 3rd venture?

Greg Whitehead · Post by **Greg Whitehead** » 10 Dec 2006 20:26

JohnC wrote:Yes ideally a local investor would make a fab coffee house / winebar... but in the real world of Sydenham high street, we have a shop close and a pound shop open, or a grotty fish a chip shop (where I went for the first and last time on Friday as one of the staff was stood picking his nose before serving me!) or maybe a another fabulous pawn shop... I am not the biggest fan of US conglomerates but I would prefer a Starbucks to another picky chippy or bargain basement pound shop. Lets hope Christmas 2007 on the high street will have a bit more going for it than who is doing the best price in tinsel or santa hats...

PS... Talking of local investors. The Greyhound opens again on Tuesday as a non smoking gastro pub. Should be great, hopefully the smoking ban will encourage the previous clientele to switch loyalty to the Prince Alfred which is within staggering distance of the council flats!

JohnC you are TERRIBLE

I assume you mean the residents of Hazel Grove etc, etc? I'd get hung drawn and quartered for a comment like that. Mind, they couldn't keep the Man of Kent or the Dolphin open and they're both within spitting distance of home. I can't see anything that isn't prawn cocktail, steak'n'chips followed by black forest gauteax washed down with a few Stellas being enticing so I wouldn't have thought T.D. should be all that attractive to them (fingers REALLY tightly crossed!).

samuel · Post by **samuel** » 10 Dec 2006 20:43

Hey oop lad!
Very interesting chip shop comment JohnC. Though who's to say the staff in any new establishment will be any different.
If those in the council flats have their way, they will have a coffeeshop like in Amsterdam and that won't be smoke free! If ever you walk past there you can often smell smoke. (and I don't mean tabacco)
Some people from there can be so rude, ignorant and selfish. I was in the newsagents recently and someone came in and wanted a buspass. They said "Bus Pass!"....Without any please or thankyou.
The council flat end of Sydenham really drags the place down. I would rather have 50 pound shops, chip shops etc if the Council flats and foul mouthed ruffians were gone.

Greg Whitehead · Post by **Greg Whitehead** » 10 Dec 2006 20:55

Wow Samuel! Someone's really upset you from there? I'm with you in the main but I think we have to be slightly careful about social housing. When you consider that the Wells Park estate does create a bit of an eyesore also it doesn't mean they're all bad. The resident's don't always have a choice but I'm with you that manners cost nothing. A few nights ago I was walking past Hazel Grove by the Hexagon housing building and some of the youths were throwing projectiles from the estate there (thankfully it was dark so I couldn't see what on earth it was nor did I want to think about it...) at passing residents and traffic.

Now I'm sure bleeding heart Liberals will say it's because there's nothing for them to do but the fact reamins it was late and they were clearly un-supervised and should have been in bed and I shouldn't have to dodge 'that' when performing the basic task of making my way home. I decided not to buy a poperty on Oaksford Avenue a few years back as something similar happened whilst viewing the property for the third time.

Why I say we need to be careful is I was born on a council estate in a provincial backwater in N.Ireland where my Mother didn't even have a job so lower-working class were we - anyway we were a good decent family and I like to think I've done well for myself. There are clearly very many likeminded families on both the Wells Park and Hazel Grove estates who are getting by as best they can. There are also a good few rotten apples also but don't let that (if you can) turn you against all of them (and I use 'them' in the correct manner).

sydenhamboy · Post by **sydenhamboy** » 11 Dec 2006 09:44

Yeah it's a real prime site for a coffee house - we've got to make it happen - there's even a little bit outside where they could have tables. Well done those who have bothered to email Cafe Neros .. Starbucks etc - I know they're a bit brand-namey but better that the "Yet Another Pound Shop" brigade.
And we really need to support the Dolphin - does it open tonight ? (Monday) if so I'll be at the bar sipping at a Guinness thinking that Sydenham is turning the corner ..

Greg Whitehead · Post by **Greg Whitehead** » 11 Dec 2006 11:29

sydenhamboy wrote:Yeah it's a real prime site for a coffee house - we've got to make it happen - there's even a little bit outside where they could have tables. Well done those who have bothered to email Cafe Neros .. Starbucks etc - I know they're a bit brand-namey but better that the "Yet Another Pound Shop" brigade.
And we really need to support the Dolphin - does it open tonight ? (Monday) if so I'll be at the bar sipping at a Guinness thinking that Sydenham is turning the corner ..

Good on you sydenhamboy, I believe it's still on for a re-open tonight and I will be there also. Not quite sure if they'll be doing Guiness? There's constant referrals to Ales rather than Stouts - be quite happy to be corrected on this point though.

solon1972 · Post by **solon1972** » 11 Dec 2006 16:43

sydenhamboy wrote:Yeah it's a real prime site for a coffee house - we've got to make it happen - there's even a little bit outside where they could have tables. Well done those who have bothered to email Cafe Neros .. Starbucks etc - I know they're a bit brand-namey but better that the "Yet Another Pound Shop" brigade.
And we really need to support the Dolphin - does it open tonight ? (Monday) if so I'll be at the bar sipping at a Guinness thinking that Sydenham is turning the corner ..

I dont think they want to see bald teachers turning up on the opening night mate

randomv · Post by **randomv** » 11 Dec 2006 16:59

Muddy Waters wrote:Are there no independent entrepreneurs locally who might consider running a coffee/wine bar here, something a bit more spophisticated and adding to the night time economy? Let's aim higher than Cafe Nero!

At my very first flat viewing in Crytal Palace (I saw the light and came to SE26!) the estate agent tried to impress on me how much CP was changing: "we've even got a Cafe Nero here now"
Clearly its the benchmark that all neighbourhoods aspire to!

Seriously though, whilst it would be fantastic to have something like Domali's in Sydehnam, Cafe Nero is at least less offensive than a Starbucks!

JohnC · Post by **JohnC** » 11 Dec 2006 18:03

Crystal Palace has really improved over the last few years... cafe nero, Domali's and of course Joanna's which has been there a while and is fab! But of I can't see Kate Thornton moving to Sydenham just yet... (she lives in Crystal palace and can often be seen running around sainsbury's on a Sunday afternoon looking totally stressed out that someone might call the paparazzi or ask for an autograph or something). Maybe Sharon O could ask her contacts at Asda to put her touch with the home delivery department if it's that stressful doing your own shopping as a celeb. Mind you the winner of "How do you solve a problem like Maria" (is her name Cloe or something) who is now in the musical on the west end, now she lives in Sydenham!! Can't see Andrew Lloyd Webber accepting an invite for dinner though. Apparently she lives in a flat? Hazel Grove perhaps? Maybe she decided to take up singing when the man of Kent closed down?

biscuitman1978 · Post by **biscuitman1978** » 11 Dec 2006 18:12

randomv wrote:Seriously though, whilst it would be fantastic to have something like Domali's in Sydehnam, Cafe Nero is at least less offensive than a Starbucks!

randomv, you may be encouraged to hear that whilst Starbucks responded to my recent email with a polite 'we have no current plans to open a store in the Sydenham area', Caffe Nero were more positive.

They said that they have looked at Sydenham in the past but haven't yet out opened a branch because of a combination of 'not being entirely sure as to whether it was quite large enough for us' and 'the absence of a suitable property becoming available'. However, they also said that the opening of the branches in East Dulwich and Crystal Palace has given them more confidence that one in Sydenham might do well. They concluded by saying that they will 'keep an eye on the market' for new opportunities in Sydenham and that they will endeavour to get some more information on the HSBC site 'in the hope that we can satisfy your wish for a good cup of coffee in Sydenham soon!'

leaf · Post by **leaf** » 11 Dec 2006 21:51

"PS... Talking of local investors. The Greyhound opens again on Tuesday as a non smoking gastro pub. Should be great, hopefully the smoking ban will encourage the previous clientele to switch loyalty to the Prince Alfred which is within staggering distance of the council flats!"

thats right because being a smoker is a prerequisite of having a council flat!

What a load of ignorant,small minded crap on this thread[you know who you are],i hope someone opens another pound shop just to p1ss you snobs off

raymondus · Post by **raymondus** » 11 Dec 2006 23:03

My wife and I are in the nebulous stages of planning a cake/coffee shop (our ideas may eventually come to nothing if we cannot persuade the chef we have in mind to come down here). We had not thought of the HSBC site. In any event, I think we are about a year away and it may be too late for that particular site, although I agree it would be an excellent site for a coffee shop. Does anyone have any info as to who might be handling the letting of the premises and what kind of planning consent it has? I am afraid this is all rather new to me (in terms of sources of information) but a lead would be nice.

Thanks in advance

Greg Whitehead · Post by **Greg Whitehead** » 11 Dec 2006 23:06

leaf wrote:"PS... Talking of local investors. The Greyhound opens again on Tuesday as a non smoking gastro pub. Should be great, hopefully the smoking ban will encourage the previous clientele to switch loyalty to the Prince Alfred which is within staggering distance of the council flats!"

thats right because being a smoker is a prerequisite of having a council flat!

What a load of ignorant,small minded crap on this thread[you know who you are],i hope someone opens another pound shop just to p1ss you snobs off

Not me this time Leaf?

I have been rather restrained.

castiron73 · Post by **castiron73** » 12 Dec 2006 10:54

Why on earth do people want to kill off the few independent cafes we have by welcoming a chain? Starbucks and Cafe Nero are overpriced and depressing, they're just better marketed.

Sydenham Traders just need a middle class tsar who can tell them how to gentrify their shops. Courses could be held at the bookshop.
Star-shaped neon cards in your window? NO!
Photos of the food you serve? NO!
Wrongly placed apostrophes and misspelt pasta dishes? NO!
Trying to display everything you sell inside the shop outside the shop? NO!
Fake snow in window displays using polystyrene packaging? NO!

Sydenham Town Forum

The Community Voice for London SE26 since 2004

COFFEE SHOP FOR SYDENHAM ON HSBC SITE!!!

COFFEE SHOP FOR SYDENHAM ON HSBC SITE!!!

2 Capuccinos with sprinkles of chocolate and bogies please!