Just going to be pedantic because although the thrust of what you are saying is right, GateGourmet has its foundations in Swissair Catering - who for a good time owned RailGourmet - they were sister companies until 2001.LNER is now Gate Gourmet, which has nothing to do with SSP or Rail Gourmet (despite the similar name).
When I passed through Bristol TM last Summer, I noticed that the large 'Bonaparte's' Bar on platform 3 had closed and been stripped out. Was that also another SSP franchise?
Pret A Manger approved for York Station
By Darren Greenwood Print Audience Content Editor
YORK planners have approved a Pret A Manger at the railway station- the chain’s third branch in the city.
The venue, in a former ticket office, will add to those in Parliament Street and the Designer Outlet.
City of York Council approved the plans for the Grade II-listed building and the setting within the Central Historic Core Conservation Area.
They will include extensive renovations to the former office, plus outside seating, a license for which the council had previously decided was not needed as it would “fall within the station building."
Pret had told the council their plans would “deliver investment into the heritage asset to ensure its appearance and upkeep is maintained.”
A report by council planning staff said: “The internal works being of modern fixtures and fittings would not affect the architectural or historic character of the listed building.”
It continued: “The assessment considers that there is no harm to the listed building arising from the installation of the rooftop plant, nor from any signage or the retail fit out of retail unit 2.”
Furthermore, Micklegate Planning Panel had no objections to the application, which attracted no letters of representation from the public.
Recommending approval, the planners concluded: “The proposals would have an acceptable effect on this designated heritage asset.”
In October, the Press reported Pret had begun recruiting for staff for the station branch.
Such an agreement would be illegal so I'd be very surprised if that were the case. The brand can set a RRP and advertise it (thats why they say at participating restaurants) but cannot stop a franchisee setting their own prices or put any clauses relating to price in the franchise agreement.Some of the brands SSP runs under franchise agreements dictate pricing (some insist it is aligned with the high street) while SSP is free to set more outrageous pricing in some of its other brands.
Heathrow used to advertise (and enforce) High Street prices in many of the airside shops run by major chains. Boots - for example - were told that if their prices were higher on average than the prices in their outlet in Hounslow High Street, then their concession wouldn't be renewed at the end of it's term.Such an agreement would be illegal so I'd be very surprised if that were the case. The brand can set a RRP and advertise it (thats why they say at participating restaurants) but cannot stop a franchisee setting their own prices or put any clauses relating to price in the franchise agreement.
I knew SSP owned a lot, for example Upper Crust and Pumpkins cafes, but I did not quite realise most Starbucks, Marks and Spencers, Burger Kings etc where owned by SSP.Regardless of the name over the door, although I wonder how many people actually realise that on a station e.g. M&S is likely to be run by SSP not actually M&S, if pricing matched typical convenience stores then they may well gain the business of those living nearby, working nearby or just passing. Likewise for fast food outlets e.g. Burger King.
I used to partake of the occasional Upper Crust. But over the past year or so every time I've wandered over to the kiosk at Liverpool Street I've come away after deciding I'm not prepared to pay what they want and would rather arrive home hungry and eat there. Their prices are just ludicrous now.Last time I bought something from Upper Crust it was an O2 £1 lunch. When they stopped, I stopped.
I knew SSP owned a lot, for example Upper Crust and Pumpkins cafes, but I did not quite realise most Starbucks, Marks and Spencers, Burger Kings etc where owned by SSP.
The M&S and Starbucks I been to in stations still have typical M&S or Starbucks products and decor so even if the products in them are more expensive to the average customer they still feel very much like a M&S or Starbucks.
No real loss. Used to be nearly twice the price for a meal vs the McDonalds downstairs + the quality was often terrible.I noticed tonight that SSP's Burger King at Waterloo (ex Casey Jones) has closed down
That's interesting Liverpool Lime street has only 3 Starbucks, M&S simply food and Upper Crust.The SSP customer feedback website can help identify their outlets. Type in the name of the station/airport/city/brand and it will drop down a list of their operations.
I don't know if it is completely up to date but it is a useful starting point.
Do you have a source for that claim?Such an agreement would be illegal so I'd be very surprised if that were the case. The brand can set a RRP and advertise it (thats why they say at participating restaurants) but cannot stop a franchisee setting their own prices or put any clauses relating to price in the franchise agreement.
In what way are they "ripping off" passengers? They provide a decent service and a good range of quality products.Why is such a monopoly permitted when often it's ripping off rail passengers.
Gate Gourmet started out with the same parent company as Rail Gourmet, owned by Swissair.LNER is now Gate Gourmet, which has nothing to do with SSP or Rail Gourmet (despite the similar name).
Virtually all McDonald's are franchises and all charge the same prices. You can't run a McDonald's franchise and charge anything other than their prices. That's why more stations have a Burger King!Such an agreement would be illegal so I'd be very surprised if that were the case. The brand can set a RRP and advertise it (thats why they say at participating restaurants) but cannot stop a franchisee setting their own prices or put any clauses relating to price in the franchise agreement.
I am sure they would prefer their own brands throughout as profits will be higher but they simply don't have the pull of high street brands so the franchise costs are a necessary evil.
There is a slight regional variance with McDonald's. Some of the meals in Warrington are 10/20p cheaper than the same thing in Manchester, for example.Virtually all McDonald's are franchises and all charge the same prices. You can't run a McDonald's franchise and charge anything other than their prices. That's why more stations have a Burger King!
There is a slight regional variance with McDonald's. Some of the meals in Warrington are 10/20p cheaper than the same thing in Manchester, for example.
Since the (almost) completion of the Glasgow Queen Street rebuild, there are no fixed food outlets at all on the concourse....just a couple of portable barrow-type affairs. I wonder whether SSP will ever gain a foothold there again?
The lack of retail is weird but perhaps more importantly unexpected and annoying.There are a couple of things I don't get about Queen Street's refurbishment. One of them is that almost nothing has been done to the platform areas, it's literally a new concourse, and it makes the platform areas look absolutely awful now. The other one is, as you say, that there is almost no retail included, which seems a bizarre missed opportunity for a station that has so many tourists using it. My fear would therefore be that because it's not been designed in from the start, we'll end up with Euston-style clutter instead.
Unsurprisingly Alex Hynes is in full bluster-mode about it, but having had a look myself it's nowhere near as good as it could have been. It still feels like a backwater - very similar to a nicer version of the rathole that is Manchester Victoria - with Central having very much the Hauptbahnhof feel despite actually having fewer long distance services.
Upper Crust is another regular brand. But it’s just a blatant way of conning people into thinking there’s a selection of outlets, at a station such as Southampton with all 3 main brands they’re all supported by the same back of house prep areas, and the same staff appear in all three outlets. Surely the vast majority of passengers must already realise this?They do have a lot of their own brands - Ritazza, Pumpkin and Camden Food Company are three that immediately spring to mind.
Away from stations there's a lot of variation in offerings at Subway- the breakfasts offered at a Subway in Bradford (and the sole outlet in Dewsbury) are quite limited due to Islamic dietary restrictions. Whether this is at the behest of customers, staff, or franchise holders, I'm not sure.Interestingly Subway went the other way - originally prices were up to the franchisee and varied completely randomly from store to store, but now they appear to be 100% standardised, at least at High Street locations.
I'd not noticed variance in McD's, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did now allow variance, which would be why you now get them at motorway services when you never used to. (BK have always allowed variance).