Mareel - Cinema & Music Venue

[Spinner72]

[Frances144]

A Voe pie and a fancy, and yer sorted!
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[Hector's House]

[Ghostrider]

[shetlandpeat]

There were concerns about the locals businesses loosing out. Folk gave up allot of bile to complain about it as it is. Just imagine if it started to wipe other businesses out. Some will extrude their whole gall bladder.
Another pointles part to prove a point over.
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"In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa

[Ghostrider]

^ I'm not suggesting the place should have a full blown restaurant, I noted what MuckleJoannie posted about local businesses complained it would affect their trade. I'm talking about filled rolls, sandwiches, pies, chips/chip suppers and suchlike - "snack" grub, the kind of thing you buy on impulse when you're out on the razz. You have a captive market within the building drawn in by other things, why not capitalise on that by flogging to them whatever "add ons" you possibly can. Such would not compete with "sit down" restaurant businesses, and I believe would only have negigible affect on existing fast food outlets. Its not like folk will leave Mareel and go elsewhere to get something to eat in the middle of something, then go back to see the rest of it, they'll just do without, or then go elsewhere in the first place, either way Mareel's bank balance loses.

The fact the cafe/bar has had to be closed at least twice when attendees at an event had reached, or were expected to reach a certain number, strongly suggests the existing facilities cannot cope with the natural demand of the building's users, let alone be in a position to capitalise on the opportunity to profit presented to them.
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[unlinkedstudent]

[piggywiggie]

Now that would be the wedding of the century!
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[Twerto]

[Ghostrider]

^ You're very probably right as far as "ordinary" days/nights go, but surely once Mareel is established in folk's minds as a viable choice for a "night out" and it has been open long enough that acts requiring to be booked numerous months before the fact are coming through. The aim would be to have at least one weekend night, if not two, with "crowd pullers" capable of at least filling both venue and cinema to 50+% of capacity, otherwise the facility is arguably not be capatilised to its full potential/not achieving the purpose it was designed for.

Even for a moderate 350-450 captive customer base within the building, I have my doubts about the cafe/bar's ability to fully capitalise on the sales potential that presnts, but time will tell.

I don't know if something like Flames or any other "eaterie" is a particularly good comparison. Certainly curiosity and novelty value drag in punters to any "new" facility, but its entirely the "dining experience" that drags them back again and again, or not. They have nothing else to act as a carrot.

Mareel has the venue and cinema as carrots, the cafe/bar can utilise the potential customer base those bring in. IMHO a better comparison would be the burger van at the Cross and spud shop on the street. Folk conregated at the Cross and street long before either existed for other reasons, and went uncatered for. However, both as far as I'm aware have done a pretty good and steady trade from the day they opened, by planting themselves in the midst of a potential customer base and trying to supply them with whatever they could persuade them to buy.

Mareel cafe/bar has the same opportunity right now as the burger van and spud shop had when they each set up. Can their facilities and business attitude make them succeed as well as the van and shop have, that's all I'm questioning and having doubts about.
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Copyright: Ghosty 2006 - 2013.

[Spinner72]

Very well put GR.

I fear I'm about to open a can of worms but I think a large part of this has to be about Shetlands drinking culture.

Mareels bar is comparible to many similar venues on the mainland, which can serve similar numbers of gig-goers with relative ease (there will always be a build up at the beginning and during intervals etc) because they simply don't drink as much.

Should Mareel expand its service to maximise supply/consumption, or carry on as it is until people say to hell with the waiting, make their dram last and just enjoy the gig they paid to see?
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[Fatal Paper Cut]

The building is licensed throughout, so they can have multiple temporary bars if they so wish, to cater for large crowds.

[Symbister]

Two thoughts.

Where events have fixed intervals, as opposed to folk just wandering in and out to the bar, they need to organise pre-ordering of drinks so that your order is paid for and waiting for you in the foyer (not the bar area, to keep congestion down) at interval time. That's routine south. Clickimin has never (as far as I know) got that right.

As to eating, I think Shetland restaurants are missing a trick. They could attract more people in by offering an early evening, fixed-price, pre-theatre (or cinema/concert) menu up to, say, 6.30pm Sunday-Thursday. Again, that's routine elsewhere: two or even three courses for around £12-£15, often with a glass of wine thrown in. At that sort of price, people start to think of a meal out as an occasional alternative to eating in. As things stand, local restaurants' evening menus seem to be predicated on the notion that eating out has to be a big occasion with prices to match.

[Hector's House]

^ Oh come on, you've been thinking outside the (Shetland) box again, haven't you? You know full well that real-world practices cannot be allowed here
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[unlinkedstudent]

It isn't just about the cafe/bar not coping with serving alcohol though, is it? People have mentioned elsewhere (and also on here, I think, without scrolling back) about having to wait 20 minutes for a cup of coffee, soup not being ready at lunchtime, the cafe/bar closing when a large event is on (Like the Oxjam gig) - that isn't looking good for making a profit, now is it?

Other new venues manage to get things right on the first day they open, why can't Mareel?

It would be interesting to see how all the facilities at Mareel are doing balance sheet-wise right now as opposed to just the cinema.
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[shetlandpeat]

Hmm, why this obsession with profits I do not know. There is not often profits in Art except the good of the folk involved. I should be seen as a service that all can have the opportunity to take part in. We already know some think that the Arts are a waste of public money. I guess that could be the reason for the continuous dull niggle.

It is a new building, new staff and such.
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"In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa

[unlinkedstudent]

[Spinner72]

[unlinkedstudent]

[Spinner72]

I was mainly comparing to music venues like the ABC and Liquid Rooms (in my head, my bad for not saying so!) but yep, valid point and in fact may even fit well with a multiplex comparison as cinema bars tend to be very similar due to the various films being on at various times with people waiting in between and big rushes at certain times.

Agreed that an extra bar is probably best during events in the main auditorium if the main cafe bar is being kept busy.
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Never forget you are unique, just like everyone else..

[Shoogler]

[Shoogler]

Unlinked, with all your good ideas and input on the Mareel thread, i think you would be an asset to Shetland Arts and you should be looking for a job with them.....

[unlinkedstudent]

[shetlandpeat]

You would be good at it, plenty to say and all that. It would be good to have someone with a positive attitude and thought process.

It seems Shetland needs folk like that to come from the islands instead of dragging folk from the south at an additional cost.

Shame, you would be good I think.
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"In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa

[Shoogler]