Building work by Penge east station

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Philcarter71
Posts: 8
Joined: 25 Mar 2016 13:30
Location: Sydenham

Building work by Penge east station

Post by Philcarter71 »

Hi, does anybody know what the new shop will be that's by the newsagents? Cheers
Nigel
Posts: 2418
Joined: 22 May 2005 16:12
Location: Laurie Park

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by Nigel »

Philcarter71
I was under the impression it was going to be a cafe / food outlet . Flurry of building in the summer then it seemed to stop . I too am puzzled .
A very good morning
Nigel
alywin
Posts: 920
Joined: 27 Aug 2009 12:33
Location: No longer in Sydenham

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by alywin »

Well, it finally opened a week or so ago: it's a coffee etc. shop. Seems to be operating some long hours, and at weekends, too.
Nigel
Posts: 2418
Joined: 22 May 2005 16:12
Location: Laurie Park

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by Nigel »

Went in there today - perhaps early days but a bit underwhelmed- all the food seemed to be in cellophane and nothing seemed to be actually made there . I was hoping for nice pastries and fresh sandwiches . Coffee was nice .

Interestingly the booth in the station - Sheriff's- seems to be selling a really nice range of fresh looking pastries in the morning - much bettter than they did before
A very good evening .

Nigel
alywin
Posts: 920
Joined: 27 Aug 2009 12:33
Location: No longer in Sydenham

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by alywin »

This one seems to be open 7 days a week, which I don't think Sheriff's is? Certainly it's been open at several times when the booth is closed.
SimonVennerRoad
Posts: 3
Joined: 16 May 2018 06:59
Location: London

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by SimonVennerRoad »

The unit was repossessed last week and there is a bailiff notice on the metal shutters.
Nice people and they tried very hard but it never overcame the fundamental issue - it is on the wrong side of the tracks. In the morning ( when most people are going North ) no one hands around on the Sydenham side of the station to buy a coffee - they go to Lee’s kiosk in the ticket hall) and in the evening when most people are getting off on the South platform they don’t hang around to buy a coffee to take home. They just go home. And during the day there is hardly any passing trade. It is difficult to think what one could use that unit for to be honest.
mosy
Posts: 4111
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 20:28
Location: London

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by mosy »

It is a tricky one. Similar shop units on Syd. Station Approach suffered the same fate - no footfall for much of the day. One is now the meritable Bob's Wines, although I was thinking that a shoemenders might work, maybe with a collection point for offsite dry cleaning service arrangement, so minimal fitting out needed. A post restante for online shopping might work, but I've no idea what sort of financial license or insurance etc is required. All I can think of to make it a "go to" shop (not forgetting to good chippie is within spitting distance).
JRW
Posts: 540
Joined: 18 Jun 2015 15:01

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by JRW »

How about a late-opening florist, so dejected commuters can cheer themselves up after their delayed journey home.....
milton
Posts: 36
Joined: 27 Feb 2018 11:33
Location: newbury

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by milton »

In the 1970s a guy had a florist barrow on the sydenham side friday and thurs evenings,I believe he did quite well out of it.me especially and if I recall correctly opened a florist in one of the shops in that row
SimonVennerRoad
Posts: 3
Joined: 16 May 2018 06:59
Location: London

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by SimonVennerRoad »

In the old days it would have been a taxi firm!
Please god it isn’t another flipping Estate Agent.....
JRW
Posts: 540
Joined: 18 Jun 2015 15:01

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by JRW »

Bike repair shop?
Jollylolly
Posts: 114
Joined: 8 Nov 2015 12:28

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by Jollylolly »

A shame as his coffee was more to my liking.

Maybe a pint-sized pub so you could have a sneaky one on the way home!
alywin
Posts: 920
Joined: 27 Aug 2009 12:33
Location: No longer in Sydenham

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by alywin »

mosy wrote:I was thinking that a shoemenders might work, maybe with a collection point for offsite dry cleaning service arrangement, so minimal fitting out needed.
But there's a dry cleaner's on the corner ...

Sorry to see it go, but I did wonder if it was in the right location.
The Clown
Posts: 401
Joined: 8 Apr 2005 14:04
Location: Sydenham

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by The Clown »

Whilst saddened, i can’t say I am that surprised. It seemed to be lacking a clear “identity”. Obviously a coffee shop, but lacking any clear branding or soul aesthetically. It would not have had me cantering down the road to spend.Good Coffee is an expensive luxury, and I would want to be pre-sold with barista / Italian fluff, rather than just “here is a coffee shop, you can buy”.
It’s actually really hard work running such a thing in a profitable way and expensive to brand well. That combination may also not have been legislated for in the initial business plan.
The “twinning” that On The Hoof have, is a good model. I wonder whether Sugarhill, Cherry & Ice, or Kente would consider value in picking it up.
alywin
Posts: 920
Joined: 27 Aug 2009 12:33
Location: No longer in Sydenham

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by alywin »

I notice that there's now a "coffee and flowers" (or something) shop down at Kent House station. However, crucially, it's on the "up" side of the station rather than the "down" side.
Bovine Juice
Posts: 265
Joined: 14 Oct 2007 11:35
Location: Penge

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by Bovine Juice »

The coffee and flowers shop is very good. Open a bit later on Friday and sells beer, well, lager and wine too
alywin
Posts: 920
Joined: 27 Aug 2009 12:33
Location: No longer in Sydenham

Re: Building work by Penge east station

Post by alywin »

I've been meaning to bump this thread for ages to say that there's now another coffee shop or something in that building - been in there since the beginning of the year, I'd guess. Called Little Things, I think. Best of luck to them.
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