Old optician/On the Hoof

[G-Man]

Noticed yesterday that there's a change of use sign on the old optician from 'On the hoof'. Them of train station coffee fame. It says the change of use is to restaurant. I'm presuming it will be for a cafe. Or perhaps they are branching out. Either way great news for a great local business.

Cheers

G-man

[Tim Lund]

Fantastic

[Toots]

Which unit is this? I've been asking on the hoof for a while if they can get into the high street. Monmouth coffee on the main retail drag would certainly add some energy to Sydenham's regeneration.

[Tim Lund]

23 Sydenham Road. Two down from Well Being.

[Toots]

Thank you Tim, that's great news.

[parker]

Noticed yesterday that there's a change of use sign on the old optition from 'On the hoof'.

What do you mean by optition?

[simon]

Optician!

[parker]

Should've gone to Specsavers shouldn't I...

[G-Man]

Optician!

Ha. Thanks! I kept looking at my spelling of it and thinking that's not quite right. I blame a slightly fuzzy head. Whoops.

G-Man

[leenewham]

This is a really exciting, positive addition to the high street. A local business run by local people.

More of this please.

[Bunty]

I spoke to lovely on the hoof lady today, all being well they will move into high st and serve food etc. fingers crossed they stay in the station as well!

[Tim Lund]

Thinking about serving food, it struck me recently that this might be just as important a part of an independent café business model. I think it's something where Sugahill is particularly strong.

[Rachael]

If they provide enough space for people to use it as a work space in off-peak times, it will do well. I use Canvas and Cream and St David Coffee House as mobile office spaces in the mid to late morning. Once the lunch rush starts I either order lunch or leave to free up the table for a potential lunch customer. A space like that in Sydenham would be very welcome.

[marymck]

I believe (and hope) it's going to be a bistro and that it's planned to open 09.00-21.30 hrs, but with fewer hours on Sun.

[Cwebby76]

That would be amazing! And first I've heard of it, quite out of the blue.

[Rachael]

Actually, I'd agree with you on that, Rod. When I work in public places, I am writing. Quietly.

I was in Canvas and Cream the other day and there was a woman with a laptop and a head set, obviously using FaceTime or Skype to conduct a business call. It was really annoying. On the other hand, in St David's recently I've seen people step outside to make and receive calls. Cafes are not offices, but they are nice places to work, and productive. There have been studies that show that the background noise in such places is very conducive to concentration, and better than absolute silence. There is even an app that reproduces cafe background noise to get you in the zone!

Another side issue - I wonder what part of the brain is responsible for the fact that it is easy to tune out a conversation between two people at the next table, but not one person on the phone.

[stuart]

Another side issue - I wonder what part of the brain is responsible for the fact that it is easy to tune out a conversation between two people at the next table, but not one person on the phone.

I suspect that two people are having a balanced conversation. You can choose to tune in or out. However on a phone you hear only one side of the conversation and our brains are programmed to fill in empty bits. You are inevitably drawn into reconstructing the conversation you may or may not be interested in. But by then it is too late!

YMMV
Stuart

[mosy]

Does anyone know if a cafe can display for communal use (pick up put down) the day's papers or maybe magazines, or is that a no-no for H&S reasons? Ta.

[leenewham]

Kente do, Starbucks do, waiting rooms do, even the local kebab and chip shops do. I don't think I've heard if such a law.

Why do you think that might be the case mosy?

[mosy]

Thanks leenewham re papers and mags.
I thought I had a vague memory about hospital in-patient wards due to risk of contagion although that might have been MRSA rather than E-coli.